The CMA of Texas has made history by handing out its first-ever bluegrass album of the year award—and the honor went to Americana singer-songwriter Rusty Gear for his Nashville-recorded project, Music City Drifters. The recognition marks a milestone not just for the artist, but for the genre within the organization’s annual awards tradition.
Gear received the award at the association’s annual gala, a moment that came with high praise from the organization’s leadership. Mary Minter, CEO of CMA of Texas, said, “The CMA of Texas is very honored to include Rusty Gear in our artist/musician community, as he received the 2027 very first bluegrass award for his outstanding album, “Music City Drifters.” Every single song on the album is a stand-alone example of excellent storytelling in song, featuring equally excellent vocals and instrumentation.” The release features eight tracks—five originals and three timeless favorites—and was recorded in Nashville under the guidance of producer Brad Hill.
Hill pulled together a powerhouse backing band for the sessions, including Jason Roller (known for work with Alabama and the Grand Ole Opry) on guitars and fiddle, Justin Moses (Ricky Skaggs and Sierra Hull) on banjo and mandolin, Nashville veteran Scotty Sanders on dobro, and Evan Winsor (Josh Turner) on upright bass. Award-winning Americana artist Hannah Bethel, a frequent collaborator, also lends her voice to two songs on the record. The tracklist continues Gear’s ongoing American Way of Life Collection, blending biographical narratives, reflective ballads, and upbeat, catchy bluegrass numbers.
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Gear expressed his gratitude for the recognition, saying, “We had a great time at the CMA of Texas award event. The artists and fans attending couldn’t have been nicer and we are grateful to the CMA of Texas and Mary Minter for recognizing our record.” Right after the ceremony, Gear and his team traveled to Joplin, Missouri, where they were guests at Missouri Southern State University’s KGCS-TV. There, they performed and were interviewed on the station’s Behind The Bands Show, a thirty-minute program that combines both interview and live performance segments. Gear reflected on the experience, noting, “It was fun performing and being interviewed at KGCS TV and seeing the students do such a nice job building a TV show.”
For those interested in learning more about the artist, additional information is available at Rusty Gear | country music.
About – Rusty Gear is an award-winning independent Americana singer-songwriter and Nashville recording artist whose catalog spans Americana, country, and blues. His focus has always been on songwriting, aiming to tell authentic stories of American life while delivering energetic live performances. With 15 albums and EPs of original music to his name, Gear has worked with top Nashville session players, members of the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and guest vocalists including Bekka Bramlett, Hannah Bethel, Calamity Jane, Camille Rae, Elle Rose, Evelyn Rubio, and Lisa Kaine. His songs have charted on the Billboard Country Breakout Chart, the Americana Music Association Chart, and Roots Music charts, while also reaching the Hotdisc Top 40 in Europe. His 2026 album Music City Drifters spent eight weeks at #1 on the Roots Music Country Album Chart. The single “All the Ties” reached #1 in both Country and Americana, and his 2024 duet with Evelyn Rubio, “Lonely Roads,” was named Duet of the Year by the CMA of Texas. His latest EP, Blues From Muscle Shoals to Nashville, is already gaining traction with influential blues radio stations. His music has been streamed more than 6 million times on Spotify.
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John in Houston PR LLC
Rusty Gear’s “Ranch Water”
Why it matters: The CMA of Texas’s decision to introduce a bluegrass category signals a broader embrace of roots music subgenres within the state’s country music establishment. For independent artists like Gear, this type of institutional recognition can be a significant boost, validating their work outside the major-label pipeline and bringing wider attention to their catalog.
