Trent Reznor + Atticus Ross Are Officially Country Music Award Winners
Yes folks, these are the actual events. In 2019, Nine Inch Nails leader Trent Reznor and his musical cohort Atticus Ross are actually Country Music Award winners, as revealed on Good Morning America this morning. The possibility of such an occurrence was revealed back in September when Reznor and Ross were among the names listed for LIl' Nas X's nomination for Musical Event of the Year.
The Nine Inch Nails pair were responsible for the sample used in the rapper's mega hit "Old Town Road," which borrowed from Nine Inch Nails' "34 Ghosts IV." In addition, the song's remix features country star Billy Ray Cyrus chipping in. Though the CMA ceremony doesn't take place until tonight, some awards were announced early with Lil' Nas X winning Music Event of the Year.
Back in September, when the nominations were initially announced, Reznor had some fun with the odd association by photoshopping his and Ross' faces into a Brooks & Dunn press photo with the caption "New world, new times." After the victory, they had a little more photoshop fun with Brooks & Dunn, thanking the CMAs for the honor.
Eventually, Reznor commented on the Lil' Nas X sample usage. “At first when you hear your stuff turned into something else, it always feels awkward because it’s something that intimately came from you in some way," Reznor told Rolling Stone. "You feel a little bit violated, you know?”
The Nine Inch Nails leader says he eventually found out of the usage from his management team, recalling, "I said, ‘Look, I’m fine with it. I get how stuff goes. They’re not saying they didn’t sample it. Just work it out but don’t be a roadblock to this.’ I hadn’t heard it yet. Then a few weeks later, I was like, ‘Holy shit.'"
That said, Reznor says he doesn't feel like Nine Inch Nails had any impact on the song. “Having been listed on the credits of the all-time, Number One whatever-the-fuck-it-is wasn’t something … I didn’t see that one coming,” he said. “But the world is full of weird things that happen like that. It’s flattering. But I don’t feel it’s for me to step in there and pat myself on the back for that.”
Reznor and Ross have a Grammy and an Oscar to their credit. Is it time to add a "C" to the EGOT acronym? New world, new times ... The CMA Awards air tonight at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.
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