Before we get to our 3 Breakout Artists of the Year we have to give special mention to Brett Eldredge, Tim Hicks, Brett Kissel, Cole Swindell, Lindsay Ell, Brandy Clark, Tebey, The Reklaws, Trinity Bradshaw and all of the new artists that made us sing along in 2014.
In Canada the Breakout Artist of 2014 has to be Jess Moskaluke…
When we talked to Tim Hicks in the summer and asked him who would win that award he had Jess on the tip of his tongue and pointed out that there may not have been a bigger song in 2014 than the certified gold, Cheap Wine and Cigarettes. Big things are coming for this talented young artist, and while it may be hard to top an award for best female performer, we wouldn’t at all be surprised if she finds a way.
In the “Legacy Division” our Breakout Artist of 2014 is CMA Best New Artist nominee, Thomas Rhett…
With 2013’s It Goes Like This and Get Me Some Of That rolling over into 2014, and the release of You Make Me Wanna putting him on the charts again, a big career is definitely underway here. And when you add in the songwriting credits for Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Lee Brice and more, Thomas Rhett starts looking more and more like a country music legacy that is going to build his own storied career full of gold records and trophies.
And the #1 Country Music Breakout Artist of 2014 is… Sam Hunt!
The success of Montevallo has surpassed every expectation we had, even after telling everyone that Hunt was going to be a superstar in Country Music. With seven Top 40 songs, including the #1 Leave The Night On, 2014 has been a HUGE year for the former quarterback, and there’s no sign that he’s going to slow down.
Awards for Best New Artist should be a lock for Sam Hunt at 2015 ceremonies, and don’t be surprised if you see his name on Male Artist of the Year lists as well. We’re going to see a lot more of this guy, and while traditionalists will debate the “countryness” of his songs, fans will continue to eat them up.
Feel like we got it wrong? Leave a comment to tell us who we missed and vote in the poll to tell us who was your #1 Country Music Breakout Artist of 2014.
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