It’s been a long year for Holly Gleason, who embarks on the book tour for Kenny Chesney’s HEART LIFE MUSIC Saturday, Nov. 1 at the Country Music Hall of Fame inductee’s alma mater East Tennessee State University. In between completing Chesney’s first book, the Cleveland, Ohio-raised journalist contributed several key stories and analysis to industry trades HITS and POLLSTAR, as well as elegies for her own website and the release of “The Boar’s Nest: Sue Brewer & The Birth of Outlaw Country,” co-written during the pandemic with playwright Rachel Bonds and producer Dub Cornett.

Gleason, who won the 2024 Independent Journalist of the Year Award, is nominated in that category. Her remembrances of Kris Kristofferson and J.D. Souther received nominations for Obituary/In Appreciation in ALL Platforms for Film Personalities and Music Personalities; Kristofferson was also cited for Entertainment Blog by an Individual Not Tied To An Organization.

A New York Times Megan Moroney profile was nominated for Personality Profile, Music Industry (Under 2500), while Gleason’s POLLSTAR Moroney cover story received a nod for Business, Music/Theater/Other Arts. Additionally, her POLLSTAR conversation on the state of Latin music with executive Bruno Del Grenado received recognition in Business Music/Theater/Other Arts.

A sought after commentator on country and roots music, Gleason’s work at HITS received two nods in Commentary Analysis/Trend Music for columns entitled “Country At A Crossroads” and “Grammy Chew: Country.” Her conversation with breakout Black country artist Shaboozey scored two nominations: Diversity in the Music Industry/Performing Arts/Arts Industry and Music/Performing Arts Industry Feature (Under 1000 Words).

“Country and roots music are at several interesting pivots, with a lot more at stake than just who the next superstar will be,” Gleason says of her work. “It is an honor to apply almost four decades of knowledge to contextualizing artists, analyzing trends not just of the music, but our culture – and trying to create an understanding between industry types of artists who aren’t their day-to-day reality, while also offering informed takes on who the rising stars for anyone who loves music.”

Having won four awards, including her second Criticism of Music in three years, at the Los Angeles Press Club’s Southern California Media Awards in June, Gleason’s focus for the last twelve months has been the book chronicling Chesney’s journey from one more face in the crowd – literally and as an emerging artist – to being what Variety calls “Country music’s only true long-term stadium act.”

“I am so grateful to know the work impacted the judges enough to recognize these stories,” Gleason says. “Entertainment journalism isn’t just your opinion or your take, it’s not about pulling clips and deciding. A lot of time and thinking about what has happened goes into the stories, so in a year when I didn’t write as much, it’s comforting to know the work still measured up to a standard defined by so many of the mentors I’ve been lucky to have.”