Awards
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When singer-songwriter Joe Diffie died in early 2020, he left behind some of ’90s country music’s most enduring songs — “Home,” “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets),” “Third Rock From the Sun,” “Bigger Than the Beatles,” and more.
During the 2023 CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 8), a multi-genre collaboration brought together Post Malone, Morgan Wallen and HARDY to honor the late artist. Diffie earned three CMA Awards nominations (including one win) during his career.
CMA Awards host Luke Bryan and Joe Diffie’s son Parker Diffie introduced the tribute, also revealing that the songs performed will be included on HARDY’s upcoming third edition of his “Hixtape” series, with a project called Hixtape Volume 3: Difftape. It arrives March 29.
Wallen and HARDY launched with Diffie’s 1993 hit “John Deere Green.” Their voices may not have been pitch perfect at every second of the performance, but it was clear they were having a blast taking on a childhood favorite song before a packed arena crowd.
Post Malone, who will perform during the 2024 Stagecoach Music Festival, has previously delved into country, posting a cover of Brad Paisley’s “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)” and Hank Williams’ “There’s a Tear in My Beer.”
He joined Wallen and HARDY for Diffie’s 1994 hit “Pickup Man,” offering up a solid take on the song. The trio’s versions of both songs are already available.
Post Malone recently teamed up with Noah Kahan for “Dial Drunk,” which reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wallen was nominated that evening for accolades including album of the year and male vocalist of the year.
Wallen is also a finalist at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards. He’s nominated for 17 awards, tied with SZA. (Taylor Swift is the lead finalist with nods in 20 categories.) HARDY is a finalist in the top rock album category. The awards stream Nov. 19 at BBMAs.watch and via Billboard and the BBMAs social channels.
Watch Post Malone, Morgan Wallen and HARDY’s tribute to Joe Diffie at the 2023 CMA Awards below:
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Jelly Roll needs a favor — he wants fans to keep going for their dreams, regardless of their age. The country singer gave a rousing speech after winning the new artist of the year award at the 2023 CMA Awards, held at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (Nov. 8).
As his name was announced by Lady A, the artist gave wife Bunnie Xo a kiss, then hugged fellow nominee Zach Bryan before making his way up to the stage as his song “Need a Favor” — which he performed with Wynonna Judd to kick off the ceremony — played to accept the award.
“I got a thousand people to thank, but most importantly my lord and my wife — I love you so much, you changed my life, baby. Megan, Parker, Hailey I love all of you all — we’re friends,” he said, shouting out the category’s other nominees — Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, and Hailey Whitters. “And Zach Bryan, I think you’re one of the hottest things on Earth, not just country music! You deserve this just as anybody else! I love you, I’m glad we’re sitting there partying the rest of the night, baby.”
Then, Jelly Roll kicked his speech into high gear and addressed his fans with an inspirational message.
“Most importantly, there’s something poetic about a 39-year-old man winning new artist of the year. I don’t know where you’re at in your life or what you’re going through, but I want to tell you to keep going, baby. I want to tell you, ‘Success is on the other side,’” he declared passionately, his voice getting louder with each line, the live crowd cheering him along. “I want to tell you, ‘It’s going to be OK!’ I want to tell you that the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason, because what’s in front of you is so much more important than what’s behind you!”
He concluded his speech by yelling, “Let’s party, Nashville!” raising his trophy in triumph as the arena’s audience gave him a standing ovation.
New artist of the year was just one of the five awards that Jelly Roll was nominated for. He also received nods for single of the year and music video of the year for “Need a Favor,” male vocalist of the year and musical event of the year. The country star is also a finalist in several categories at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, including the top new artist and top rock artist categories. The BBMAs will stream on BBMAs.watch and the Billboard and BBMAs social channels on Nov. 19.
The 2023 CMA Awards were hosted once again by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. The show aired live on ABC.
Watch Jelly Roll’s acceptance speech for new artist of the year below:
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While Jimmy Buffett is best remembered for his tropical rock hits like “Margaritaville,” he’s always held a special place in the country music world — from getting his start as a singer/songwriter in Nashville to teaming up with Alan Jackson for the CMA Award-winning 2003 duet “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.”
So it’s fitting that the 2023 CMA Awards paid tribute to the late superstar on Wednesday night (Nov. 8), with Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band and Mac McAnally — a longtime member of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band — teaming up for a medley of his hits.
Chesney and McAnally kicked things off with “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” trading lyrics and acoustic guitar licks on the 1974 number’s first verse before beautifully harmonizing on the second verse. “Jimmy made a whole world full of friends,” McAnally sang in lieu of the lyric “just a few friends,” before Chesney wrapped up the duet by hollering “Thank you, Jimmy!”
Zac Brown Band — with their namesake frontman appropriately barefoot in shorts — and Jackson were up next, singing “adios, my friend” to Buffett before launching into his signature hit, 1977’s “Margaritaville.” The crowd got in on the party by calling out “Salt! Where’s the damn salt!” during the tequila-soaked chorus.
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Buffett died Sept. 1 at his home in Sag Harbor on Long Island, New York, from skin cancer. He was 76 years old. In addition to winning a CMA Award for vocal event of the year with Jackson for “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” he also won two ACM Awards for the duet: single of the year and vocal event of the year.
In his career, Buffett scored 13 Billboard Hot 100 charting singles — including seven top 40 hits and one top 10 — as well as 40 entries on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Ahead of Wednesday night’s show, Billboard‘s Lyndsey Havens caught up with McAnally on the red carpet, with the musician promising an emotional tribute. “Everybody taking part in it loved Jimmy and he loved everybody taking part in it – and that’s an easy call, because Jimmy loved everybody and he made everybody feel better every time he was in front of them for his whole life, all the way to the end,” McAnally said. “The thing we’re trying to convey is that he was not a fictional character. He was really the guy that you thought he was. He’s gonna be smiling down on us tonight. Because he’s gonna hear some people that loved and put their hearts right up against the microphone and gave it all we got.”
Country music’s brightest gathered at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for the 57th annual CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 8, to celebrate the genre in a star-studded ceremony. The show was once again hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. The ceremony kicked off with a raucous performance by Jelly Roll of his hit “Need a Favor.” […]
Eric Church and Morgan Wallen — two sterling country music headliners– teamed up during Wednesday evening’s (Nov. 8) 2023 CMA Awards. Clad in his signature dark sunglasses, Church traded lines with Wallen on “Man Made a Bar,” a tribute to the hazy, smoke-filled spaces where libations flow freely and the heartbroken escape to find solace […]
Jelly Roll may be one of the CMA Awards‘ big nominees on Wednesday night (Nov. 8), but all his attention was on his wife, Bunnie XO. “My wife wore a black dress with these chains things on it, so I was like — you know how we dress ourselves on red carpets now? I say […]
Tracy Chapman is officially a CMAs winner. The folk singer-songwriter, whose signature hit “Fast Car” came out in 1988 and reached a No. 6 peak on the Billboard Hot 100, nabbed a 2023 Country Music Association Award on Wednesday (Nov. 8) thanks to Luke Combs’ smash hit cover version, which reached No. 2 on the […]
The 2023 CMA Awards are going down Wednesday night (Nov. 8) at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, so now we wait and see: Who will emerge the night’s big winner?
Lainey Wilson heads into the show as the leading nominee, with nine nods. (In fact, she and her “wait in the truck” collaborator HARDY already took home two prizes for their hit duet before the show.) Next up is Jelly Roll with five nods, Luke Combs and HARDY with four, and Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde, producer/mix engineer Joey Moi, songwriter/producer Jordan Schmidt, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and musician/producer Derek Wells with three.
You can follow along with Billboard below to see who leaves the night’s top winner.
Entertainer of the year
Luke Combs
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Single of the year
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
“Fast Car” – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
“Heart Like a Truck” – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
“Need a Favor” – Jelly Roll; Producer: Austin Nivarel; Mix Engineer: Jeff Braun
“Next Thing You Know” – Jordan Davis; Producer: Paul DiGiovanni; Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
“wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Producers: HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells; Mix Engineer: Joey Moi
Album of the year
Award goes to Artist, Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville – Ashley McBryde; Producers: John Osborne, John Peets; Mix Engineers: Gena Johnson, John Osborne
Bell Bottom Country – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
Gettin’ Old – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineers: Michael H. Brauer, Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews
One Thing at a Time – Morgan Wallen; Producers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery; Mix Engineers: Josh Ditty, Joey Moi, Eivind Nordland
Rolling Up the Welcome Mat – Kelsea Ballerini; Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym; Mix Engineers: Dan Grech-Marguerat, Alysa Vanderheym
Song of the year
Award goes to Songwriter(s)
“Fast Car”; Songwriter: Tracy Chapman
“Heart Like a Truck”; Songwriters: Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Lainey Wilson
“Next Thing You Know”; Songwriters: Jordan Davis, Greylan James, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne
“Tennessee Orange”; Songwriters: David Fanning, Paul Jenkins, Megan Moroney, Ben Williams
“wait in the truck”; Songwriters: Renee Blair, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt
Female vocalist of the year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Carly Pearce
Lainey Wilson
Male vocalist of the year
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Vocal group of the year
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Vocal duo of the year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Maddie & Tae
The War And Treaty
Musical event of the year
Award goes to Artists and Producer(s)
“Save Me” – Jelly Roll (with Lainey Wilson); Producers: Zach Crowell, David Ray Stevens
“She Had Me at Heads Carolina (Remix)” – Cole Swindell & Jo Dee Messina; Producer: Zach Crowell
“Thank God” – Kane Brown (with Katelyn Brown); Producer: Dann Huff
WINNER: “wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Producers: HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells
“We Don’t Fight Anymore” – Carly Pearce (featuring Chris Stapleton); Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce
Musician of the year
Jenee Fleenor
Paul Franklin
Rob McNelley
Derek Wells
Charlie Worsham
Music video of the year
Award goes to Artist(s) and Director(s)
“Light on in the Kitchen” – Ashley McBryde; Director: Reid Long
“Memory Lane” – Old Dominion; Directors: Mason Allen, Nicki Fletcher
“Need a Favor” – Jelly Roll; Director: Patrick Tohill
“Next Thing You Know” – Jordan Davis; Director: Running Bear
WINNER: “wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Director: Justin Clough
New artist of the year
Zach Bryan
Jelly Roll
Parker McCollum
Megan Moroney
Hailey Whitters
2023 CMA Broadcast Awards
Finalists for broadcast personality of the year (by market size):
Weekly National
“American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Cumulus/Westwood One
WINNER: “Country Countdown USA” (Lon Helton) – Compass Media Networks
“Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence” (Tracy Lawrence and Patrick Thomas) – Silverfish Media
“On The Horizon with Buzz Brainard” (Buzz Brainard) – SiriusXM
“Y’all Access with Kelly Sutton” (Kelly Sutton) – Firefly Media/Silverfish Media
Daily National
WINNER: “Angie Ward” – iHeartMedia
“The Big D and Bubba Show” (Derek “Big D” Haskins, Sean “Bubba” Powell, Patrick Thomas, and Carsen Humphreville) – Silverfish Media
“Katie & Company” (Katie Neal) – Audacy
“Nights with Elaina” (Elaina Smith) – Westwood One
“The Sam Alex Show” (Sam Alex) – Sam Alex Productions, LLC
Major Market
“Chris Carr & Company” (Chris Carr, Kia Becht, and Sam Sansevere) – KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
“Frito & Katy” (Tucker “Frito” Young and Katy Dempsey) – KCYY, San Antonio, Texas
WINNER: “Hawkeye in the Morning with Hawkeye and Michelle” (“Hawkeye” Mark Louis Rybczyk and Michelle Rodriguez) – KSCS, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
“Josh, Rachael & Grunwald” (Josh Holleman, Rachael Hunter, and Steve Grunwald) – WYCD, Detroit, Mich.
“Scotty Kay” (Scotty Kay) – WUSN, Chicago, Ill.
Large Market
“The Big Dave Show” (“Big Dave” Chandler, Ashley Heiert, and Jason “Stattman” Statt) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
“The Morning Drive with Mike Kellar and Jenny Matthews” (Mike Kellar and Jenny Matthews) – KBEQ, Kansas City, Mo.
“Scott and Shannen” (Scott Dolphin and “Shannen O” Oesterreich) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
“Tim & Chelsea In The Morning” (Tim Leary and Chelsea Taylor) – WIRK, West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.
WINNER: “The Wayne D Show” (“Wayne D” Danielson and Tay Hamilton) – WSIX, Nashville, Tenn.
Medium Market
“Cait & Bradley Morning Show” (Cait Fisher and Matt Bradley) – KWEN, Tulsa, Okla.
“Clay & Company” (Clay Moden, Rob Banks, and Kadie Daye) – WYRK, Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.
“Ellis and Bradley Show” (Bill Ellis and Beth Bradley) – WSSL, Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.
WINNER: “Mo & StyckMan” (Melissa “Mo” Wagner and Greg “StyckMan” Owens) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.
“Steve & Gina In The Morning” (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa
Small Market
“The B100 Morning Show with Brittney Baily” (Brittney Baily) – WBYT, South Bend, Ind.
“The Eddie Foxx Show” (Eddie Foxx and Amanda Foxx) – WKSF, Asheville, N.C.
“Officer Don & DeAnn” (“Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Ky.
“Steve & Tiffany in the Morning” (Steve Waters and Tiffany Kay) – WFLS, Fredericksburg, Va.
WINNER: “Steve, Ben and Nikki” (Steve Stroud, Ben Walker, and Nikki Thomas) – WXBQ, Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.
Finalists for radio station of the year (by market size):
Major Market
KCYY – San Antonio, Texas
WINNER: KEEY – Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minn.
KKBQ – Houston, Texas
KSCS – Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
WXTU – Philadelphia, Pa.
Large Market
WIRK – West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.
WKDF – Nashville, Tenn.
WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
WINNER: WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio
WWKA – Orlando, Fla.
Medium Market
WINNER: KUZZ – Bakersfield, Calif.
KXKT – Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa
WGGY – Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa.
WPCV – Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
WQMX – Akron, Ohio
Small Market
KCLR – Columbia, Mo.
WBYT – South Bend, Ind.
WKML – Fayetteville, N.C.
WINNER: WXBQ – Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.
WYCT – Pensacola, Fla.
Here’s the best photos from the 2023 CMA Awards red carpet.
The Latin Grammy Awards are taking place for the first time internationally, live from the Conference and Exhibition Centre (FIBES) in Sevilla, Spain on Thursday, Nov. 16. This year’s nominations are led by Mexican-American hitmaker Edgar Barrera with 13 nods, including songwriter of the year, producer of the year and song of the year. The […]