The Grammy winner bringing traditional country to new audiences

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for Zach Top. Three weeks ago, the rising star of country music won his first Grammy Award, in the newly created category of best traditional country album. He says it still feels like a dream.

“When they announced it, they said the title of the record and I was looking around for who was getting up to accept the award,” he tells BBC News.

“Then it suddenly hit me, it was mine.”

Top, who has more than six million monthly listeners on Spotify, was the first winner in the new category for his second album, Ain’t In It For My Health, beating icons of the country music genre including Willie Nelson.

“That seems sacrilegious to me. I certainly don’t aim at awards when I’m making the music, I’d be doing it either way,” he says. “But it does feel really good when the rest of your industry thinks you’re doing a good enough job and give you a trophy for it.”