Josh Osborne • Poets and Prophets • 2026

Acclaimed songwriter Josh Osborne performs and shares stories from his career as part of the Museum's Poets and Prophets series, which honors songwriters who have made notable contributions to country music. The Museum’s Allison Moorer moderates this program, which was recorded on February 21, 2026.

During the interview, Osborne retraces the steps of his musical journey from his childhood in Pike County, Kentucky, to his move to Nashville after high school graduation to the signing of his first song-publishing deal. He recounts the deep bonds he’s formed with some of his closest collaborators—including Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally, and Trevor Rosen—and the enormous impact that the support of his wife, parents, and champions in the publishing world has had on his success.

Osborne also shares the stories behind some of his biggest songs, including Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road” and Keith Urban's “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16.” Throughout the program, the award-winning songwriter performs intimate renditions of his first big cut, “Neon” by Chris Young; Kacey Musgraves’s Grammy-winning single “Merry Go ‘Round”; and Kenny Chesney’s unifying hit “Get Along.”

Osborne honed his craft for more than a decade before hitting his stride in the 2010s and earning his first #1 song, “Come Over,” recorded by Chesney, in 2012. Now one of Nashville’s go-to tunesmiths, he has scored more than thirty additional #1s, including “Leave the Night On” (Sam Hunt); “Drunk Last Night” (Eli Young Band); “Sangria” and “My Eyes” (Blake Shelton); “One Man Band” (Old Dominion); and “Sand in My Boots” (Morgan Wallen). Osborne has won two Grammys for Best Country Song: in 2014 for “Merry Go ‘Round” and in 2025 for “The Architect,” both recorded by Musgraves. He was named ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year in 2021 and NSAI’s Songwriter of the Year in 2019. In 2014, Osborne’s name was added to the Country Music Highway (U.S. Route 23), which runs through his home county.

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