Who is Shaboozey, the 'Tipsy' singer up for best new artist and more at the Grammy Awards?
Where Shaboozey has been certainly isn't where he's going.
On the heels of a breakthrough year, Shaboozey has cemented his superstardom within the music industry. The record-breaking artist has earned many accolades and firsts, including five Grammy nominations at the upcoming award show.
The "Cowboy Carter" collaborator is up for best new artist along with song of the year, best country song and best country solo performance for his smash hit "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" at the 2025 Grammys, which will take place Feb. 2 in Los Angeles. He is also nominated for best melodic rap performance for his feature on Beyoncé's song "Spaghettii" along with country music pioneer Linda Martell.
"A Bar Song (Tipsy)" is also up for best remixed recording, but that award would go to the remixer, David Guetta. Even outside the handful of nominations, the tune has made history on many fronts.
Shaboozey's banner year kicked off when he was featured on "Spaghettii" and "Sweet Honey Buckin'" from Beyoncé's album "Cowboy Carter." The record-breaking project put a spotlight on Black country artists and the genre's roots.
In April, Shaboozey told The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, that he's "making music for the modern cowboy, the modern outlaw, the modern person who stands on their own against insurmountable odds." And it's clear his music is resonating beyond any genre lines.
Recently, Shaboozey joined Beyoncé for her epic halftime performance during the Ravens-Texans game on Christmas Day. The two performed ""Sweet Honey Buckin'" for the first time together live.
"It's amazing in so many different ways. That's what we grew up on. I was born in '95. ... Early 2000s is my era of music. My first exposure to music was probably Beyoncé, Kanye, Jay(-Z and) all those people," he said in April. "I don't collaborate with too many people, and for this to be my first one is telling that all the hard work we put in … people have been paying attention."
The Woodbridge, Virginia, native was born Collins Chibueze and is the son of Nigerian immigrants. His father is a chicken farmer.
"Being from Virginia, you've got acts like Pharrell, Missy and Timbaland, who do come from hip-hop. And you also have that country history as well with Patsy Cline, the Carter Family and Emmylou Harris," Shaboozey said.
Shaboozey released his latest album "Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going" on May 31.
His single "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," which interpolates J-Kwon's 2004 hip-hop smash "Tipsy," spent a record-breaking 19 weeks atop Billboard's Hot 100 chart, making it the the longest-leading song on the list by a solo artist. Lil Nas X's “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus holds the record for the most weeks at No. 1 with a 19-week consecutive run. Shaboozey's song also hit 19 weeks, though they were not uninterrupted.
Cryus previously told the USA TODAY Network he was "so proud of Shaboozey" for this feat.
In the fall, Shaboozey was nominated for new artist of the year and single of the year at the Country Music Association Awards, which were held in Nashville. He did not take home any awards at the show, but he performed his hit song and his new single "Highway."
After receiving his first CMA Award nominations, Shaboozey thanked Beyoncé, who was snubbed at this year's award show with zero nods.
"Thank you Beyoncé for opening a door for us, starting a conversation, and giving us one of the most innovative country albums of all time!" he wrote on X.
In the past year, he has also rocked many huge stages including at the 2024 BET Awards in Los Angeles where he brought out J-Kwon for an epic performance. His appearance along with fellow "Cowboy Carter" collaborator Tanner Adell also fell into the larger picture of the expansion and inclusion of the country music genre in that award show.
Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Who is Shaboozey up for best new artist and more at the Grammys?