The only country artist to receive a nod. You can have your qualms about the entirety of Luke Combs‘ musical output over the past decade; however, at this point, you simply cannot deny that he has been nothing but a net positive in country music since his debut in 2017. Even if you ignore all the chart and sales success, which features him being the third-highest-selling country artist behind Morgan Wallen and Garth Brooks, having the 1oth-most #1 hits on country radio since 1990 and consistently selling out stadiums across the country, he’s also been a force for positive change as well. In a hyper-politicized era that has seen artists on both sides of the aisle push their politics onto fans, Combs, much in the vein of Dolly Parton, has served as a figure in country music who has continually sought to unite listeners from all sides of the political spectrum and has outright rejected the notion that he speaks for both the left and the right. Couple that with his humanitarian work alongside Eric Church after Hurricane Helene in 2024, his support of independent artists and his general popularity, you have an artist who’s influenced many in a positive direction. A great father, a great husband, a great band leader… ask anyone working in country music and they will have nothing but good things to say about Luke. As far as ambassadors for the genre go, Luke is one of one. Thanks to this, Combs was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2026, being the only country artist featured on this year’s list. View this post on Instagram Appearing alongside fellow musicians such as Noah Kahan, Keke Palmer, Anderson .Paak and Jennie, the “Beautiful Crazy” singer joins fellow country artists, Dolly Parton, Miranda Lambert, Morgan Wallen and Kane Brown, all of whom made the list in years previous. Ed Sheeran, a close friend of Combs who has teased a crossover into the genre and recently appeared on Megan Moroney’s latest album, Cloud 9, penned a brief profile for the honor. In the preface, Sheeran would highlight the fact that fame and success never changed Combs. Echoing his title as country music’s everyman, the “Shape of You” singer would also comment on the fact that he’s remained “normal” despite the fact that his rise in the genre has been anything but that. “I’ve watched him move from album to album and tour to tour, constantly evolving—not just as an artist, but also as a human, and always for the better. He’s scaled the highest heights of music while remaining loving and kind to those around him. People might call that ‘normal,’ but there’s nothing normal about what Luke has achieved.” Additionally, Lainey Wilson would also echo the sentiment that Combs represents everyday people in the genre. Noting that he’s “not about the fluff,” she would praise the “Hurricane” singer’s generosity. “Luke represents the down-home people, the people that work hard to take care of their families, the people who would give you the shirt off their back. He’s not about the fluff.” Of course there will be traditionalists who scoff at Luke Combs’ mainstream musical output, however, as one of the most prominent artists in the mainstream, there’s simply no denying he’s been a positive force in the genre. Given his unprecedented success and continued generosity off the stage, there are few, if any, artists more deserving of the nod than Combs. My Kinda Saturday Night Tour Dates April 18 Notre Dame Stadium – South Bend, IN April 25 Ohio Stadium – Columbus, OH May 2 Neyland Stadium – Knoxville, TN May 9 Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium – Norman, OK May 15 Lambeau Field – Green Bay, WI May 16 Lambeau Field – Green Bay, WI May 30 Parc Jean-Drapeau – Montreal, QC June 5 Rogers Stadium – Toronto, ON June 6 Rogers Stadium – Toronto, ON July 4 Ullevi – Gothenburg, Sweden July 7 Accor Arena – Paris, France July 11 Johan Cruijff ArenA – Amsterdam, Netherlands July 18 Slane Castle – Slane, Ireland July 19 Slane Castle – Slane, Ireland July 25 Scottish Gas Murrayfield – Edinburgh, UK July 31 Wembley Stadium – London, UK August 1 Wembley Stadium – London, UKThe post Luke Combs Named In Time’s 100 Most Influential People In The World first appeared on Whiskey Riff.