Zach Top Gears Up for First CMA Performance
Zach Top is stepping onto the CMA Awards stage tonight. Top, who has been performing with various bluegrass groups, pivoted to country music in 2023 and now he’s set to…
Zach Top is stepping onto the CMA Awards stage tonight. Top, who has been performing with various bluegrass groups, pivoted to country music in 2023 and now he's set to perform during “Country music’s biggest night.”
A Debut That Feels Overdue
For longtime fans, this news feels overdue; after all, the “Sounds Like the Radio” singer has been playing honky-tonks and has made it his sole mission to keep traditional country alive. This year, though, the CMAs finally got the memo: it’s time to give Top the spotlight he deserves.
Zach Top: CMA Top-Nominated Artist and Performer
Top will not only be one of CMA’s performers, but he’s also one of the top-nominated artists, with five nominations. His album Cold Beer & Country Music is nominated for Album of the Year. He’s also up for Male Vocalist of the Year, New Artist of the Year, and his track “I Never Lie” is nominated for Single and Song of the Year.
In a recent interview with Country Now, Top revealed that he will be performing “Guitar” and when asked what fans could expect from his performance, he simply replied: “Country music, baby.”
He added, “I’m excited. [It’s] uptempo, fun. I feel like it’ll be a nice introduction to any folks who haven’t heard me before, either. The song is kind of biographical to me, almost. And yeah, it is country music. If you love it, great. And if you don’t, I’m sorry, it’s probably not going to get any different.”
On His CMA Nominations
Top admitted that he’s still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he’s been nominated in five categories: “It’s wild. I think I still have sort of the mindset of the underground, under the radar, up and comer, so…it’s strange to be up for all the awards, but I’m very thankful, obviously. It is cool whenever other folks in your business feel like you’ve been doing a good job and want to pat you on the back and say, ‘good job.’ So I’m really, really proud to just be nominated for all them things."
One of the nominations that still feels surreal for him is the Album of the Year nod, which he thinks “Would blow me away if we end up taking that one home. It’s already just mind-boggling that we’re in that category. So very, very excited for that one.”
