Country Chaos: Morgan Wallen’s Grammy Snub Ignites Industry Feud

BY MAX GERSHWIND ’27

Ask any Jericho student who their top most-listened-to artists are, and chances are, many would list Morgan Wallen among the fold. However, many probably don’t know about Wallen’s latest drama with the Grammys.

Morgan Wallen is known for his country music career. He is also known for his history of public controversies, including using racial slurs and getting arrested for throwing a chair off a balcony.

Wallen’s latest controversy was his decision to not submit his recent album “I’m the Problem” for consideration at the 2026 Grammy Awards. 

Many claimed that Wallen was previously snubbed in 2024, when he only received Grammy nominations for collaborations with Post Malone on “I Had Some Help”—not on his solo work. It is believed that this influenced Wallen’s decision for the 2026 Grammy Awards.

Wallen’s choice has led to mixed reviews in the industry. Ashley Gorley, a frequent collaborator who wrote some of Wallen’s biggest hits with him, spoke to Billboard at the August 2025 ACM honors and said he was “more than fine” with Wallen’s choice to skip the Grammy’s. 

Fellow country artist Charley Crockett, on the other hand, was critical of Wallen’s choice and music style, implying that Wallen was not submitting to the Grammy’s because Beyonce won the 2025 Grammy for Country Album of the Year. Crockett took to Instagram and said, “Hey country folks. @beyonce ain’t the source of your discontent. It was 25 years of bro country. #1 country artist on earth listen’s to nothing but rap. Openly says he doesn’t really know any country music.” Crockett also criticized Wallen’s pop country genre as a whole, claiming it depends too much on “auto-tune and songs written by a committee.” In what is now a massive music beef, country artist Gavin Adcock took to X to defend Wallen and slam Crockett, calling him a “cosplay cowboy.”

Both Adcock and Wallen have achieved massive commercial success for incorporating pop and hip-hop into the country music scene. Charley Crockett’s style is more traditional, and he sees Wallen and Adcock’s music as “Bro Country.” 

While Wallen’s choice has led to undeniable controversy in the country music world, Wallen hasn’t experienced any hit on his mainstream success. His album continues to be at the top of the Billboard charts and is played throughout the halls of Jericho High School.