Best Country Solo Performance

Burning House – Cam
Little Toy Guns – Carrie Underwood
Talladega – Eric Church
John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16 – Keith Urban
Take Your Time – Sam Hunt

Alternatives:  One Hell of an Amen – Brantley Gilbert, Lose My Mind – Brett Eldridge, Love Me Like You Mean It – Kelsea Ballerini

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

Lonely Tonight – Blake Shelton Featuring Ashley Monroe
Are You Sure – Kacey Musgraves Featuring Willie Nelson
Girl Crush – Little Big Town
Home Alone Tonight – Luke Bryan Featuring Karen Fairchild
Homegrown – Zac Brown Band

Alternatives: When I Stop Dreaming – Don Henley Featuring Dolly Parton, Long Strech Of Love – Lady Antebellum, Damn Good Friends – Tyler Farr & Jason Aldean

Best Country Song

Burning House – Cam
Smoke Break – Carrie Underwood
Girl Crush – Little Big Town
Take Your Time – Sam Hunt
Homegrown – Zac Brown Band

Alternatives: Talladega – Eric Church, Dime Store Cowgirl – Kacey Musgraves, Love Me Like You Mean It – Kelsea Ballerini

Best Country Album

Cass Country – Don Henley
Pageant Material – Kacey Musgraves
Pain Killer – Little Big Town
Jekyll + Hyde – Zac Brown Band
Montevello – Sam Hunt

Alternatives: The Blade – Ashley Monroe, Man Against Machine – Garth Brooks, Old Boots New Dirt – Jason Aldean

There’s two acts that I’ve already mentioned a lot in these Grammy articles that appear in just about every category above. Releases performed by Sam Hunt and Little Big Town will be nominated and will probably win all 4 of these categories between them, with just Country Album that they might miss out on on the night. Girl Crush and Take Your Time have been such huge hits that I’ll be baffled if a different song picks up the Best Country Song award.

As far as other nominees go this year is an interesting one. By far the biggest acts of 2014/2015 will probably miss out on nominations again, Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line will do well to find a space among these nominees. Lady Antebellum are eligible for an award or two as well, but given that they’ve been absent from these categories for the last few years I wouldn’t bet on them this year.

One name among those above that may be a surprise is Cam, whose debut hit Burning House has begun to generate quite a bit of buzz. It makes a worthy accompaniment to Girl Crush and I could see a similar crowd of voters giving it some love in the Best Country Song category. On the opposite end of things, Carrie Underwood is a staple pick in the genre categories and whether it’s for Smoke Break or Little Toy Guns I could see her being in contention for the Solo Performance category yet again.

Grammy favourites like Zac Brown Band and Kacey Musgraves are probably the closest thing to the main choices here. I’d say Kacey could quite easily win her second Best Country Album award with Pageant Material, after scoring a surprise win 2 years ago against Taylor Swift. Interestingly enough Zac Brown Band are both eligible here and in the Rock categories, so could win their first award outside of the Country genre next year.

I really can’t imagine Little Big Town leaving empty handed come 2016, while Sam Hunt will surely pick up at least one award, despite walking the very thin line between pop and country more than anyone else here.