When the country music industry comes together for the 59th annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards on Nov. 19, the event could be considered a convention of the unconventional.

The ballot is stacked with artists and projects that are quirky and/or test the genre’s boundaries. New artist of the year nominee Shaboozey shifted over the last year from an R&B-flavored outlier to a major country artist. New artist contender Stephen Wilson Jr. packs a rough-cut blues-rock sound. Americana import The War and Treaty is a vocal duo finalist. Post Malone‘s F-1 Trillion is an album of the year option by a pop artist. Jelly Roll‘s musical event entry with Brandon Lake, “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” relies on a dramatic gospel performance. Vocal group finalists The Red Clay Strays paint an alternati

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