New inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame coming soon
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Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The next group of Country Music Hall of Fame inductees will be unveiled Friday morning.
- You can watch the announcement live at 10am Central.
Why it matters: There is a massive backlog of legends who seem destined to join the elite hall one day, but there are only three slots available every year.
How it works: An anonymous panel of voters chosen by the Country Music Association selects the trio of inductees each year.
- The Modern Era Artist category goes to acts who are eligible for induction 20 years after they achieved national prominence.
- The Veterans Era Artist category goes to someone who reached fame 45 or more years ago.
- The third inductee is pulled from one of three rotating categories. This year's rotating category is for a songwriter.
By the numbers: There are currently 158 members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
- Kenny Chesney, June Carter Cash, and producer and executive Tony Brown were inducted last year.
State of play: Many of the biggest names waiting to join them are vying for the sole modern artist slot.
- Tim McGraw, Clint Black, Dwight Yoakam and Shania Twain are still in the waiting room.
The intrigue: Taylor Swift becomes eligible this year, 20 years after her debut album. If anyone could leapfrog to the front of the line, it might be her.
💠Adam's thought bubble: The 1990s was a legendary era in country music history. It produced a steady stream of superstars who have inspired subsequent generations, which means it should eventually have outsized representation in the hall.
- Nostalgia for the '90s is one of the dominant threads in modern country. There is a whole sub-genre of singles that name-check '90s hits (see: "She Had Me at Heads Carolina").
- I am particularly eager to see the celebrated women of that period get their flowers. Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Lee Ann Womack, Alison Krauss, LeAnn Rimes and my personal favorite Trisha Yearwood are all worthy.
💠Nate's thought bubble: I have written a version of this hot take before previous Hall of Fame announcements, but it is long overdue for Shania Twain to be inducted.
- Based on her virtually unrivaled commercial success (more than 100 million albums sold globally), her cultural impact (she wrote the formula for country stars crossing over into pop), Shania belongs in the Hall of Fame.
- It seems the case against her is that she didn't play the Music Row game, but that argument don't impress me much. Chart-topping, trendsetting leading women should be honored before second-tier male artists.