2026 Texas Country Music Industry Awards VOTING Open Through April 30
The nominations phase is now completed, and the top 5 finalists have been determined for the 2026 Texas Country Music Industry Awards. Voting is now open through April 30! The Industry Awards are to honor and recognize those who work so hard alongside the artists to create, manage, and promote their music.
TCMA Members and other verifiable Texas Country Music Industry Stakeholders may vote.
The 2026 Texas Country Music Industry Awards is set to take place on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at Rhinestone Saloon in the Fort Worth Stockyards, followed by a concert by TCMA Member Clay Hollis.
2026 TCMA Songwriter Contest Open For Entries!
The 2026 TCMA Songwriter Contest is now OPEN FOR ENTRIES in Country and Christian Country music categories! Winners in each category are invited to perform on the main stage at the 2026 Texas Country Music Awards on November 8, 2026, at Billy Bob's Texas in the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards and all top 10 finalists will be recognized. Enter Early!
Songs are reviewed on an as-received basis. All entries submitted must be the contestant's original works. Songs are judged on creativity, lyrics, melody, arrangement, originality, and overall technique. Visit www.texascountrymusicassociation.org/2026songwriter
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TCMA Member Feature
Paul Overstreet Is Still Doing It His Way — And Now He’s “Doing It to Country Songs”​
Sitting down with Paul Overstreet, one thing becomes clear real quick—he’s at a point in his career where he’s not chasing anything anymore. He’s just creating, having fun, and letting the music do what it’s always done: connect with people.
That mindset is exactly what led to his newest song, “Doing It to Country Songs.”
Overstreet told me the idea actually started years ago when he was out in Los Angeles writing. At the time, the room didn’t quite get it. The concept didn’t land, and like a lot of ideas in songwriting sessions, it got left behind. But it never fully left him.
“I took it back to Nashville and just threw it out there again,” he said. “And the guys I was writing with said, ‘Let’s write it.’”
That second shot turned into something special.
The song has already taken on a life of its own. Blake Shelton even recorded a version alongside The Oak Ridge Boys, cutting it a little more up-tempo. But Overstreet had a slightly different vision for his own version.
“He felt like it needed to rock a little bit more,” he explained, which led him to bring in Texas favorites Roger Creager and Kevin Fowler to join him on the track—giving it that extra punch and Texas flavor.
And in true songwriter fashion, Overstreet found a way to make the song not just something you listen to—but something you’re part of.
Maddie Rose
“Neon has a way”
Texas native Mattie Rose teams up with fellow songwriter Brett Penington for their newest single, “Neon Has A Way,” a late-night country duet that captures the magnetic pull of small-town neon lights and the memories they hold. Blending traditional country storytelling with a modern edge, the song paints a vivid picture of heartache, temptation, and the kind of love you swear you have moved on from, until the glow of a bar sign pulls you right back in.
With rich harmonies and honest lyrics, “Neon Has a Way” showcases Mattie Rose’s signature blend of grit and vulnerability, paired seamlessly with Penington’s classic country tone. The track feels both nostalgic and fresh, serving as a soundtrack for anyone who has ever tried to outrun a feeling only to find it waiting under the buzz of neon.
Randy C Moore
“Forget Me Not”
RANDY C MOORE is a Texas Music Artist, TCMA member and a member of The European Country Music Hall of Fame. Moore has a new single out called “Forget Me Not”. The new single, penned by Moore,tells a tale as old as humanity about the bright beginnings of a life’s journey to the harsh realities that lay ahead, resulting in a single prayer for salvation. Co-produced with Music Row hitmaker Barry C Sanders,“Forget Me Not” is now available on all formats world-wide. For more information check out his website www.randycmoore.com.
Hayden Haddock
”Heaven on Horseback”
Painting a vivid depiction of a restless, rough and tumble wrangler, the serendipitous tale portrays a head-over-heels, true love skeptic and the transformative power of a woman's influence to turn a rebel into a believer. With a spirit that lights a match to ground him, her presence becomes his guiding light providing hope, confidence and strength. "When I sat down to write with my buddies Caden Gillard and Dan Hutson in Nashville, we threw out the title 'Heaven On Horseback’," Haddock said. “It’s always been an age-old adage that every girl loves a cowboy. Truth be told, there’s a similar romanticism about a cowgirl. This is kind of our version of ‘Cowboy Take Me Away,’ from a guy’s perspective. A woman can tame even the wildest one. It paints a great picture.” ​
In Texas country, the pipeline of talent has always started somewhere—front porches, dance halls, small-town stages. Now, in New Braunfels, it might just start in a 100-year-old schoolhouse turned state-of-the-art youth center.
Stacey Dickie, the New Braunfels Youth Collaborative (NBYC) is helping lead that charge with the opening of the Mill Street Youth Center, a newly renovated space designed for middle and high school students to gather, create, and most importantly find their voice. After a $16 million transformation, the historic building officially opened its doors on March 9, blending deep local roots with a forward-looking mission.
“We wanted to build something that gives kids a place to belong,” Stacey says. “But also a place where they can discover what they’re capable of.”
While the center offers everything from a full gym to gaming and STEM spaces, there’s one room in particular that’s catching the attention of the Texas music community: a fully equipped, professional recording studio.
Backed by Texas country artist Wade Bowen, the studio represents more than just a creative outlet, it’s a direct line into the music industry.
From Historic Halls to Future Headliners: How One New Braunfels Center Is Shaping Texas Music’s Next Generation
TCMA Member Feature
Miles, Music and Brotherhood: The Will Carter Band
In the ever-evolving landscape of Texas country music, authenticity still reigns supreme—and few emerging acts embody that spirit quite like the Will Carter Band. Built on brotherhood, long miles, and songs rooted in real life, the group is stepping into a defining chapter with the release of their self-titled album, Will Carter Band, which dropped March 27.
For lead singer Will Carter, the journey into music didn’t begin with grand ambitions, it started with something much more personal.
“Music was always around growing up,” Carter explains. “But it became real when I started writing songs. It turned into a way to process life—the good, the hard, and everything in between.”
That emotional honesty has become the backbone of the band’s identity. What began as a solo creative outlet evolved into something bigger when Carter joined forces with a group of like-minded musicians. Writing and recording as a full band, he says, “completely transformed the product, the band, and the experience.” The result is a project that feels true not just to Carter, but to every member involved, hence the decision to self-title the album.
Like many touring acts, the Will Carter Band has seen its lineup evolve over time. What remains constant, however, is the bond between its members.“When you spend as much time together as we do, it becomes a lot more like family than coworkers,” Carter says. “We truly are brothers and sometimes we fight like it but we always have each other’s backs.”
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This Week's Texas Country Music Chart
The Texas Country Music Chart is the only Texas-based, digitally-monitored airplay chart for Texas Country Music and is a service of the Texas Country Music Association.
