Blake Pendergrass Celebrates Opry Debut

Blake Pendergrass, the newly-crowned NSAI Songwriter of the Year, made his debut in the…

Blake Pendergrass performs “The Dealer” at the Grand Ole Opry on Sept. 29, 2026. Photo Credit: Alanna McArdle

Blake Pendergrass, the newly-crowned NSAI Songwriter of the Year , made his debut in the Grand Ole Opry circle on Tuesday night (Sept. 29).

A songwriter with seven No. 1s under his belt, Pendergrass performed two of his hits, “Just In Case” (recorded by Morgan Wallen) and “The Dealer” (recorded by Wallen featuring ERNEST) during his debut. He also returned to the stage during Wyatt Flores’ set to perform “Scared of Heights,” the title track from Flores’ latest album , which Pendergrass co-wrote with Flores.

“To call this a dream come true doesn’t even do it justice because in my wildest dreams I never thought I would stand up on this stage and play for anyone,” Pendergrass shared with the audience. “It’s very rare to be at the Opry – especially just as a songwriter. I’m humbled.”

Prior to the memorable moment in the legendary circle, Pendergrass received No. 1 plaques for the Wallen-recorded tracks “20 Cigarettes,” “Don’t We,” “Just In Case” and “I Got Better,” along with Thomas Rhett and Jordan Davis’ “Ain’t A Bad Life.”

Back Blocks Music’s Rakiyah Marshall, Blake Pendergrass and Grand Ole Opry’s Dan Rogers. Photo: Alanna McArdle

Wyatt Flores and Blake Pendergrass. Photo: Alanna McArdle

Back Block Music’s Elizabeth Cook, Blake Pendergrass, Rakiyah Marshall and Kirby Matthews. Photo: Alanna McArdle