Turnpike Troubadours Submit ‘The Price Of Admission’ For Grammy Consideration, & Country Fans Should Riot If They’re Not Nominated

The Recording Academy… you know what needs to happen.

As awards season is gearing up to be in full swing, artists are hoping that their work might be considered for one of the most prestigious musical awards, the Grammys. The CMAs have announced their nominees as the awards show is set to take place this year, but the nominations for the Grammy Awards have yet to be announced. Currently, artists are in the midst of lobbying for their songs, records, and other projects to be reviewed by The Recording Academy for consideration for a Grammy nomination.

These personal marketing campaigns are a way for members of The Academy to showcase their music, hoping it will strike a chord and receive their vote for a nomination.

This year, the Turnpike Troubadours are gunning for a win in the one new Grammy category, among others.

Earlier this year, the Grammys introduced a new category to the country genre, called “Best Traditional Country Album,” marking the only new music category being added for the 68th annual Grammy Awards in 2026.

Of course, there is already an existing category called “Best Country Album,” which will now be called “Best Contemporary Country Album” (AKA best pop country album), so there will be two “best” country album categories going forward, and more trophies to go around. There’s also “Best Americana Album,” for which artists like Charley Crockett and Sierra Ferrell were nominated last year.

Fans are guessing that the winner of the category will be a more traditional artist, such as Crockett and Ferrell, and based on a recent Grammy consideration post, it appears that this suspicion is correct.

The famed red dirt band, the Turnpike Troubadours, is submitting their most recent project, The Price Of Admission, for Traditional Country Album of the Year consideration.

The Oklahoma-founded band is also submitting “On The Red River” for Country Duo/Group Performance of the Year, “Heaven Passing Through” for Country Song of the Year, and “Ruby Ann” for Americana Performance and Americana Roots Song of the Year.

In their “for your consideration” post, they simply captioned it:

“Representing Red Dirt Music.” 

LET’S FREAKING GO!

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A post shared by Turnpike Troubadours (@turnpiketroubadours)

The Price Of Admission is a true masterpiece of a record, and as the words from Whiskey Riff say on their graphic, the “Turnpike Troubadours have continued to prove time and time again that they are the greatest band of all time.” It’s long overdue for Turnpike to submit one of their records for Grammy consideration, as they are not only one of the best in the business, but stand for authentic country and red dirt music.

If Turnpike won one or all of the Grammy Awards they have submitted for consideration, this would be HUGE for country music.

Country fans are backing this submission wholeheartedly, and I am crossing my fingers and toes and doing all the superstitious hacks in hopes that the Oklahoma boys secure all these nominations. To say country fans were elated to see this “for your consideration” post is an understatement.

Check out some of the comments left on their post:

“Greatest band of all time indeed hell yeah!!”

“This album is a masterpiece.”

“Real music! So Grammy worthy.”

“Keeping country alive! Turnpike >> country pop.”

“I am so thankful for this band reminding me how much I have loved music my entire life. There’s not a song that doesn’t take me back to a moment of my past.”

“It’s long overdue.”

“Go ahead and get all four of those trinkets ready.”

“If you’ll pardon my French, f*** yeah.”

“Well deserved!!”

“I love every song on this album. It’s perfect.”

“Best album of the year.”

“The stage is enlarging with time for this great band.”

“I vote YES.”

Taking A Deeper Look

“On The Red River” (Evan Felker and Ketch Secor)

Co-penned by Felker and Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, the album’s lead track will send shivers down your spine from the first note. A heartfelt ode to the band’s home state that seemingly intertwines Felker’s past propensity for the bottle with the passing of someone, or something, special to him, “On The Red River” is a cleverly written ballad that gives us the album’s title and sets the tone for the album right off the bat.

“We learned that pain was the price of admission
And you’re never done paying it down”

“Heaven Passing Through” (Felker)

Another solo write, this track portrays a full-circle moment for Felker. Reminiscing on the days of old when he possessed a childlike curiosity for the world, as the vices that eventually took hold of him were new and exciting, the narrator presumably became jaded by it all and lost that uninhibited luster for life. But with a clear mind, Felker has allowed himself to embrace his role as a family man, father of two. A moment observing constellations with his daughter represents the reignition of that once-lost fervor for life.

“Now we stare up and I say constellations that I know
You repeat ’em back, but you don’t care, you’re only three years old
It’s nice to see the world the same as someone
It feels so good to be up late, pretending that I’m young
Come back from the dark somehow, finally living in the here and now
No sign of a thundercloud following you
Don’t take it personal, the world don’t turn around you
Hold on to the moment like it’s heaven passing through”

“Ruby Ann” (R.C. Edwards and Lance Roark)

The duo of Turnpike bassist R.C. Edwards and Tahlequah friend Lance Roark, who brought us “Chipping Mill” on the previous record, is back at it again with another catchy and cleverly written tune. Narrating a complicated relationship with a lady named Ruby Ann, the band introduces yet another character into the Turnpike world.

“Ruby Ann, ain’t you a daisy in the sunlight of the spring?
Ruby Ann, you are a beckoning that keeps on calling me
Ruby Ann, to you I promise, I promise you my life
I’ll love you ’til the morning if you hold me through the night”

The post Turnpike Troubadours Submit ‘The Price Of Admission’ For Grammy Consideration, & Country Fans Should Riot If They’re Not Nominated first appeared on Whiskey Riff.