Zach Bryan Declines to Submit Music for 2025 Grammy Awards Consideration
In a move that has stirred conversation in the music industry, rising country star Zach Bryan has opted not to submit his music for the 2025 Grammy Awards. According to reports, Bryan made this decision because he feels uneasy about the competitive nature of awards shows when it comes to music. With voting for the 2025 ceremony officially opening on October 4, Bryan joins a growing list of artists who have chosen to bypass the Grammy nominations in recent years.
Bryan, who celebrated his first Grammy win earlier this year, joins notable figures like Drake, who boycotted the Recording Academy in 2021 and 2022 before re-entering the nominations process last year, and The Weeknd, who has consistently refused to submit his work since his music was absent from the 2021 nominations. Other artists, such as Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Frank Ocean, and Silk Sonic, have also refrained from submitting their projects for Grammy consideration.
Despite qualifying for potential nominations, including tracks from his successful September 2023 EP, “Boys of Faith,” which features collaborations with Bon Iver and Noah Kahan, and made an impressive 17-week run on the Billboard 200 chart peaking at No. 8, Bryan has decided against participation. His latest full-length album, “The Great American Bar Scene,” released in July, reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, showcasing popular tracks like “Pink Skies,” which climbed as high as No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Zach Bryan’s decision sends a clear message about his stance on the music industry’s awards culture. As the Grammy season unfolds, Pitchfork is reaching out to representatives for both Bryan and the Recording Academy for further comment.