Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Others To Be Spotlighted For 'Innovation'

By Kelly Fisher

Photo: Getty Images

Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Ella Langley, Stephen Wilson Jr., Megan Moroney and others will be featured in an annual exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Country Music Hall of Fame announced on Tuesday morning (February 17) that it “will offer perspective on country music’s latest chapter with the opening of American Currents: State of the Music,” states a press release. The annual exhibit “takes a broad view of the genre over the past year to explore musical developments, artist achievements and notable events, as determined by the museum’s curators and editorial staff.”

Artists, musicians and songwriters featured in the exhibit include the Biscuits & Banjos festival, Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland, Tyler Childers, Charley Crockett, Sierra Ferrell, Vince Gill, Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Sierra Hull, I’m With Her, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Ella Langley, MJ Lenderman, Megan Moroney, Ringo Starr, Billy Strings, Zach Top, Morgan Wallen, Waxahatchee, Wednesday, Jesse Welles, Lainey Wilson and Stephen Wilson Jr. Video footage will show performances and collaborations by Julien Baker and TORRES, BigXthaPlug (Xavier Landum) and Bailey Zimmerman, Alison Brown and Steve Martin, and Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll, plus Kaitlin Butts, Luke Combs, Farm Aid, the Grand Ole Opry, Riley Green, Cody Johnson and more. The “Unbroken Circle” part of the exhibit, which spotlights pairings of artists with trailblazers who inspired them, include Ken Pomeroy and John Denver, Carter Faith and Tammy Wynette, and Muscadine Bloodline and Turnpike Troubadours.

“It’s central to our mission at the museum to report on country music — not just its storied past but also what’s happening right now,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “We present stories of collaboration, perseverance and innovation from emerging artists and established luminaries — and the instruments, stage wear and personal items that bring those stories to life. American Currents is a testament to the constant vitality of the music.”

The American Currents: State of the Music exhibit, which is included in museum admission, will open on Wednesday, March 18. It will remain open through January 2027.

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    Pictured on the cover of Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill’s 2025 EP Secondhand Smoke: 50 Years from Home, this Gibson ES-125 and this Harmony acoustic guitar belonged to his father, Stan Gill, and are the guitars Vince learned to play on.Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    These are handwritten lyrics, with corrections by Karly Hartzman, for her song “Elderberry Wine,” from the band Wednesday’s 2025 album, Bleeds. Hartzman is the group’s lead singer, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter.Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Known for her whimsical stage wear, Sierra Ferrell wore this ethereal costume at the “67th Annual Grammy Awards” in 2025. Adorned with imitation pearls, glass beads and rhinestones, the iridescent ballgown and matching choker were designed by Jeffrey Kelly Designs.Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Stephen Wilson Jr. wore this sweater, jacket, bolo tie and clasp, and ballcap embellished with embroidered roses and an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe when he performed a solo acoustic version of Ben E. King’s classic hit “Stand by Me” at the Country Music Association Awards on Nov. 19, 2025. The “Gary” patch on Wilson’s jacket refers to the title of his 2025 single, which he wrote as a tribute to the disappearing blue-collar archetype of hard-working men who can “fix about anything a hammer can’t handle.”Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    When he was seven, Charlie Handsome used this CR-318 portable cassette recorder to record his first songs, “Butts in Da Hood” and “Chicks,” onto the cassette tape still inside.Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    This Sierra Hull Master Model signature mandolin was built for Hull by the Gibson Custom Shop in 2025. She is the first female musician to be honored with a signature model Gibson mandolin.Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Ella Langley wore this Dolce & Gabbana snake-print gown on the red carpet at the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 8, 2025. Langley was nominated for six ACM awards, four of which were for her song with Riley Green, “You Look Like You Love Me.”Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Tyler Childers wore this pith helmet, western shirt, tweed vest and fake moustache in the music video for “Eatin’ Big Time,” from his 2025 album, Snipe Hunter.Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Jason Carter of the bluegrass duo Carter & Cleveland played this custom-built Rafael Storm fiddle, and Michael Cleveland used this Heberlein violin, built in Germany in 1915.Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Ringo Starr wore this Stetson hat on the cover of his 2025 country music album, Look Up.Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Charley Crockett wore this buckskin jacket — accented with fringe and leather — and this cowboy hat in the music video for “Lonesome Drifter,” the title track of his second album release in 2025.Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    The Americana Music Association presented this personalized Sprit of Americana Free Speech in Music award to Jesse Welles at the Americana Honors & Awards in 2025. Presented by John Fogerty, the wood trophy was designed and hand-painted by Stef Ratliff.Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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