Shane McAnally has had a thriving career as a songwriter for more than a decade. His talent has resulted in such revered works as Kacey Musgraves‘ Grammy-winning album Same Trailer Different Park where he served as a co-writer and co-producer, Sam Hunt‘s “Body Like a Back Road,” Miranda Lambert‘s “Mama’s Broken Heart,” Kenny Chesney‘s “Come Over,” and many more. Now, he’s being recognized for his work with a nomination for Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
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McAnally is nominated alongside Justin Tranter, Edgar Barrera, Theron Thomas, and fellow hit country songwriter Jessie Jo Dillon. “It really is the first time I can wholeheartedly say the nomination feels like a win,” McAnally raves to American Songwriter. “I just can’t believe it. I was truly in shock.”
The Songwriter category was introduced at the 2023 ceremony in an effort to recognize professional songwriters. According to the Grammy guidelines, songwriters only qualify for the category if they have, “Written a minimum of five songs in which they are credited ‘solely’ as a songwriter or co-writer. Songs in which the songwriter was also credited as a primary or featured artist, producer, or any other supporting role do not qualify to achieve a minimum song threshold for consideration.”
McAnally is nominated for his expansive body of work as a songwriter over the past year, including co-writing Carly Pearce and Chris Stapleton‘s “We Don’t Fight Anymore,” Hunt’s “Start Nowhere,” and Old Dominion‘s “I Should Have Married You.” In addition to co-writing “Come Back to Me” on friend and fellow hit writer Brandy Clark’s self-titled 2023 album, the two also wrote the music and lyrics to the acclaimed Broadway musical, Shucked, which is nominated for Best Musical Theater Album.
Though McAnally says it’s taken the Recording Academy “too long” to create the Songwriter category, it does send a strong message of support to the songwriting community. “I think it says that songwriters matter,” he professes, acknowledging that it’s “tough” for the Academy to narrow down the guidelines “to figure out how to honor songwriters without leaving people out. I think them making the attempt to get it right is huge.
“It was a great feeling because talk about not being attached or worried about something,” he continues. “That was something that was this incredible cherry on top, so I’d love to win. But I certainly am so happy to be in the conversation.”
McAnally is already the recipient of three Grammy Awards for Best Country Song for Musgraves’ “Merry Go Round” and Best Country Album for Same Trailer in 2014, as well as Best Country Song for Musgraves’ “Space Cowboy” in 2019, along with several other nominations over the course of a decade. While the revered writer is grateful for the wins, he says the Songwriter category carries special significance.
“I have Grammys and I hold them very close to my heart, they mean the world to me,” he reflects. “I wanted them my whole life. When I won the first Grammy, I felt a great deal of relief that happened. But all of my Grammys have someone else’s name on them with my name underneath, and that’s okay, that’s what I signed up for. But I sure do love the idea of having one with a songwriter’s name at the top.”
The 2024 Grammy Awards air live on February 4 on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.
