Dustin Lynch may not have received a well-deserved ACM Awards nomination, but at least he got a nomination for the Billboard Music Awards, for Top Country Song (for “Small Town Boy”). The Tennessee native admits he appreciates the validation for the four-week No. 1 hit.
“I woke up to a ton of texts. It’s a rare occasion that they are congratulatory texts,” Lynch tells Taste of Country. “I wasn’t expecting it, so I think that added to the excitement. I think the nomination speaks loudly. I think it speaks loudly for this song and the role it has now played in my career. It’s truly an honor to be recognized this way.”
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Lynch shared a live video of his reaction to the announcement of the ACM Awards nominees in March, admitting he was frustrated that he failed to receive even one nod, especially after the success he had during 2017.
“On that particular morning, that was my real life and what I was feeling,” he recalls. “It was just a moment of me showing the real raw stuff. And I wasn’t the only artist on that day to feel disappointed and let down. There were other artists on that day that were expecting a little recognition for having some of the biggest songs of the year and they didn’t get it.”
Lynch’s “Small Town Boy” is nominated for Top Country Song along with Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road,” Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina’s “What Ifs,” Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know,” and “Meant to Be” by Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha.
“My fellow nominees are all artists that I look up to and acts that I love as a fan of country music,” says Lynch. “There is a different energy about that [Billboard Music Awards’] carpet. I always walk down that carpet proud and holding my head up high for being able to represent country music there among artists from all genres, including pop and hip-hop.
“It’s not the usual suspects,” he continues, “and its inspiring just to be around them. I can’t wait.”
Even though the ACM Awards didn’t acknowledge Lynch’s hard work, the 32-year-old says even without the accolades, he is still grateful he recorded “Small Town Boy.”
“I don’t take it lightly. I remember hearing the song for the first time, and I think now about the journey that the song has been on. It makes me want to do it again,” Lynch adds. “It makes me want to think about what made this one different and what I was feeling when I was making it. I want to have all of those feelings all over again.”
The Billboard Music Awards are based on album and digital songs sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement. The ceremony will air live on Sunday, May 20, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 8:00 PM ET on NBC.
