Nine Inch Nails frontman and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee Trent Reznor on Wednesday became the unlikely recipient of a CMA Award given out by the Country Music Association.
“Old Town Road,” a crossover hit by rapper Lil Nas X and country artist Billy Ray Cyrus, has won the 2019 CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year, the CMA announced on its website.
The chart-topping single includes a sample from a Nine Inch Nails song, “34 Ghosts IV,” resulting in Mr. Reznor and bandmate Atticus Ross each receiving co-producer credits.
Both members of the industrial rock group were recognized for their collaboration on the CMA website ahead of the association’s annual award show airing Wednesday evening.
Mr. Reznor, 54, founded Nine Inch Nails in 1988 and is the group’s only consistent member. The act has received significant accolades in the decades since releasing its debut album the following year, “Pretty Hate Machine,” including earning two Grammy Awards and several nominations to be entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The group is currently among the shortlist of acts being considered for induction 2020.
He has largely been recognized in the past for material far outside the realm of country music, however. Both of NIN’s Grammy Awards are for Best Metal Performance, and the group has unsuccessfully been nominated in subsequent years in the categories of Best Hard Rock performance and Best Rock Song, among others.
Mr. Reznor made light of his contribution to “Old Town Road” when the song was nominated for a CMA Award. He reacted at the time by sharing an image on social media that showed the heads of both NIN members juxtaposed on the bodies of an old promotional photo for country act Brooks & Dunn.
“New world, new times…,” Mr. Reznor captioned the image.
Mr. Ross, 51, has collaborated with Mr. Reznor for the past 15 years. They have worked together on a number of NIN albums, in addition to the scores to several major motion pictures.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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