If you had to guess which country music star was picked to be one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people for 2026, who would you choose? Ella? Lainey? Dolly? Morgan? Nope, it is none of the above, although they each would have been worthy of the honor. The powers-that-be at the prestigious publication tapped Luke Combs for the annual accolade. At 36, the native of Huntersville, North Carolina, is sitting pretty at the top of the heap. He earned his spot at the pinnacle, thanks to non-stop hard work, endless talent, and pure gutsy grit.
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Another superstar, Lainey Wilson, exquisitely summed up Combs' appeal. "Luke represents the down-home people, the people that work hard to take care of their families, the people that would give you the shirt off their back. He's not about the fluff."
Combs Is Truly Authentic
You just have to love this guy. Despite Combs' half dozen CMA awards, eight Grammy noms, Grand Ole Opry membership, and a bunch of smash hit songs and LPs, he is simply a regular chap. At home, he's just a dad trying to cope with typical rambunctious kids learning to navigate their world.
The father of three youngsters, Combs said per the outlet, "I get sneezed on or thrown up on every day." He added, "You catch me Monday through Friday, I'm at the house, Mr. Mom, changing dipes, giving baths, cooking dinners." (I'm sure that his wife pitches in plenty, too.)
Yet when he steps onstage, Luke Combs is one of the red-hot headliners of country music. Whether he is belting out "Ain't No Love in Oklahoma" or offering a mellow cover of Tracy Chapman's classic "Fast Car," it always works perfectly. Luke Combs makes sure it does.
Ed Sheeran Wrote a Moving Tribute to Luke Combs
In honor of Combs' inclusion in Time's select group of standouts for this year, Ed Sheeran penned an essay about his fellow hitmaker. He accurately noted in part, "[Combs] scaled the highest heights of music while remaining loving and kind to those around him...He's an incredible writer singer, and performer. I love his commitment to his family and how that reflects in his music."
