Contemporary country music has not typically been at the top of the agenda in Blighty, but Big Machine’s Thomas Rhett has achieved a mighty feat on Her Majesty’s island by beating homegrown favourites Coldplay and One Direction to an A List spot on BBC’s Radio 2. Rhett’s first single released in the U.K., “Crash and Burn,” is currently sitting at #13 on the RadioMonitor charts for the Beeb’s national station.

The growing overseas success of "Crash and Burn," which is taken from Rhett's second album, Tangled Up, follows huge impact in the U.S., where the song was a #1 Country radio hit with platinum-selling status.

Earlier this week, Rhett earned his fifth consecutive chart-topper as follow-up single “Die A Happy Man” continued to dominate the Country radio charts in the U.S. and Canada.

The U.K. is waking up to current country music after homegrown act The Shires struck a note last year with debut set Brave achieving gold status (100k sales). Signed to UMG label Decca (headed up by MD Rebecca Allen), the duo are touring this year with The Corrs.

Could there be a country music awakening in Blighty in 2016? Watch this space.