Despite the controversy surrounding the genre of Lil Nas X’s mega-hit Old Town Road, the rising artist earns a nomination during the Country Music Awards.
The country music and hip-hop infused track is nominated for “Musical Event Of The Year” for Old Town Road Remix. His collaborator Billy Ray Cyrus also earns the nomination as well as producer YoungKio. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails are also listed as Old Town Road samples their 34 Ghosts IV.
Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus compete against Maren Morris, Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, and Blake Shelton and Brantley Gilbert and Lindsay Ell, some of country music’s biggest stars. The nomination comes as a surprise due to Billboard’s removal of Lil Nas X from their country music charts.
thank you guys for this nomination!! https://t.co/YFMudfHWQI
— nope (@LilNasX) August 28, 2019
As Old Town Road began gaining traction, the song began to rise on Billboard’s Hot Country chart before being removed, citing musical composition as reasoning. Billy Ray Cyrus joined Lil Nas X on the first official remix, welcoming him to the outlaw club and Old Town Road went on to break Billboard’s record for longest-running No. 1 song.
