Morgan Wallen has been named Billboard’s Top Artist of 2025, becoming the first male country act to achieve the honor in over 30 years, following Garth Brooks’ back-to-back year-end wins in 1992-93. The recognition was fueled by the massive success of Wallen’s 2025 album, I’m the Problem, which spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, as well as the continued popularity of his earlier albums, One Thing at a Time and Dangerous: The Double Album. Wallen also placed 41 songs on the Hot 100, including nine Top 10 hits and the No. 1 single, “What I Want” featuring Tate McRae. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl comes in at No. 1 on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums chart, marking her fifth time at No. 1 on the final tally, while also making her the Top Female Artist of 2025. Notably, Swift was the last country act to be crowned the overall Top Artist of the Year back in 2009, marking her first win in the annual recap at the time. (Billboard)

Megan Moroney was named the Storyteller of the Year at Variety’s Hitmakers event in Los Angeles on Saturday night. The 28-year-old country star credits her storytelling prowess to crafting relatable songs, like those featured on her gold-certified sophomore album, Am I Okay?, which led to her being named CMA’s New Artist of the Year in 2024, followed by a sold-out tour noted for its passionate, predominantly young female audiences. Moroney is preparing to release her third album, Cloud 9, on February 20, marked by a softer, more confident sound that still emphasizes detailed narratives in the songs which create deep emotional connections with listeners, even those who haven’t lived the exact experiences described in the lyrics. Moroney was honored to be named Variety’s Storyteller of the Year, admitting that “I gravitated towards country music at a young age because when you really pay attention to the lyrics, it puts you in that exact spot.” (Variety)

Trisha Yearwood has shared her cherished holiday traditions in a new interview with People, including a yearly cookie party where family and friends bring their favorite recipes from their childhood. The 61-year-old country star also says she waits to decorate the Christmas tree until the whole family is together – usually by her wedding anniversary on December 10, a date she marks as special since marrying Garth Brooks during the holidays. She keeps decorations up through January to enjoy the festive atmosphere, and bakes nostalgic treats like her mother’s cheese straws and a beloved green punch that she calls the "best in the world." Yearwood just released a new holiday album, Christmastime, featuring meaningful seasonal songs including a favorite from A Charlie Brown Christmas, and an original romantic duet with Brooks, “Merry Christmas Valentine.” Yearwood is also celebrating the festive season with her 12 Days of Christmas Tour across several US cities this December. (People)

In a recent discussion about Christmas traditions with his record label, Big Loud, Morgan Wallen revealed that his favorite holiday movie is the 2003 comedy Elf, starring Will Ferrell. “I don’t watch many Christmas movies, but if I had to pick, probably Elf,” Wallen said. When the country superstar was asked if he preferred real or fake Christmas trees, Wallen responded, “I like real, but I didn’t grow up with real. My mom always kept a few fake ones.” The 32-year-old Sneedville, Tennessee native shared, “My mom is a big decorator, so I kinda got some of that from her. I enjoy the decorations,” while he added, “It’s always the saddest day of the year for me when the Christmas tree goes away.” After a busy year promoting his blockbuster album, I’m the Problem, which topped the Billboard 200 for 12 weeks and ranked No. 2 on their 2025 Year-End chart, Wallen was ultimately named the publication’s Top Artist of 2025. (Billboard)

Rosé and Bruno Mars’ hit “APT.” dominated Apple Music’s 2025 global year-end charts, topping multiple categories including the overall Global Songs, Shazam, Radio, and Lyrics charts. While Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s chart-topping collaboration, “Luther,” secured the No. 2 spot, with Lamar placing five songs in the Top 25 and nine in the Top 100. Other notable entries include Lady Gaga and Mars’ “Die With a Smile,” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Lola Young’s “Messy,” and Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” which all ranked highly on the Global Songs and Global Radio charts, while Morgan Wallen led all artists with the most Top 100 entries, as a total of 12 of his songs appeared on the tally. Apple Music’s global year-end charts was released to coincide with its annual Apple Replay ’25, which provides users with a comprehensive look back at their listening habits over the past year. (Variety)

Bad Bunny dominates Spotify’s 2025 year-end Wrapped campaign, securing the No. 1 spot as the Global Top Artist with over 19.8 billion streams, ahead of Taylor Swift and The Weeknd, and leading the Global Top Albums chart with DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. This marks Benito’s fourth time being recognized as Spotify’s global streaming leader, after ruling the rankings in 2020, 2021 and 2022. His single “DtMF” ranks No. 5 globally, while Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile” tops the global songs chart, followed by Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” at No. 2, while Mars' collab with Blackpink’s Rosé, “APT.” comes in at No. 3, and Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” is No. 4. Swift is the top U.S. artist (after coming in second globally), while Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem is the most streamed album in the U.S., and Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s joint track, “Luther,” was the most streamed song in America. Bad Bunny’s continued streaming success sets the stage for his Super Bowl Halftime Show headlining performance in February, while reinforcing his status as one of the world’s biggest artists in 2025. (Billboard)

Billboard's 2025 year-end Boxscore charts reveal that Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour was the highest-grossing country tour ever, earning $407.6 million from 32 shows across North America and Europe, while selling 1.6 million tickets. Following Beyoncé are Post Malone's Big Ass Stadium Tour with $231.1 million earned while selling 1.6 million tickets over 51 shows, while Zach Bryan's The Quittin’ Time Tour is third on the list after grossing $159.6 million and selling 941,000 tickets during its 29 show run. Other top country tours include Luke Combs ($76.4M), George Strait ($75.4M), Jelly Roll ($67.5M), and Chris Stapleton ($65.2M), with Kelsea Ballerini the only woman to crack the Top 10, as her ‘Live on Tour’ earned $39.5M after selling 366,000 tickets during 36 shows. With a consistent 14.5% share of the top 100 tours’ grosses, country remains a dominant genre, blending established stars and crossover artists while reflecting strong growth and enduring popularity. (Billboard)

Taste of Country’s list of the Top 10 country albums of 2025 showcase a diverse range of styles unified by one key element: authenticity, with artists confidently embracing their unique identities and connecting deeply with fans. Topping the list is Tyler Childers’ Snipe Hunter, which blends eccentric storytelling with mainstream appeal, proving he can grow in fame without losing his roots, while Parker McCollum’s self-titled fifth album comes in at No. 2 on the strength of strong songwriting that honors his Texas roots. Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping I’m the Problem, despite its massive commercial success, ranks eighth, highlighting the year's rich competition.

Other standout albums reflect varied approaches, from Jake Owen’s candid reflection on personal struggles in Dreams to Dream, to Margo Price’s blend of traditionalism and political commentary on Hard Headed Woman, and Eric Church’s experimental concept album, Evangeline vs. the Machine. Emerging talents like CMA New Artist of the Year Zach Top and Carter Faith and established artists like Thomas Rhett and Maddie & Tae also made powerful artistic statements, all proving that, in today’s expansive country genre, staying true to oneself remains the ultimate key to success. (Taste of Country)

Cooper Alan and his wife Hally, high school sweethearts who were married in September 2023, joyfully welcomed their first child, daughter Coley Frances Cooper, on December 17, sharing the news in an adorable post on Instagram. Alongside a carousel of photos of the new parents and their baby girl, the couple captioned their post, “Coley Frances Cooper 💗 Everything we’ve prayed for, dreamed about, & then some!” The couple had announced their pregnancy in June 2025 with a heartfelt video set to Taylor Swift’s “But Daddy I Love Him,” captioning the clip, “sweetest news we’ve ever shared 🤍🤍🤍.”  The 29-year-old country music star told People after their wedding in 2023, "I’ve wanted to marry Hally since the 10th grade and now it’s official!. I'm so happy to get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend,” while Hally described their marriage as "the joy of my life.” (People)

As Shania Twain’s iconic 1999 video for “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” recently surpassed 500 million views on YouTube, the Canadian country-pop star reflects on its groundbreaking role reversal and bold fashion that challenged genre norms and empowered femininity. Directed by Paul Boyd and styled by Mark Bauer, the video parodied Robert Palmer’s 1985 clip for “Addicted to Love” by featuring Twain shedding traditional masculine attire to reveal her confident, sexy persona. Despite initial industry concerns about its sexiness alienating female fans, Twain emphasized that the video – for the eighth single from her 20x-platinum 1997 studio album, Come On Over – was about owning sexuality with humor and empowerment. Nearly 25 years later, the video remains a cultural milestone that helped solidify Twain’s crossover superstar status while becoming one of the most watched country music videos of all time. “I was already pushing the limits in the country genre; this was going to push things over the limits," Twain says. (Holler)

In a new interview with The New Yorker, Willie Nelson revealed that he remains physically active and thriving at the age of 92, regularly doing exercises and continuing to perform live, claiming that “singing for an hour is good for you.” His daughter Amy agrees, saying that keeping up his rigorous performance schedule is “literally keeping him alive.” Willie described himself as being “in pretty good shape, physically, for ninety-two,” while his wife Annie, 69, humorously claimed that Willie seems to be reverse aging. “He just keeps going and going,” Annie said, while joking that “He’s Benjamin Buttoning me.” Despite past health challenges including emphysema and a severe case of COVID-19, Willie keeps touring and performing regularly, supported lovingly by Annie and their family. The couple, married since 1991, share two sons and maintain a close-knit family life, with Willie also a father to five daughters from previous marriages. (People)

Groom Max Schauff went viral for his Morgan Wallen-inspired walkout entrance at his December 6 wedding in Madison, Wisconsin, where he and his bride, Cosette, recreated the country star’s signature concert entrance to the song “Broadway Girls.” The idea, planned over three weeks, was a nod to their mutual love of Wallen’s music and involved projecting the walkout on large screens for guests inside the winter-themed venue. “We couldn’t see much of the crowd reaction until we entered. At that point, a lot were on their feet and cheering,” Max recalls, while adding, “Looking back at the videos that our guests recorded, our younger crowd, and especially the Morgan Wallen fans, were clearly the most excited about the entrance.” The couple’s videographer helped synchronize the entrance with the music and band, adding to the magic of the ceremony. (People)

During a recent appearance on the Human School Podcast, Tyler Hubbard revealed that he and former Florida Georgia Line partner Brian Kelley are working to rebuild their friendship following the duo’s 2022 split after 12 years together. While they have no immediate plans to reunite as FGL, Hubbard expressed a strong desire to reconnect personally, saying he wants to "get my friend back" and spend time together rebuilding their bond through hiking, fishing, and music. Acknowledging they are in different places in life and that their relationship may never be the same, Hubbard remains hopeful for this new phase of friendship, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a meaningful connection beyond their past as bandmates. "I miss the guy I was partners with for 10 years,” Hubbard shared. “I miss my old roommate, my best man at my wedding, and if nothing else, we should have a relationship." (People)

Lukas Nelson and his legendary father, Willie Nelson, are both nominated for Best Traditional Country Album at the 2026 Grammys, with Lukas’s younger brother, Micah, also earning a nod for producing their dad’s album, Last Leaf on the Tree, which is nominated for Best Americana Album. “That makes Dad real proud, and that makes me real happy," Lukas says, while insisting there isn’t any competition among the family members at the upcoming Grammys. “There’s no rivalry at all. Me and him joined teams, so we got a 40 percent chance. A win for anyone in that group [is a win for me],” Lukas says of being nominated alongside his dad, whose Oh What a Beautiful World is up for Best Traditional Country Album. Lukas’s debut solo album, American Romance, showcases his classic country sound and marks his first Grammy nod as a solo artist, while the 92-year-old Willie has been nominated for 59 Grammys throughout his celebrated career, winning 12 awards over the years. (People)

Alison Krauss & Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas are set to launch a new series of dates on their successful Arcadia Tour in spring of 2026. The sprawling 74-date tour kicks-off on April 24-25 with a two-night stand in Durham, North Carolina, and includes stops in cities such as Huntsville, Shreveport, New Orleans, Albany, Seattle, and Las Vegas, plus a three-night residency at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium in September, before concluding on October 2 in Paso Robles, California. Supported by Theo Lawrence on most dates and joined by new touring member Jacob Burleson, the new jaunt follows their sold-out Arcadia 2025 Tour, in support of their eighth studio album, Arcadia, the group’s first release in over 14 years. Arcadia was recently honored with multiple Grammy nominations, including Best Bluegrass Album and Best American Roots Performance for the single, “Richmond On The James.” The band will also appear at several festivals throughout the U.S., including MerleFest, with tickets currently available for most dates. (Music Row)

Snoop Dogg will be joined by KPop Demon Hunters chart-topping trio HUNTR/X and country star Lainey Wilson during his headlining performance at the halftime show of the NFL’s Christmas Day game between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions in Minneapolis. Additional surprise guests will be revealed during the Netflix-aired special, which is dubbed Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party. Netflix teased the festive performance in a recent clip that featured a holiday-themed remix of Snoop’s hit "Drop It Like It’s Hot," promising a lively halftime celebration that will follow Kelly Clarkson’s opening performance of “Underneath the Tree” set to take place before the game. “NFL, Netflix and your uncle Snoop on Christmas Day? We’re servin’ up music, love and good vibes for the whole world to enjoy,” Snoop said in a statement about his halftime special. “That’s the kind of holiday magic Santa can’t fit in a bag.” (Rolling Stone)

Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl scores its 10th nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, making her the first woman and third act ever to have four albums each spend at least 10 weeks atop the chart. This milestone follows her previous long-running No. 1 albums – The Tortured Poets Department, 1989, and Fearless – and marks Swift’s first time with back-to-back albums each spending 10 weeks at No. 1, a feat shared by only six acts in Billboard history. In the latest tracking week, The Life of a Showgirl earned 104,000 equivalent album units, including 55,000 in sales and 63 million streams, with numbers boosted by the sales of new color vinyl variants of the album exclusively available from Swift’s webstore.

Other notable moves in this week’s Billboard 200 Top 10 include 21 Savage’s WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS? debuting at No. 3, marking the rapper’s seventh Top 10-charting project of his career, all of which have cracked the Top 5. Meanwhile, a record-tying six holiday albums are featured in the Top 10, led by Michael Bublé’s Christmas, which drops one spot to No. 5, followed by Bing Crosby’s Ultimate Christmas falling one slot to No. 6, Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song slides down one place to No. 7, Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack remains at No. 8, A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector stays at No. 9, and Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas returns to the Top 10, rising one spot to reach No. 10. The chart's top tier is rounded out by Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem, which remains at No. 2, and the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack, which drops one spot to No. 4. (Billboard)

Arizona native Dierks Bentley will headline the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl's Fan Fest before the January 8th College Football Playoff semifinal at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. The fifteen-time Grammy nominee becomes the first national musical act to perform at the annual Fan Fest on the new Vrbo Sound Stage. "It's always a great time playing in Arizona and there's nothing like the energy around college football," Bentley said. "We're looking forward to being part of the Fiesta Bowl and will have a blast getting the party started!" The free family event begins at 12:30 p.m. outside the stadium, featuring music, games, and food vendors. The War & Treaty will perform the National Anthem. (Story URL)

Country singer and TikTok star Tayler Holder saved multiple goats from a fire that consumed his family's barn on December 15th. The 28-year-old discovered the blaze after walking outside his home and seeing flames and smoke coming from the structure. Video footage shows Holder, his girlfriend Zoey Aune, and friend Zachary Aubuchon rushing to extinguish the fire and rescue animals trapped in a pen next to the flames. When breaking barriers around the goat enclosure took too long, Holder jumped inside and lifted each goat over the fence to safety. "I thought we lost all of them, but luckily we caught it right as it happened and had so many amazing people around us to help," Holder wrote on Instagram. The Pleasant View Fire Department arrived within minutes. All animals survived without injury thanks to the quick response from emergency crews and Holder's group. (Story URL)

HARDY teams up with comedian Bert Kreischer to co-host New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash on CBS and Paramount+ December 31st. The five-hour broadcast runs 8-10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. ET/PT from Nashville. "Celebrating New Year's Eve in Music City is always a blast," HARDY said in a statement. "It's great to be back playing NASHVILLE'S BIG BASH and I'm stoked to cohost this year with one of the funniest dudes I know." Kreischer added: "This lineup is insane. To be working with my buddy HARDY … it feels like I should be paying CBS to do this." Headliners include Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson, and Bailey Zimmerman performing at Bicentennial Park. Additional acts featured include Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Riley Green, Keith Urban, and others across various Nashville venues. (Story URL)