For many artists, winning the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year (formerly the Horizon Award) is the start of a long and successful career in country music. But for some, after starting out strong, they inexplicably fade away, even though they are really, really talented.
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We found three artists who won the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year, and then seemingly disappeared, even though they definitely deserve another chance.
Hunter Hayes
Hunter Hayes won the CMA New Artist of the Year trophy in 2012, one year after his eponymous debut album came out. The record includes two No. 1 hits, both with “Wanted” and “Somebody’s Heartbreak“. Not only did Hayes write or co-write all the songs on the project, but he also played every single instrument.
Hayes’ talent is indisputable. But although he’s continued to make more music, he has yet to repeat the commercial success of the beginning of his career. Fortunately, Hayes is only 34 years old, which means he still has plenty of time for a second chapter.
Bryan White
Bryan White won the CMA Horizon Award in 1996. It’s an even more impressive win since he was nominated alongside Terri Clark, Wade Hayes, LeAnn Rimes, and Shania Twain. By the time White won, he had already released two records, both his self-titled freshman record and his sophomore album Between Now and Forever. He also had a string of hit singles by then, including “Someone Else’s Star” and “Rebecca Lynn”, his first two chart-topping singles.
Only one year later, in 1997, White had his last No. 1 hit, with “Love Is The Right Place”. He had a few more Top 40 singles, his last being “God Gave Me You” in 1999.
White’s last album on a major label is How Lucky I Am, also out in 1999. He released one more album, Dustbowl Dreams, in 2009. Fortunately, although White no longer has the commercial success he once had, he is still performing, with an impressively packed tour schedule posted on his website.
The Band Perry
Granted, The Band Perry have gone through a few iterations since they won the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year in 2011. The sibling trio, made up of Kimberly, Reid, and Neil Perry, started out very promising, with their The Band Perry freshman album. The record includes the multi-platinum “If I Die Young” single, plus “You Lie”, “All Your Life”, and “Postcards From Paris”.
The Band Perry’s sophomore Pioneer album came out three years later, in 2013. That album also had hit singles, with “Better Dig Two” and “Done”.
To be fair, The Band Perry did try to transition out of country music, announcing in 2017 the release of My Bad Imagination, a pop album. They were unable to achieve the level of success in pop music that they did in country, announcing in 2023 that they were working on solo projects. But The Band Perry is back, with Kimberly’s husband, Johnny Costello, replacing Neil.
The Band Perry’s vocals are still undeniable, their songwriting is still stellar, and they deserve a welcome return to the genre that launched their career.
Photo by Taylor Hill/WireImage
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