Shaboozey, Zach Bryan Make a Splash on Forbes’ 30 Under 30

Zach Bryan and Shaboozey both earned spots on Forbes 30 Under 30 List for 2025, a round-up of some of the most influential young changemakers across a number of different industries.

The 30 Under 30 List includes categories like sports, gaming, entertainment, education and social media, but of course, both Bryan and Shaboozey fall in the music division. Both stars had standout years in 2024, releasing some of the country genre’s most high-profile albums and expanding their reach through massive chart hits and boundary-pushing musical styles.

Shaboozey — who, at 29 years old, comes in just under the age cutoff for the 30 Under 30 — admits to Forbes that he’s never really thought of himself as a singer.

“I didn’t think anyone was gonna like this,” he says. “Country is one of the hardest things to get people to connect to.”

But Shaboozey proved himself wrong with a massive hit this year. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” boasted a record-matching 19 weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts, tying with Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus‘ “Old Town Road” as the longest-running No. 1 hit in the all-genre chart’s six-and-a-half-decade history.

The singer also received a whopping five nominations at the upcoming 2025 Grammy Awards. That’s a show that would likely also have shown Bryan some love, due to his hit album from this year, The Great American Bar Scene. However, Bryan withdrew from Grammy consideration this fall, declining to submit his music for any potential nominations.

Read More: Did Zach Bryan Just Boycott the 2025 Grammy Awards?

Meanwhile, Bryan has been continuing to build on his massive grassroots success this year, mounting his massive The Quittin’ Time Tour in support of his album release. Bryan isn’t expected to tour next year — he’s said he’s stepping away from live music in order to pursue a master’s degree in Paris — but he is booked for a few stadium shows in 2025.