The Texas Country Music Association announced today the Top 5 Finalists in 22 of the 24 categories for the 2023 Texas Country Music Awards as a result of nominations that were placed between May 1 and June 15, 2023. The 2023 TCMA Songwriter Contest top 10 Finalists in each the Country and Christian Country categories will be announced in late August.

Final Round Voting will begin July 1 and end August 15 on the TCMA website at www.texascountrymusic.org. The winners will be announced at the 2023 Texas Country Music Awards which will take place on Sunday, November 12 in the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards at the World’s Largest Honky Tonk, Billy Bob’s Texas. Many top industry professionals and artists will be on hand to announce the winners and present the Awards to the recipients.

The 2023 Texas Country Music Awards is brought to you by title sponsors Stockyards Heritage Development Co., Hotel Drover, Cowtown Coliseum, Stockyards Hotel, Hyatt Place, Mule Alley and Stockyards Station and is presented by Texas Country Music Association. Local Fort Worth area media sponsor for 2023 is 95.9 KFWR The Ranch.

The Awards ceremony will be hosted once again by TCMA Spokesperson and Texas Country Artist, Brandon Rhyder, who will also perform at the event. Co-hosting the Awards ceremony is Malone Ranger, on-air personality with 95.9 FM The Ranch.

There will be performances by not only Brandon Rhyder but also Coffey Anderson, Ken Holloway, Chad Cooke Band and several other performers to be announced later. Texas Country artist Jason Boland and the Stragglers will headline the Awards ceremony and perform the finale.

In addition to performing, Jason Boland will be receiving the prestigious 2023 TCMA Trailblazer Award and also celebrating 25 years in the industry.

“Texas is so blessed to have such spectacular talent,” says Linda Wilson, President, and Founder of the Texas Country Music Association. “There were literally thousands of nominees – each one gifted and unique — and we at TCMA are very honored to be able to work on ALL their behalf on an ongoing basis.”

The finalists are:

Entertainer Of The Year:

• Bri Bagwell
• Kaitlin Butts
• Flatland Cavalry
• Kin Faux
• Randy Rogers

Female Artist of the Year:

• Bri Bagwell
• Kaitlin Butts
• Summer Dean
• Sarah Hobbs
• Sunny Sweeney

Male Artist of the Year:

• William Beckmann
• Cody Canada
• Will Carter
• Jesse Raub Jr
• Jake Worthington

Country Band of the Year:

• Chad Cooke Band
• Darrin Morris Band
• Flatland Cavalry
• The Great Divide
• Kin Faux

Roots/Alternative Artist or Band of the Year

• Creed Fisher
• The Great Divide
• Squeezebox Bandits
• Dale Watson
• The Wilder Blue

Emerging Artist:

• Case Hardin
• Payton Howie
• Ryder Grimes
• Jaret Ray Reddick
• Jacob Stelly

Western Swing Artist or Band of the Year:

• The Broken Spokes
• Legacy Rose Band
• Billy Mata & Texas Tradition
• Jody Nix & The Texas Cowboys
• Riley Gilbreath & The Lone Star Blue

Country Album Of The Year:

• Corazón y Cabeza – Bri Bagwell
• Cheaper Than the Truth – Kin Faux
• Jake Worthington – Jake Worthington
• Somewhere Between the Secret and the Truth – Wade Bowen
• What Else Can She Do – Kaitlin Butts

Country Single of the Year:

• Can’t Stand Leavin’ – Adam Hood
• Good Side – The Great Divide
• Honky Tonk Roll – Wade Bowen
• Jackson – Kaitlin Butts
• Sunny & 72 – Kin Faux

Christian Country Artist of the Year:

• Jason Allen
• Jacob Bryant
• Tiona Campbell
• Curtis Grimes
• Crystal Yates

Young Artist (18 & Under):

• Jenna Katherine
• Sadie Lee
• Logan Papp
• Grace Partridge
• Payton Riley

Terrestrial Radio Station of the Year:

• 95.9 FM KFWR The Ranch, Ft. Worth
• 99.1 FM KNES Texas 99, Fairfield
• 99.7 FM KVST K-Star Country, Montgomery
• 100.9 FM KVMK The Maverick, College Station
• 107.3 FM KQSC Mountain Country, Colorado Springs

Broadcast Personality Of The Year:

• Corliss – 100.9 FM KVMK The Maverick – College Station
• Ashli Dansby – 103.9 FM KMHT – Marshall
• Shayne Hollinger – 95.9 FM KFWR The Ranch – Fort Worth
• Johnny Joy – 107.3 FM KQSC Colorado Springs
• Eric Raines – 99.3/98.5 KOKE FM – Austin

Internet Radio Station of the Year:

• Made In Texas Radio (Pat Fant and Cruze, Owners – Keegan Lucas, Operations Mgr)
• Texas 46 (Bruce Schwartz, Owner)
• Real Texas Radio (Michael White, Owner)
• Texas Red Hot Radio (Judith Merck, Owner)
• Pure Country 100 (Kenny Schneebeli, Owner/Program Director)

Live Music Venue of the Year:

• 11^th Street Cowboy Bar, Bandera
• The Blue Light Live, Lubbock
• Dosey Doe, The Woodlands
• Floore’s Country Store, Helotes
• The Kenney Store, Kenney

Bassist of the Year:

• Damian Diaz (Coffey Anderson)
• Jackson Mauldin (Jacob Stelly)
• Michael Moad (William Beckmann)
• Kevin Pool (Chad Cooke Band)
• Cody Wood (Chris Breaux & Six String Rodeo)

Drummer of the Year:

• Les Lawless (Randy Rogers Band)
• John Stacy (Kevin Fowler)
• Gus Alvarado (The Broken Spokes)
• Nate Coon (Aaron Watson)
• Dan Currier (Kin Faux)

Fiddler of the Year:

• Scotty Alexander (Scotty Alexander)
• Rico Gonzales (Kin Faux)
• Wesley Hall (Flatland Cavalry)
• Ben McPherson (Multi)
• Rachel Stacy (Rachel Stacy)

Guitarist of the Year:

• Jakey Black (Kin Faux)
• Dallas McGilberry (Chad Cooke Band)
• Mike McClure (The Great Divide)
• Jake Mears (Cody Johnson)
• Dustin Schaefer (Shane Smith & The Saints)

Keyboard/Pianist of the Year:

• Drew Harakal (Cody Jinks)
• Josh Artall (The Broken Spokes)
• Sammy Powell (William Beckmann)
• Andrew Bair (Jason Boland)
• Bryce Conway (The Great Divide)

Steel Guitarist of the Year:

• Adam Goodale (Jake Worthington)
• AJ Slaughter (Jason Boland)
• Johnny Cox (Billy Mata & Texas Tradition)
• Milo Deering (Multi)
• Zachary Moulton (Mike & The Moonpies)

2023 TCMA Trailblazer Award

• Jason Boland

Here is a recap of this week’s chart toppers from the various country music charts!

Billboard Country Music Charts

• Airplay #1 Single – “Rock and a Hard Place” by Bailey Zimmerman
• Hot Country Singles #1 – “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen
• Top Songwriter – Ashley Gorley
• Top Producer – Joey Moi
• Top Country Album – One Thing at a Time by Morgan Wallen
• Country Streaming #1 Single – “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen
• Country Digital Sales #1 Single – “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen
• Top Americana/Folk Album – American Heartbreak by Zach Bryan
• Top Bluegrass Album – Celebrants by Nickel Creek
• #1 Canadian Country Single – “Dancin’ in the Country” by Tyler Hubbard

Country Aircheck Charts

• Airplay #1 Single – “Wait in the Truck” by Hardy & Lainey Wilson
• Activator #1 Single – “Handle On You” by Parker McCollum
• Most Added New Single – “Love You Anyway” by Luke Combs
• Top Point Gainer – “Wait in the Truck” by Hardy & Lainey Wilson
• Top Spin Gainer – “Wait in the Truck” by Hardy & Lainey Wilson
• Activator Top Point Gainer – “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen
• Activator Top Spin Gainer – “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen
• Top Recurrent – “Thought You Should Know” by Morgan Wallen

Music Row Charts

• Country Breakout Radio Chart #1 Single – “Human” by Cody Johnson
• Greatest Spin Increase – “Love You Anyway” by Luke Combs
• Most Added New Single – “Love You Anyway” by Luke Combs
• Highest Debuting New Single – “Love You Anyway” by Luke Combs
• Top Songwriter – Morgan Wallen

Various Texas Country Charts

• Texas Airplay Chart’s #1 Single – “Honky Tonk Roll” by Wade Bowen
• Texas Airplay Chart’s Greatest Spin Increase – “Can’t Stand Leavin'” by Adam Hood
• Texas Airplay Chart’s Most Added Single –”Where the Yellow Meets the Blue” by Ri Wolfe
• Texas Airplay Chart’s Top Debuting Single – “Drinking Games” by David Adam Byrnes
• Texas Regional Radio Report’s #1 Single – “Friday Beers” by Drew Fish Band
• CD Tex Broadcast Most Downloaded New Single – “Drinking Games” by David Adam Byrnes
• American Country Music Chart’s #1 Single – “Honky Tonk Roll” by Wade Bowen
• American Country Music Chart’s Most Added Single – “Back to Today” by The Ranson Brothers
• American Country Music Chart’s Greatest Spin Increase – “Red Dirt Cinderella” by Kylie Frey

Today’s New Albums

• Adam Hood – Bad Days Better
• Brei Carter – Brand New Country
• Dailey & Vincent – Let’s Sing Some Country!
• Dusty Black – South of Somewhere
• Gene Watson – Outside the Box
• Kat & Alex – Side A
• Koe Wetzel – Hell Paso
• Lara Taubman – ‘Ol Kentucky Light
• LeAnn Rimes – God’s Work
• Little Big Town – Mr. Sun
• Mitchell Tenpenny – This is the Heavy
• Various Artists – Monarch Season 1, Episode 2 (EP)

Today’s New Singles

• Ain’t Missing You – Dylan Schneider
• Any Day Now – Zac Brown Band w/ Ingrid Andress
• Billy – Stephen Wilson Jr.
• Brave Girl – Callista Clark
• Break My Heart – Presley Tennant
• Bridesmaids – Kylie Morgan
• Castles on Quicksand – Preston D. Barnes
• Friday Beers – Drew Fish
• Gone – Dustin Collins
• High Road – Tyson Leamon & Jacob Bryant
• Ohio – Deidre Thornell
• Rose Hill – Tommy Howell
• Sunrise Drive – Allison Cipris
• The Nicest Things – Jana Kramer
• Well Enough Alone – Carolyn Miller
• Wherever You Are Tonight – David Nail

Today’s New Albums

• Billy Dean – The Rest of It’s Mine
• Charles Johnson – The Ladder
• Love & Theft – Better Off (EP)
• Nicolle Galyon – Firstborn
• Positive Vibrations – Country Goes Reggae

Today’s New Singles

• Baby Go Crazy – 20 West
• Better On You – Isaac Jacob Band
• Coming Around – C.J. Solar
• Fireflies and Mason Jars – Skip Pullig
• Fool Speed – County Wide
• Get Back Home – Riley Green
• I Hope She’s Drinkin’ Tonight – Riley Green
• Rich Man – Little Big Town
• Silver Linings – Lara Taubman w/ Walter Parks
• Speed of the South – Adam Hood
• Sorta Single – Katelyn Clampett
• Sugar High – Chandler Stephens
• The Hangman – War Hippies
• This Ain’t That – Brenda Cay
• What If I Don’t – Shaylen
• White Trash Heart – Dallas Remington