A massive yeehaw is in order for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The two Nine Inch Nails members just picked up a Country Music Association award for their contribution to the Lil Nas X hit “Old Town Road”.
The 53rd annual CMAs officially air tonight, but the win was announced early Wednesday afternoon. “Old Town Road”, which features a sample of NIN’s “34 Ghosts IV”, nabbed the trophy for Musical Event of the Year, beating out folks like Blake Shelton, Maren Morris, and Garth Brooks.
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Although Reznor and Ross previously remained quiet about the smash single — even after it set Billboard charts on fire — the pair finally acknowledged “Old Town Road” in an interview with Rolling Stone last month. The NIN frontman called the viral track “undeniably hooky” and said Lil Nas X’s decision to sample NIN was “very flattering.”
“It was a material that was used in a significant way and it turned into something that became something else, and those guys should be the ones the spotlight is on….” Reznor added, explaining why he and Ross decided not to comment sooner. “They asked if I wanted to do a cameo in the video, and it was flattering, and I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I don’t feel like it’s my place to shine a light on me for that. I say that with complete respect.
Revisit “Old Town Road” below.
NIN were recently nominated for induction into the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Both Reznor and Ross also just shared the first of their three-volume soundtrack to HBO’s new Watchmen series.
