I never set out to win awards—I set out to tell the truth.
But along the way, some of these truths resonated.
Below, you’ll find some milestones from the musical side of my story—recordings submitted for GRAMMY consideration, chart successes, and awards from folks who support independent music.
Recognition is nice—but the real reward is when a song finds its way into someone else’s life.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• #1 songs and videos across Roots Music Report, Independent Music Network, National Radio Hits, iTunes, and Beat100
• GRAMMY consideration: Who Are You Who Am I (2021) and MORE (2023)
• Award recognition from Independent Music Network, Fair Play Country Music, World Songwriting Awards, Akademia, ISSA, Josie Music Awards, and New Music Awards
• Charting albums: Find a Way, Crossing Willow Creek, and MORE
MORE
2023
🏆 Awards Received:
🏆 Favorite Impact Artist – Independent Music Network (2024)
🏆 Americana Song of the Year – Fair Play Country Music (Hide Away, 2024)
🏆 Favorite Male Artist – Independent Music Network (2023)
#1 Songs & Chart Achievements:
Hide Away – #1 on iTunes, #1 on National Radio Hits (Adult Contemporary)
Call Their Name – #1 on National Radio Hits (Adult Contemporary), #1 on National Radio Hits (Adult Top 40)
More – #1 on iTunes, #1 on Spotify, #1 on National Radio Hits (Adult Contemporary), #1 on Mainstream Top 30 (Independent Music Network)
Finalist: Album of the Year – International Singer Songwriter Association (ISSA, 2023)
MORE — Awards & Nominations
2023
Finalist: Male Single of the Year (Hide Away) – ISSA (2023)
Finalist: Songwriter of the Year – Josie Music Awards (2023)
GRAMMY Consideration
MORE — Submitted for GRAMMY consideration in 2023.
Nominee: Male Artist of the Year – Josie Music Awards (2024)
Nominee: Album of the Year – Josie Music Awards (2024)
Nominee: Male Album of the Year – ISSA (2024)
Nominee: Male Vocalist of the Year – ISSA (2024)
Nominee: Songwriter of the Year – ISSA (2024)
Nominee: Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year – New Music Awards (2024)
Who Are You Who Am I
2021
GRAMMY Consideration
Who Are You Who Am I — Submitted for GRAMMY consideration in 2021.
#1 Songs & Chart Achievements:
Who Are You Who Am I – #1 on iTunes
A Thousand Wild Horses – #1 on iTunes
The World's Foremost Authority on Everything – #1 on iTunes
Finalist Listings:
Finalist: Male Single of the Year (Who Are You Who Am I) – ISSA (2021)
Nominee Listings:
Fair Play Country Music Awards Nominations:
Song of the Year
Americana Original
Songwriter of the Year
Musician of the Year
Entertainer of the Year
Crossing Willow Creek
2018–2019
🏆 Awards Received:
🏆 Best Outlaw Song (Whiskey Road) – World Songwriting Awards
🏆 Best Rock Song (Cry Wolf) – World Songwriting Awards
🏆 Best Modern Country Song (Cry Wolf) – World Songwriting Awards
#1 Songs & Chart Achievements:
Cry Wolf – #1 Roots Music Report Missouri Song chart (week of March 2, 2019)
Changes – #1 Roots Music Report Missouri Song chart (week of August 17, 2019)
Chart Achievements:
#4 Americana Country Album – Roots Music Report
Changes – #4 Roots Music Report Americana Country Song chart (week of July 20, 2019)
Whiskey Road – #4 on Americana Country Charts
Finalist Listings:
Finalist: Album of the Year – ISSA (2018)
Find a Way
2016
Awards Received:
🏆 Best Rock Album – Akademia Awards
#1 Songs & Chart Achievements:
Goodbye Will Never Come Again – #1 on Traditional Folk Song Charts
Chart Achievements:
#4 Traditional Folk Album – Roots Music Report
Find A Way – #4 on Top 50 Folk Song Charts
This I Know – #7 on Traditional Folk Song Charts
Where I Need to Be – #9 on Top 50 Folk Song Charts
Start to Start – #10 on Traditional Folk Song Charts
Changes
2013
Awards and Charts through the years...
Career overview — Bill Abernathy number-one songs, awards, nominations, and GRAMMY consideration highlights.
Fair Play Country Music Award — Americana Original Male (2024).
Josie Music Awards — Male Artist of the Year nominee (2024).
Josie Music Awards — Album of the Year nominee (2024).
Josie Music Awards — Songwriter of the Year nominee (2024).
ISSA Awards — Male Single of the Year recognition for “Hide Away” (2024).
ISSA Awards — Male Album of the Year recognition for MORE (2024).
ISSA Awards recognition — Bill Abernathy (2024).
New Music Awards — Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year nominee (2024).
ISSA Awards nominations — Bill Abernathy (2024).
“Call Their Name” chart documentation — March 2024.
Independent Music Network — Favorite Male Artist (2023).
New Music Awards — Adult Contemporary recognition (2024).
Formula Indie entry — “Hide Away” from MORE (2023).
Formula Indie entry — MORE (2023).
Formula Indie entry — “Call Their Name” from MORE.
MORE promotional feature — Bill Abernathy and MTS Management Group.
“Hide Away” — Top 15 chart recognition.
MORE promotional feature — Bill Abernathy and MTS Management Group.
ISSA Awards recognition for Who Are You Who Am I.
ISSA Awards nominations — Bill Abernathy (2022).
Fair Play Country Music Awards nominations — Bill Abernathy (2022).
World Songwriting Awards finalist — Best Outlaw Song, “Whiskey Road” (Spring 2019).
World Songwriting Awards finalist — Best Modern Country Song, “Cry Wolf” (Winter 2019).
World Songwriting Awards finalist — Best Rock Song, “Cry Wolf” (Summer 2019).
ISSA Awards nominations — Bill Abernathy (2019).
Akademia Music Awards — Best Rock Album recognition for Find a Way.
Music award recognition — Bill Abernathy.
Independent music chart and award recognition — Bill Abernathy.
Music award trophy — Bill Abernathy collection.
Blues and soul chart documentation.
Cashbox Magazine chart documentation.
“Hide Away” — #1 iTunes chart achievement.
“Cry Wolf” lyric video — #1 Beat100 Top 40 World Music Video Chart.
“A Thousand Wild Horses” — chart achievement.
Roots Music Report — Top 200 Artists recognition (2019).
Crossing Willow Creek — Roots Music Report chart documentation (2019).
Crossing Willow Creek — Roots Music Report album chart recognition.
Who Are You Who Am I — #1 iTunes chart achievement.
“A Thousand Wild Horses” — #1 iTunes South Africa Country Singles chart.