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2022 CMAs: Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton & All the Record-Setters
Luke Combs was the big winner at the 56th annual CMA Awards, which were held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday (Nov. 9). Combs won three awards – entertainer of the year for the second year in a row and album of the year (he won two awards in that category – one as artist and one as a producer).
Combs is the first person to win entertainer of the year two years running since Garth Brooks won his final two awards in the category in 2016 and 2017. (Brooks subsequently removed himself from future consideration in that category.)
And Combs is the first person to win entertainer of the year and album of the year on the same night since Taylor Swift in 2009.
This is the 11th consecutive year that a male artist has won entertainer of the year. Swift was the last woman to win the award, in 2011. That 11-year stretch of nothing-but-male winners? It’s the longest since the 12-year all-male stretch between Reba McEntire’s 1986 win and Shania Twain’s 1999 victory.
The CMA Awards, co-hosted by Luke Bryan and football great Peyton Manning, aired live on ABC.
There were several record-breakers among this year’s winners.
Chris Stapleton became the first six-time winner for male artist of the year. He surpassed Vince Gill, Blake Shelton and George Strait, each of whom has won in that category five times.
“Buy Dirt” became the first song in CMA history that was written by as many as four songwriters to win song of the year. The song was written by two pairs of brothers (Jacob and Jordan Davis and Josh and Matt Jenkins). The single rendition of the song by Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan became a No. 1 hit on both Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay.
Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde won musical event of the year for “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.” They were the first all-female collaboration to win in 28 years — since Reba McEntire with Linda Davis’ “Does He Love You” (1994).
As noted, Combs won album of the year for Growin’ Up, his first studio album since What You See Is What You Get, which won the award two years ago. Combs is the first artist to win this top award with back-to-back studio albums since Stapleton won with Traveller (2015) and From A Room: Volume 1 (2017). In all of CMA history, just four other artists have won album of the year with back-to-back studio albums – Charlie Rich, Brooks, Strait (who did it twice) and Tim McGraw.
Lainey Wilson and Cody Johnson each won two awards.
Wilson, who led all nominees with six nods, won female artist of the year and new artist of the year. Wilson maintained the recent streak of first-time winners for female vocalist of the year. The last four winners in this category, Kacey Musgraves (2019), Maren Morris (2020), Pearce (2021) and now Wilson, have all been first-time winners in the category. Wilson is the first artist to win female artist of the year the first time she was nominated since Carrie Underwood in 2006.
Johnson’s “Til You Can’t” won single of the year and music video of the year. The single reached No. 1 on both Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay. Johnson’s video prevailed over strong competition that included Swift’s “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault),” which features Stapleton. Swift is a two-time winner in the video category.
Brothers Osborne won their fifth award for vocal duo of the year, becoming one of just three duos to win five or more times. Brooks & Dunn (who were nominated again this year) lead with 14 wins in the category. Sugarland won five times.
Old Dominion won vocal group of the year for the fifth year in a row. Only The Statler Brothers (nine wins), Rascal Flatts (six) and Little Big Town (six) have won as many as five times. In accepting the award, lead singer Matthew Ramsey paid tribute to Alabama’s Jeff Cook, who died on Monday. Alabama won vocal group of the year three times, from 1981-83.
Fiddle player Jenee Fleenor won musician of the year for the fourth year in a row. She’s the first and only female musician to win in the category. Her win means that steel guitarist Paul Franklin came up short in the category for the 30th time. (Of course, you can’t lose 30 times in a category without being nominated 30 times in the category, an amazing achievement.)
Alan Jackson received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. Jackson, 64, is by far the youngest recipient of the award. The last three recipients, Kris Kristofferson, Charley Pride and Loretta Lynn, were in their 80s when they received the honor. Pride and Lynn died not long after.
The eligibility period for the 56th annual CMA Awards was July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022.
Elle King & The Black Keys Pay Piano-Smashing Tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis at 2022 CMA Awards
There was a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on at the 2022 CMA Awards on Wednesday night (Nov. 9), as Elle King and The Black Keys took the stage to pay rollicking tribute to late rock and country pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis.
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They were just the right trio to take on the task, performing Lewis’ signature track “Great Balls of Fire” at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. King banged away on the piano keys as The Black Keys brought their blues-rock chops to the stage. With an alternately growling and wailing vocal, Keys leaned into her performance, even emblazoning the back of her black leather pants with Lewis’ nickname “The Killer” that could be seen every time she leaned into the keyboard just like the infamous showman.
Lewis died at age 87 last month.
It was fitting that the rock ‘n’ roll founding father was honored at the country awards show. A 2022 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Lewis is one of just 16 people to have been inducted into both the Country and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame. He was also the last living member of the very first class of inductees into the Rock Hall, who were honored back in 1986.
Lewis wasn’t the only late legend honored at the show: The CMA Awards kicked off with a tribute to Loretta Lynn, who also died last month, at age 90. Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Reba McEntire performed the tribute, each performing solo Lynn songs before coming together for her signature tune, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
Find the full 2022 CMA Awards winners list here.
8 Best Moments From the 2022 CMAs
The 56th annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards took place in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (Nov. 9) night. Hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, the CMAs brought out a bevy of vocal pros, guitar aces and several music legends over the course of three hours.
The show opened with a tribute to country pioneer Loretta Lynn, who died on Oct. 4 at the age of 90, by Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood. Before the night was through, Alan Jackson was honored with the Willie Nelson lifetime achievement award and given a rollicking musical tribute from Dierks Bentley, Lainey Wilson and others. Jackson himself closed out his own musical tribute, playing his 1991 single “Don’t Rock the Jukebox,” a No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. “I can’t thank everybody that’s been in my life all these years, but I do have to say thanks to my wife Denise,” Jackson said. “We started out as teenagers and she’s hung in there and rode this roller coaster ride with me…. She’s my best friend.”
The night’s big winner was Luke Combs, who won the prestigious CMA for entertainer of the year. A tearful Lainey Wilson was named female vocalist of the year, and Chris Stapleton was honored with the CMA for male vocalist of the year. Check out the full list of winners here. Below, check out some of the standout moments from the 2022 CMAs, from Katy Perry’s performance with Thomas Rhett to HARDY and Wilson’s smoldering duet.
Phoebe Bridgers Wins in Court as Judge Tosses Producer’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Her
A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday (Nov. 9) tossed out a lawsuit accusing Phoebe Bridgers of defaming producer Chris Nelson with a social media post echoing accusations of abuse made against him by another woman.
The judge cited California’s so-called anti-SLAPP law, which empowers courts to quickly dismiss lawsuits that might silence free speech. The star’s lawyers had argued that Nelson was just using the lawsuit to “chill Ms. Bridgers’ allegations of abusive conduct, which are protected by the First Amendment.”
The decision, issued by Judge Curtis A. Kin of the Los Angeles Superior Court, did not come with a written ruling explaining the judge’s rationale. An attorney for Nelson did not immediately return a request for comment.
In a statement to Billboard, a rep for Bridgers said: “We feel vindicated that the court recognized this lawsuit as frivolous and without merit. It was not grounded in law, or facts, but was filed with the sole intention of causing harm to our client’s reputation and career. This victory is important not just for our client but for all those she was seeking to protect by using her platform.”
Nelson sued Bridgers last year, claiming she had defamed him by posting false information to social media as part of a “vendetta to destroy plaintiff’s reputation.”
He pointed to a series of October 2020 Instagram posts, in which the singer said she had “witnessed and can personally verify much of the abuse (grooming, stealing, violence) perpetuated by Chris Nelson.” She also directed her followers to a separate thread from friend Emily Bannon, which contained more extensive allegations against Nelson.
Bridgers quickly moved to end the case, with her lawyers arguing that Nelson was trying to silence her allegations by dragging her through messy litigation: “It is clear that Mr. Nelson voluntarily and intentionally published his ‘amended’ complaint to the media before it was even filed in a transparent attempt to embarrass Ms. Bridgers and to get attention for his dispute with her.”
Faced with that motion, Nelson demanded the right to depose her — saying it was the only way he could prove that his allegation was valid. He said denying him that chance would violate his right to due process. A judge eventually agreed with him, ordering Bridgers to sit for questioning.
Kelly Clarkson, Kelsea Ballerini & Carly Pearce Bid That Tipsy Boy Goodbye With ‘You’re Drunk, Go Home’ at 2022 CMA Awards
The 2022 CMA Awards are all about the girl power on Wednesday night (Nov. 9), and Kelly Clarkson, Kelsea Ballerini and Carly Pearce brought the heat with their fun “You’re Drunk, Go Home” performance.
The trio traded verses and impressive vocal ability as they sang onstage in sleek blue outfits, with sparklers blasting behind them. “Hey, walk away, so me and my girls can do our thing/ I ain’t looking for a one-night rodeo/ You’re drunk, go home,” they declare in the sassy chorus.
Back in September, Clarkson had Ballerini as a guest on her daytime talk show, where the “Since U Been Gone” singer admitted that she was fittingly inebriated while recording the song. “I get to the studio here with [music director] Jason [Halbert], and I get in there and I’m like, ‘Look, I didn’t know I was gonna be singing today,’” Clarkson remembered. “I didn’t know! … So I had to sing a song called ‘You’re Drunk, Go Home’ inebriated, trying to sing first soprano parts like, ‘I’m fine!’”
In an interview with Billboard, Ballerini said she thought of her friend of 10 years Pearce immediately for the song and then sent it to Clarkson too, trying to add “someone who can add a different texture, vocally.” “I thought the biggest ask I could make is Kelly Clarkson, and I texted her that morning,” Ballerini shared. “She did her vocals that night.”
Ballerini’s “Half of My Hometown” was nominated for single of the year at the 2022 CMA Awards, though she ultimately lost to Cody Johnson’s “Til You Can’t.” See our full list of CMA Awards winners here.
Katy Perry Grabs Her Cowgirl Hat & Joins Thomas Rhett for ‘Where We Started’ at 2022 CMA Awards
Katy Perry and Thomas Rhett kept their eyes on each other for an emotional performance of their lovelorn duet “Where We Started” at the 2022 CMA Awards on Wednesday night (Nov. 9).
Perry was on Rhett’s playing field at the Nashville awards show, and the pop star played the part, wearing a black cowgirl hat with her strapless denim gown, complete with fringed slit, to trade verses with the country star.
Rhett kicked off the performance on his own, with blue-lit strings of fabric dangling from the Bridgestone Arena rafters behind him. Perry joined him for the second verse, singing, “I’d be playin’ my guitar, singing them covers in an empty room/ You knew one day I would make a livin’ out of singing ’bout you.”
On the red carpet ahead of the show, Perry wore a different all-denim ensemble. Both her looks recalled her 2014 MTV Video Music Awards appearance with rapper Riff Raff, as the two paid tribute to the all-time-greatest Canadian tuxedo moment: when then-couple Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake wore matching jean getups at the 2001 VMAs.
“Where We Started” is the title track from Rhett’s most recent album, released in April. Perry and Rhett released a music video for the song last month.
See our updating list of 2022 CMA Awards winners here.
