Gotta feel a little strange beating a legend like Willie. Zach Top won his first Grammy Award this year when he took home the trophy for Best Traditional Country Album with his latest project, Ain’t In It For My Health. Honestly the win was a bit of a surprise, because Zach was easily the most “mainstream” of the artists he was up against, which included Lukas Nelson, Charley Crockett, Margo Price and Willie Nelson. And no, I’m not saying Willie Nelson isn’t “mainstream,” but his latest album obviously didn’t get the country radio play and industry support that Zach is getting right now. Neither did any of the other albums in the category, which is why I thought the Grammys would go with one of those versus a guy like Zach who’s having a big moment right now. When it comes to country music, the Grammys usually go against the popular grain when choosing their winners. I’m also not saying that Zach didn’t deserve the win: He would have easily been my choice, and honestly he would be my choice for most awards right now. The guy’s absolutely killing it right now and you love to see somebody making traditional country music having so much success. Of course I wasn’t the only one surprised that Zach took home the win in that category, because nobody was more surprised than Zach himself. Zach sat down recently for a conversation with comedian Bert Kreischer on his Bertcast podcast, and he spoke about the experience of winning his first Grammy: “I thought it was so sacreligious. I won the Grammy for traditional country album, and Willie Nelson was in the category. It’s like, I’m glad I won that but that feels kinda wrong. If anybody should be winning that award that’s as traditional country as it gets, is Willie Nelson.” He’s not wrong: When it comes to country music, who is more recognizable than Willie Nelson? In fact, Zach has previously said that the “traditional” country category should have just been called “country.” “The ornery jackass in me wants to say, ‘No, just call mine country.’ Qualify the other stuff if you want… like you know, make the contemporary country category, that’s fine.” But he’s also acknowledged how special it was to win the award in the category’s first year: “It feels like you know a little extra special to win that the first year that it was a category. You know, it’s kind of like a little piece of history, I guess,  for however long, maybe they’ll axe it next year or something, but then maybe I’ll be the only one that ever won that one.” Zach is undeniably a superstar who will be a force in country music for a long time to come. He burst onto the scene at a perfect time, when fans were desperately craving that traditional country sound that he provides, and his masterful songwriting and laid-back personality prove that he’s got everything it takes to succeed. I’m sure even Willie would be proud of Zach carrying the torch for real country music. The post Zach Top Says It Felt “Sacreligious” To Beat Out Willie Nelson For A Grammy Award first appeared on Whiskey Riff.