This Day in Country History: December 5
Award ceremonies, GRAMMY nominations, and Morgan Wallace’s Saturday Night Live appearance happened on Dec. 5. There was also the death of a famous musician’s mother and a performance at the…
Award ceremonies, GRAMMY nominations, and Morgan Wallace's Saturday Night Live appearance happened on Dec. 5. There was also the death of a famous musician's mother and a performance at the Lighting of the Christmas Tree at the U.S. Capitol on this day. Continue reading to learn more about this day in country history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
American Country Awards winners and GRAMMY nominations for Dec. 5 included:
- 2011: The American Country Awards were held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Winners included Carrie Underwood for Artist of the Year, Scotty McCreery for New Artist of the Year, and Jason Aldean for Touring Artist of the Year and Male Single of the Year for "My Kinda Party."
- 2012: At the GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!!, Dierks Bentley was nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for "Home," and Hunter Hayes was nominated for New Artist of the Year.
Cultural Milestones
These benefits and SNL appearances happened on Dec. 5:
- 2020: Sara Evans, Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, CeCe Winans, and the Oak Ridge Boys performed at the Grand Ole Opry for the Stories of Love telethon. This event raised funds for the Shriners Hospitals for Children.
- 2020: Morgan Wallen was the musical guest on SNL, performing "7 Summers" and "Still Goin' Down." Wallen was originally scheduled to perform in October of 2020, but the show was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Notable Recordings and Performances
There were numerous highlights on this day, including:
- 2016: Dierks Bentley's album Riser received a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
- 2019: Florida Georgia Line's single "God, Your Mama, and Me" got a 2x Platinum certification from the RIAA.
- 2021: The "My Church" singer Maren Morris performed at the National Christmas Tree Lighting, which aired on the CBS network. Morris sang a fun rendition of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" with the U.S. Army Band Downrange.
Industry Changes and Challenges
These industry changes occurred on Dec. 5:
- 2003: Dolly Parton's mother, Avie Lee Owens Parton, died. Dolly Parton, the most famous of the Parton family, had 11 siblings and was raised in a two-room cabin in Tennessee before establishing fame in Nashville. Dolly Parton wrote "My Tennessee Mountain Home" based on her rural life.
- 2015: The actress who plays Scarlett on the TV show Nashville, Clare Bowen, got engaged to her boyfriend, Brandon Robert Young. Not only is the Australian-born Bowen an actress, but she is also a vocalist who has worked with the likes of T-Bone Burnett.
Artists received certifications from the RIAA, Clare Bowen got engaged, and Maren Morris sang a Christmas song with the U.S. Army Band Downrange on Dec. 5. All these events prove the importance of this day in country music history.
