Jason Isbell wittily reflects on 'mistakes' amid music success

Jason Isbell just got candid about his journey to success in the music industry and weighed in on his progress.

The 45-year-old singer and songwriter is in possession of six golden gramophones in total, which includes two from this month’s Grammy Awards, held on February 5, 2024.

In this week’s issue of PEOPLE magazine, Isbell said, “I try to be the only person in the category voters have ever heard of.”

“Either you’re Beyoncé, or you find a niche genre. [Recording] Academy voters don’t listen to roots music, so all I want from them is to recognize my name,” the Highwomen singer further noted.

With careful balance between wit and humor, Isbell continued, “Now, to do that, I’ve had to make a lot of mistakes: I had to be an alcoholic and get a divorce. But now they say, ‘Oh, I’ve heard of this guy!’”

Jason Isbell received his Grammy Awards in the categories of Best American Roots Song and Best Americana Album in the years 2016, 2018 as well as 2024.