The Indiana-born, Nashville-based rising star released “Cornerman” as a deeply personal tribute to his father, arriving on the eight-year anniversary of his passing.
The new single caps off a huge stretch for Stephen Wilson Jr. Last week, he earned four nominations at the 60th Annual CMA Awards, making him one of this year’s top nominees.
“Cornerman” continues the raw, autobiographical songwriting that has become a hallmark of Stephen Wilson Jr.’s music since he first emerged on the country scene. Where son of dad first introduced listeners to his grief and gratitude toward his late father, “Cornerman” returns to that same well, offering fans another deeply felt chapter in an ongoing story.
Those nominations include both Song of the Year and Music Video of the Year for his single “Gary,” on which Stephen Wilson Jr. was the sole songwriter, and for the accompanying video, which he co-directed with Tim Cofield. He also received nods in the New Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year categories.
Last year, Stephen Wilson Jr. received his first CMA nomination for New Artist of the Year at the 59th Annual CMA Awards, and performed twice on the broadcast. First came a solo performance of his viral cover of “Stand By Me,” which drew widespread acclaim, followed by a collaboration with Shaboozey on “Took A Walk,” from the acclaimed Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk.
In total, Stephen Wilson Jr. has now earned five CMA Award nominations.
The official video for “Gary” marked Stephen Wilson Jr.’s ninth collaboration with director Tim Cofield, who also directed his video for “Cuckoo,” which took home the ACM Award for Visual Media of the Year earlier this year.
Stephen Wilson Jr. recently released his latest single, “Hardwired,” featuring Miranda Lambert, which Billboard hailed as an ode to blue-collar workers of all stripes.
“Hardwired” followed this summer’s release of “Gary” (Live From CMA Fest 2026) and “Preacher’s Kid,” which was named a Song You Need To Know by Rolling Stone.
Throughout the rest of the year, Stephen Wilson Jr. will tour the US and Europe on his headline Gary The Torch Tour, culminating in two shows at The Truth in Nashville on December 11 and 12. This week, he is also supporting Brandi Carlile at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Stephen Wilson Jr.’s UK tour dates are as follows:
10/15 – Belfast, UK – SSE Arena (Gary The Torch Tour)
10/17 – Sligo, IE – Sligo Live Festival – SOLD OUT
10/19 – Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy Glasgow (Gary The Torch Tour) – SOLD OUT
10/20 – Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy Glasgow (Gary The Torch Tour) – SOLD OUT
10/22 – London, UK – O2 Academy Brixton (Gary The Torch Tour) – SOLD OUT
10/23 – Bristol, UK – The Prospect Building (Gary The Torch Tour) – SOLD OUT
10/25 – Manchester, UK – O2 Victoria Warehouse (Gary The Torch Tour) – SOLD OUT
A full list of Stephen Wilson Jr.’s tour dates is available on his website.
Stephen Wilson Jr.’s journey from the hollers of southern Indiana to Nashville has been a winding road with plenty of detours along the way. He has been an Indiana State Golden Gloves boxing championship finalist, a scientist, and a lead guitarist and songwriter in an indie rock band.
In 2016, Stephen Wilson Jr. left his laboratory job behind and signed a publishing deal with BMG Nashville, where his songwriting immediately made waves, leading to cuts from Caitlyn Smith, Old Dominion, Tim McGraw, Sixpence None The Richer, Leigh Nash and more.
2023 proved to be Stephen Wilson Jr.’s breakthrough year. He signed with Big Loud Records and released his critically-acclaimed debut double album, son of dad, a triumphant, genre-spanning set of 22 songs dedicated to his late father, released on the five-year anniversary of his passing.
In 2024, Stephen Wilson Jr.’s star continued to rise. He made his network television debut on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers, followed by performances on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’s #LateShowMeMusic series and Later… With Jools Holland.
Ahead of the one-year anniversary of son of dad, Stephen Wilson Jr. was profiled in an extensive feature for CBS Saturday Morning. Last year, he also released a deluxe edition of the album, featuring a moving interpretation of “Stand By Me” that has since been streamed tens of millions of times.
Last November, Stephen Wilson Jr. earned his first CMA Award nomination for New Artist of the Year, and played twice on the broadcast: a moving performance of “Took A Walk” from The Long Walk alongside Shaboozey, and a star-making rendition of “Stand By Me.”
To close out the year, Stephen Wilson Jr. released new single “Gary,” which he debuted on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and which has been steadily climbing the country radio charts ever since.
Fresh off his first ACM Award win for Visual Media of the Year for the video for “Cuckoo,” Stephen Wilson Jr. is currently in the midst of his Gary The Torch Tour, which runs through December across the US, Europe and UK. In September, he shared the stage with Dave Matthews Band at The Gorge Amphitheatre, and joined Brandi Carlile for three nights at Red Rocks.
With a poignant new single, four fresh CMA nominations and a sold-out UK run underway, Stephen Wilson Jr. continues to build one of the most compelling stories in country music today.
From boxing rings and laboratories to arenas and awards shows, Stephen Wilson Jr.’s path has been anything but conventional, and it’s that unlikely, deeply personal journey that continues to set his music apart from his country radio peers.
“Cornerman” is out now, and a full list of Stephen Wilson Jr.’s upcoming tour dates can be found on his official website.
Stephen Wilson Jr.: official | facebook | twitter/X | instagram | spotify | youtube | tiktok
