Country Now News

Tim McGraw paid a heartfelt tribute to his daughter Gracie by sharing a video of her powerful mash-up covers of Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain” and Chappell Roan’s “Picture You” during a recent performance at Joe’s Pub in New York. McGraw proudly captioned the post, “We had a blast (and a few tears) catching our oldest girl Gracie’s show at Joes Pub in NYC a few weeks ago!” Gracie, an accomplished actor and vocalist who has clearly inherited the singing prowess of her famous parents, McGraw and Faith Hill, previously collaborated with her father on his 2015 song “Here Tonight.” In addition to her well-received club show, Gracie impressed viewers with her commanding performance during the PBS Special, American Heart in WWI: A Carnegie Hall Tribute, which aired on Veterans Day. Meanwhile, McGraw prepares to launch his Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum Theater at Caesars Palace later this week, stepping in for Dolly Parton, who had to postpone her performances due to health issues. (Holler)

On Tuesday (December 2), Tyler Childers announced the dates and details of his 2026 Snipe Hunt Tour. The 14-date trek will kick off on April 23 in Dallas, making stops throughout the U.S. including Lexington, St. Louis, Chicago, Boulder, and Seattle, before concluding on October 3 in Portland. Supported by openers Jon Batiste, Evan Honer, Wednesday, and Scott T. Smith on select dates, the tour promotes Childers’ Grammy-nominated album Snipe Hunter, which earned a nod for Best Contemporary Country Album. A pair of singles from the album are also nominated, as “Bitin’ List” is up for Best Country Song, and “Nose on the Grindstone” is up for Best Country Solo Performance, while Childers also received a nod for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for his collaboration with Margo Price, “Love Me Like You Used to Do,” featured on her album Hard Headed Woman. Artist pre-sale begins on Wednesday (Dec. 10), with a general on-sale starting Friday (Dec. 12). (Billboard)

Dan + Shay revealed in a recent Taste of Country Nights interview that Blake Shelton is famously affectionate, known for giving long hugs and kissing his friends. When the duo was asked who is the best hugger in country music, Shay Mooney was quick to answer Shelton, saying, "He might be the longest hugger — he’s a lingerer.” Dan Smyers chimed in to add that Shelton will "kiss you on the top of your head, too.” Mooney agreed, describing a time when Shelton “spins me around backwards, then I’m just nuzzled in there. Then he looks down at my head and kisses me. It’s awesome.” Smyers shared that they even have a photo capturing one of Shelton’s kisses, with Mooney joking that he's “traumatized” by the pic. The duo’s anecdotes highlight Shelton’s affectionate nature, which fans have seen in public moments like his playful kisses with Adam Levine on The Voice, and a sweet post-Thanksgiving kiss on the cheek with his wife Gwen Stefani that she recently shared on social media. (People)

In a recent ask-me-anything style Q&A on her Instagram Stories, Kelsea Ballerini disclosed how she was doing amid rumors of her split with Outer Banks star Chase Stokes. In response to a fan’s question, "How are YOU?!? You heal a lot of us, what do YOU need?," the 32-year-old country star responded by revealing, “I'm in a steady and happy place right now, truly excited for this Australia tour and the holidays." The six-time Grammy nominee went on to share: "If I had one favor, it would be honoring that I'm trying to make my personal life personal for now. Unless it comes from me, its not from me. and that is really important in protecting my peace right now." Ballerini’s statement comes amid recent cryptic social media posts from the 33-year-old Stokes that hint at their breakup, with the actor writing "Sorry ❤️ I tried" and "I'm sorry for those who believed in us.” (People)

Rosé and Bruno Mars’ hit “APT.” dominated Apple Music’s 2025 global year-end charts, topping multiple categories including the overall Global Songs, Shazam, Radio, and Lyrics charts. While Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s chart-topping collaboration, “Luther,” secured the No. 2 spot, with Lamar placing five songs in the Top 25 and nine in the Top 100. Other notable entries include Lady Gaga and Mars’ “Die With a Smile,” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Lola Young’s “Messy,” and Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” which all ranked highly on the Global Songs and Global Radio charts, while Morgan Wallen led all artists with the most Top 100 entries, as a total of 12 of his songs appeared on the tally. Apple Music’s global year-end charts was released to coincide with its annual Apple Replay ’25, which provides users with a comprehensive look back at their listening habits over the past year. (Variety)

Mariah Carey, Chappell Roan, and Post Malone lead the diverse lineup of performers set to be featured on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest special that will ring in 2026. Other acts set to perform at the annual holiday event include KPop Demon Hunters chart-topping trio HUNTR/X featuring EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, Maren Morris, 50 Cent, Little Big Town, Demi Lovato, Jordan Davis, New Kids on the Block, Jessie Murph, Tucker Wetmore, and OneRepublic. The celebration, co-hosted by Seacrest and Rita Ora from Times Square, includes DJ Cassidy’s “Pass the Mic Live!” featuring Busta Rhymes, T.I., and Wyclef Jean, with an additional Times Square headliner performing just before midnight who will be announced soon. This will be the show's longest telecast to date, with the ABC broadcast running from 8 p.m. ET on December 31 until 4 a.m. ET on January 1, with a first-ever live countdown from Chicago led by Chance the Rapper, alongside live festivities in New York, Las Vegas, and Puerto Rico. The event will be simulcast on 150 iHeartRadio stations and available to stream on Hulu the following day. (Variety)

Zac Brown Band is set to become only the second country act to headline the Sphere in Las Vegas starting on Friday (December 5), coinciding with the release of their highly-anticipated eighth studio album, Love & Fear. To celebrate both momentous occasions, they’ve launched exclusive merchandise collaborations at The Venetian Resort’s Zac Brown Band Experience, featuring Wrangler denim jackets, Dixxon Flannel shirts, Vineyard Vines apparel, and signature Western shirts from H Bar C Ranchwear, gear which will only be sold at the Vegas shows. Zac Brown calls the residency his “masterpiece,” with the country star reportedly investing $6-7 million of his own money into the show, with the band promising fans "the best live show of the year" at their December (5, 6, 12, 13) and January (9, 10, 16, 17) performances. The December dates are all sold-out, with limited tickets remaining for the January shows. (Holler)

On Monday (December 1), the Country Music Association revealed the lineup for the CMA Songwriters Series set to take place on March 12 at London’s Indigo at the O2 Arena as part of the kickoff to the C2C 2026 Festival. The event will feature Keith Urban, Ashley Cooke, Aaron Raitiere, Meg McRee, and Kristian Bush in an intimate writer’s round-style showcase performance. “What makes this work so meaningful is seeing how Country Music continues to connect with audiences far beyond the US,” says Meredith Goucher, the CMA's Director of International Relations and Development. “Every year, C2C and our Songwriters Series remind us that this genre resonates universally, its stories, its craft, its heart.” Tickets for the Songwriters Series are sold separately from the festival and will be available via the O2 Arena website, with presales starting Wednesday (December 3), and general on-sales beginning Friday (Dec. 5). (Holler)

The 61st Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards will return to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 17, after three years at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. For the fourth consecutive year, the ceremony will stream live on Amazon Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, while marking the show's first Sunday night broadcast since 2021. Damon Whiteside, CEO, Academy of Country Music, said the venue “holds a lot of history and special memories for the Academy,” while adding that, “it truly feels like a homecoming for us. There’s no better place to host an exciting, global country music celebration than fabulous Las Vegas!” Established in 1966, the ACM Awards is the longest-running country music awards show, and it made history in 2022 as the first major awards event to stream exclusively online, earning a Primetime Emmy nomination for technical excellence. ACM Awards Week in Vegas will begin on May 15, with tickets available in early 2026. (Billboard)

During an appearance on the Today show on Monday (December 1), Reba McEntire corrected co-anchor Savannah Guthrie after Guthrie referred to Rex Linn as McEntire’s husband. The 70-year-old country superstar quickly clarified, “Now, wait a minute. Before everybody has a conniption fit at home, we’re just engaged.” McEntire set the record straight to avoid confusion among her family, friends and fans, while adding, “My family will go, ‘Wait, you didn’t tell us?!’” The 69-year-old Linn, was in the studio for the interview, and looked confused when the camera initially cut to him, but he eventually smiled as his bride-to-be discussed their relationship. The couple got engaged on Christmas Eve 2024, but McEntire explained that they delayed announcing their engagement due to the tragic fires in California that followed the holiday season. “There was not room for our joy in the devastating situation that everybody else was in,” McEntire said. (People)

In an exclusive interview with People StyleWatch, Megan Moroney says that Kenny Chesney is “one of my best friends,” and credits the country superstar as being a mentor who significantly boosted her career. After opening for Chesney on his 2024 Sun Goes Down stadium tour – her first time performing in large venues – Moroney said she appreciated how he "loudly supported me," including bringing her out to perform with him each night. In gratitude, she co-wrote the sentimental duet, "You Had to Be There," released in May, as a gift to Chesney, who loved the song enough to join her on it. Moroney also credits Chesney’s  influence for helping her win the 2024 CMA New Artist of the Year Award. "I think he had a lot to do with that, just because to his industry friends, he was like, 'I believe in her. You need to listen to her songwriting,'" says Moroney. (People)

During Post Malone’s halftime performance at the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving game on November 27, the country singer paid tribute to the late Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland by wearing a No. 94 pin and saying, “We love you, 94,” honoring the number the 24-year-old NFL star wore before his recent death. The Texas native performed a three-song medley at AT&T Stadium, including “Wrong Ones,” “Wow,” and “I Had Some Help,” marking a homecoming for the multi-genre superstar whose father worked at the stadium from 2005 to 2019. “I’m from Texas. I grew up a Cowboys fan and have been watching this halftime show for years,” Malone said in a statement on the Cowboys’ official site. “It’s a real honor to be part of the Red Kettle Kickoff with The Salvation Army and the Dallas Cowboys and help bring hope to so many people.” (Billboard)

Lainey Wilson has scored her ninth top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with “Somewhere Over Laredo.” The track rose two places to reach No. 9 this week, on the strength of 4.1 million official U.S. streams (up 3%), 24.6 million in radio audience (up 8%), and 1,000 in sales (up 36%). Wilson’s nine career Top 10 hits ties her with Maren Morris for third all-time among solo women, behind  Taylor Swift (17 Top 10s) and Carrie Underwood (10). Over the last five years, Wilson – the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year – has the fourth most Top 10s on the Hot Country Songs chart, trailing only Morgan Wallen (37), Luke Combs and Taylor Swift (14 tie), and Zach Bryan (13). Those impressive chart accomplishments cements Wilson's status as one of country music’s biggest contemporary hitmakers. (Billboard)

The estate of Johnny Cash has filed a federal lawsuit in Nashville against Coca-Cola, accusing the company of illegally using a tribute singer, Shawn Barker, to mimic Cash’s distinctive voice in a college football commercial without permission or licensing. This case is the first high-profile legal action under Tennessee’s new ELVIS Act, which explicitly protects individuals’ voices from unauthorized commercial exploitation. The Cash estate alleges that Coca-Cola profited from this voice imitation without consent, seeking an injunction to remove the ad and financial damages for violations of publicity rights, consumer protection laws, and false endorsement statutes. “Stealing the voice of an artist is theft. It is theft of his integrity, identity and humanity,” wrote Tim Warnock, a lawyer for Cash’s estate. “The trust brings this lawsuit to protect the voice of Johnny Cash — and to send a message that protects the voice of all of the artists whose music enriches our lives.” (Rolling Stone)

Stray Kids secured their record eighth consecutive No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 with their new album, DO IT, which earned 295,000 equivalent album units – including 286,000 from traditional sales – in the week ending November 27. Continuing their historic streak that began with ODDINARY in 2022, the K-pop group remains the first act to ever debut at No. 1 with their first eight Billboard 200 entries since the chart’s inception in 1956, while also extending their record as the group with the most No. 1 albums this century. In the process, Stray Kids also dethroned Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl from its seven-week reign at No. 1 following its October 3 release, with the album slipping two spots to No. 3. Other significant moves in this week’s Top 10 include the Wicked: For Good soundtrack making a strong debut at No. 2, while Tate McRae’s So Close to What vaults up 15 places to reach No. 6 following a deluxe reissue with bonus songs.

The Hazbin Hotel: Season Two soundtrack surges 62 spots up the chart to reach No. 8 after its first full week of chart activity, while Aerosmith and YUNGBLUD’s new collaborative project, One More Time, premieres at No. 9, the first Top 10 appearance for the British singer. Aerosmith, meanwhile, joins the Rolling Stones as the only band to score one newly-charting Top 10 in every decade from the 1970s through the 2020s. The rest of the Top 10 is rounded out by Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem sliding one spot to No. 4, while the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack remains at No. 5, marking the first time in six years that three soundtracks placed in the Billboard 200 Top 10. Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving holds at No. 7, while Summer Walker’s Finally Over It falls eight spots to No. 10, after debuting at No. 2. (Billboard)

Turnpike Troubadours have paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Todd Snider by releasing a cover of his song “Just Like Old Times,”  honoring the Oregon-born, Nashville-based songwriter who passed away on November 14 at the age 59. Known for his storytelling that blended humor, pain, and everyday realities, Snider was a revered figure in the Americana scene, greatly influencing artists with his deeply personal and genre-spanning work. Reflecting on his legacy, Turnpike frontman Evan Felker noted how Snider shaped his band’s approach to songwriting and stagecraft, calling him a legend who defined the spirit of East Nashville. “I don’t know that there’s ever been, or ever will be, anyone better at that [storytelling] than him,” Felker says. Produced by Shooter Jennings, the newly released cover preserves the original’s charm while fitting seamlessly into the Troubadours’ narrative-driven style, carrying forward Snider’s storytelling legacy. (Holler)

In a new interview with People, Martina McBride shares the sentimental holiday traditions that make Christmas special for her family. These festive activities include decorating a live tree with meaningful ornaments collected over the years, such as crocheted ones made by her grandmother that have been cherished for decades. "My grandmother didn't have a lot," McBride says. "She couldn't really buy us presents, but she crocheted. So she would make all of the grandkids four or five little Christmas ornaments every year. And I still have those. They're 50 years old. So every time when I bring them out, I'll tell my kids that." Each of McBride’s three daughters receives a yearly ornament reflecting on their life experiences, and family vacations often inspire new additions to the tree. Alongside these warm traditions, McBride has introduced her own wine label, Luna & Finn – named after her cat and daughter’s dog – which has become a beloved part of their holiday meals, offering rosé and pinot noir varieties exclusively on HSN. (People)

During a recent appearance on the Dopey podcast, Billy Strings opened up about the shock and grief he felt after the death of his mother, Debra Apostol, from a drug overdose in June. The acclaimed Bluegrass musician revealed he was unaware she was still using drugs and is still in denial over the "unnecessary" loss. Despite his past struggles with addiction and losing his father to a heroin overdose, Strings had believed his mother was healthy and was devastated to learn the truth while on tour in Australia. He shared how her death reshaped his understanding of addiction as an illness beyond control, leading him to seek support through Al-Anon meetings and honor her memory by eventually turning her poetry into an album. In a cathartic move, he performed a concert the day she died, dedicating it to her spirit, and recently celebrated her birthday with a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, captioning his post, “Happy Birthday momma ❤️.” Meanwhile, his latest album, Highway Prayers, is nominated for Best Bluegrass Album at the 2026 Grammys. (People)

On Tuesday (November 25), event organizers announced that Zac Brown Band and Ashley McBryde will be the special guest opening acts for Garth Brooks’ highly-anticipated 2026 BST Hyde Park concert on June 27, marking the country music superstar’s first UK show in nearly 30 years. Zac Brown Band recently headlined the UK’s C2C Festival and are set to release their new album, Love & Fear, on December 5, while McBryde joins the lineup fresh off her high-profile performance at London's Royal Albert Hall for the Grand Ole Opry's centennial celebration. Brooks’ Hyde Park show joins the 2026 summer concert series lineup which already includes Maroon 5, Pitbull, and Lewis Capaldi, and continues the recent tradition of performances by country artists at the annual event, which includes past appearances by Zach Bryan and Morgan Wallen. Additional acts are set to be announced in the coming weeks. (Holler)

FKA Twigs and Sturgill Simpson have been cast in the upcoming thriller, The Lonely Woman, written and directed by electronic duo Boy Harsher – Augustus Muller and Jae Matthews – marking their feature film debut. The film will be set in rural New England, and it will also star Chloë Sevigny and Bonnie “Prince” Billy. The project recently completed principal photography in upstate New York, with the film slated for release in 2026. In addition to writing and directing, Boy Harsher will also provide the soundtrack for the movie. Meanwhile, FKA Twigs continues to expand her acting career with upcoming roles in projects like The Carpenter’s Son with Nicolas Cage and Mother Mary alongside Anne Hathaway, while also releasing her acclaimed 2025 albums, Eusexua and Eusexua Afterglow, which garnered the English singer recognition as one of Rolling Stone‘s Voices of the Year. (Rolling Stone)