Awards
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The 2022 CMA Awards, which aired live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (Nov. 9), were ablaze with spectacular moments onscreen, including trophy wins for Luke Combs, Cody Johnson and Lainey Wilson. Performances included Brothers Osborne with The War and Treaty, stellar tributes to Alan Jackson and Loretta Lynn and a searing performance from Chris Stapleton and Patty Loveless on “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.” Plus, there was an intimate rendering of “Dear Miss Loretta” from Carly Pearce, accompanied by Ricky Skaggs and Sonya Isaacs.
Backstage, on the red carpet and in the press room, artists had plenty to say. Here are some of the best moments you didn’t see on the CMA Awards’ ABC broadcast.
Brothers Osborne Discuss Their Winning Moment With Wynonna Judd, John Osborne Reflects on Baby News
During their acceptance speech for vocal duo of the year, Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne revealed that he and his wife Lucie Silvas are expecting twins. Backstage in the press room, Osborne told reporters that the onstage reveal was an impromptu one.
“I guess I got nervous and didn’t know what to say…Wynonna is standing right next to us, and you look up and you see the clock going and I’m so nervous right now,” he said. “You never prepare a speech, you never expect to win, and I looked over and I saw Lucie sitting over there and my heart filled up…and I just wanted to tell the world. I hope that’s okay, Lucie. I’m sorry if it wasn’t.”
T.J. called accepting the vocal duo of the year honor — with Wynonna Judd presenting it — “mind-blowing.” “I’m still processing that moment…it feels in those moments very like a carrying of the torch.”
John added, “She is iconic, The Judds have been iconic, very important to the country music story.”
Morgan Evans Discusses His New Song, “Over For You”
Not long after news was revealed of Evans’ split with Kelsea Ballerini, the country singer-songwriter performed a new song at Australia’s CMC Rocks festival and the ballad instantly connected with listeners. On the CMA Awards red carpet, Evans told Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly about the song.
“Yeah, breakups suck and it’s been a rough few months,” Evans said, “But writing this song kind of helped me sort through a lot of that.” He said he didn’t have any expectations when he first performed the song, but says “I felt like I needed to get it off my chest. The reaction to that was kind of overwhelming.”
Lainey Wilson Talks Having Her Father With Her at the CMA Awards
Wilson had a big night at the CMAs, picking up two wins out of six nominations. It was extra special because she brought her father to the awards with her, after he has spent months battling a health scare.
“This actually was a dream of my daddy’s when he was a little boy,” Wilson told reporters backstage after her wins. “He used to roll a picnic table out to the side of the highway, and pretend he was Glen Campbell on top of the picnic table and play guitar for the cars passing by. This was a full-circle moment for me and my family. I’ll tell you what, he’s grinning ear to ear and it’s the most I’ve seen him smile in months since he got sick. Of course, this right here means the world to me, but having him here tonight with me meant just as much.”
Luke Combs Says He Was “So Nervous” About a Possible Second Entertainer of the Year Win
Backstage in the press room after picking up his second CMA entertainer of the year win (in addition to album of the year for Growin’ Up), Luke Combs told reporters he was nervous about his EOY nomination this year.
“Last year when I won [entertainer of the year] a bunch of people reached out to me after winning entertainer [of the year] last year, and said, ‘Hey man, just enjoy tonight. It may never happen again and it’s the pinnacle of success that you can have in this business.’ I’m not going to lie to you, I was so nervous tonight about it.” He recalled how, earlier in the week, he had “this somber thought of, ‘Man, this could be the last two days that I’m entertainer of the year, ever. I may never win this again.’ So really, it’s just being present in the moment you’re in now. My wife [Nicole] is here and our son [four-month-old Tex] is at home. My parents are still around, just being thankful for the things that I have right now and enjoying the moment.”
Wynonna Judd Meets Katy Perry, Reveals “Tricks of the Trade”
The CMA Awards red carpet featured the meeting of two towering musical talents, Katy Perry and Wynonna Judd. In an interview with Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly, Perry gestured toward the country music luminary and said, “This is who I aspire…the glitter in the hair, the full beat,” later adding, “just your awesome energy and personality, I just love you.” To which Wynonna replied, “It comes from being so poor, this can of glitter spray was like $1.99, I swear to God…It’s what we did when we were poor and now that we have money we still do it because we know where we come from.”
“Tricks of the trade,” Perry added.
The War and Treaty Reveals the Influence of The Civil Wars
Husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty performed on the CMA Awards stage alongside Brothers Osborne, performing The Rolling Stones’ classic “It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll (But I Like It).” The War and Treaty’s Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter have been capturing the attention of audiences for the past few years with their sterling vocal harmonies. Trotter Jr. told reporters backstage at the CMAs that they looked to one duo in particular to help shape their own tightly woven harmonies.
“We’ve always sung with our families but being able to sing intimately as husband and wife, we have a few years under our belts, but we had to look to other duos…Tanya and I, we took literally two years studying The Civil Wars, Joy [Williams] and John Paul White. They were electric and they had something so unique. We were floored by how they were able to captivate every audience with a guitar and two voices. We really studied them and realized it’s all about the intimacy, not just intimacy as lovers but two human beings saying let’s flow and roll together.”
The War and Treaty also released their EP Blank Page ahead of the CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 9).
Cody Johnson Discusses His Single of the Year Win
Backstage in the press area, Johnson discussed his music video of the year and single of the year wins (both for “‘Til You Can’t”), as well as his male vocalist of the year nomination.
“If I’m being honest, single of the year was the one I wanted to win. That’s a team victory,” he told reporters backstage. “That’s Warner Music Nashville pushing my first No. 1, double-platinum single on Billboard, and it couldn’t have gone better. As far as male vocalist goes, when you’re in a category with Chris Stapleton, you kind of already know who’s going to win, right? So I’m feeling pretty happy tonight.”
Jordan Davis Talks About Sharing a CMA Award Win With His Brother
Davis took home the song of the year honor for “Buy Dirt,” featuring Luke Bryan, which Davis wrote with his brother Jacob Davis as well as another set of brothers, Matt and Josh Jenkins. Backstage in the media room, Davis shared with reporters how special it is to win a song of the year honor alongside his brother.
“We’ve had some moments backstage to kind of drink this in. We both moved to town to write songs and just try to make a living doing that. We’d have been crazy to think that this was even attainable, but now that we have it, and I have it with my brother — I shared a room with the guy until I was 16 years old, so we’re pretty close. This is something that nobody’s going to be able to take away from us.”
Davis also shared that he is grateful for Bryan’s friendship, calling Bryan “not only someone I look up to professionally, but somebody that personally has become a buddy, a guy that I can reach out and talk to about whatever I need to talk to him, and how tough this business is.”
After previously saying she may not attend the 2022 Country Music Awards to go due to tensions with Jason Aldean and Brittany Aldean, Maren Morris was indeed present at the ceremony Wednesday (Nov. 9) to celebrate her March LP Humble Quest‘s nomination for album of the year. She did, however, skip the red carpet, and instead posted a video of herself jamming to Taylor Swift‘s new song “Karma.”
In the video, posted to her social media accounts the night of the awards, the 32-year-old singer-songwriter shows off her shimmery, plunging neckline gown, her hair styled in long, beachy waves. Holding a bottle of champagne backstage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena — where the CMAs were held — and she struts to one of the sassiest tracks on Swift’s newest album Midnights.
“Karma’s a relaxing thought, aren’t you envious that for you it’s not?” Swift’s voice sings as Morris waves to the camera.
“BYOB, CMA,” she captioned the video.
The following morning, she posted another video of herself in her CMAs look, soundtracked by the same song and captioning it with a lyric fro the song. “Aren’t you envious that for you it’s not?” she wrote, along with a black heart emoji.
The “Middle” singer’s appearance at the ceremony comes just a couple months after she said in an interview that she may not be attending, as she felt unwelcome following her highly publicized online feud with fellow country star Jason Aldean’s wife, Brittany. In August, Brittany — whom Morris later dubbed “Insurrection Barbie” — made transphobic comments on social media, which the “Circles Around This Town” singer slammed in a string of subsequent posts.
“I’m very honored that my record is nominated. But I don’t know if I feel [at] home there right now,” she told the Los Angeles Times in September. “So many people I love will be in that room, and maybe I’ll make a game-time decision and go. But as of right now, I don’t feel comfortable going. I kind of feel peaceful at the notion of not going.”
The Grammy winner did end up making that “game-time decision” to attend after all, but it makes sense why she might have felt uncertain going in. In the aftermath of her spat with Brittany, Jason Aldean jokingly brought up Morris’ name at a concert and waited as his crowd booed her. Before that, Brittany sat for an interview with Tucker Carlson on his Fox News show, during which the conservative commentator labeled Morris a “lunatic country music person.”
Morris, however, took Carlson’s comment in stride, and went on to sell T-Shirts with his nickname for her printed on them. That raised more than $100,000 for GLAAD’s Transgender Media Program and Trans Lifeline.
“I hate feeling like I need to be the hall monitor of treating people like human beings in country music,” she told L.A. Times shortly afterward. “It’s exhausting. But there’s a very insidious culture of people feeling very comfortable being transphobic and homophobic and racist, and that they can wrap it in a joke and no one will ever call them out for it. It just becomes normal for people to behave like that.”
Watch Maren Morris strut to Taylor Swift’s “Karma” at the CMAs below:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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 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.
The 2022 CMA Awards brought all the biggest country stars to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday night (Nov. 9), and one of the sweetest moments of the night is when pop superstar Katy Perry met country icon Wynonna Judd on the red carpet during a Billboard interview.
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While chatting with Billboard, Perry is seen bubbling with happiness over meeting Judd in person. “I’m just here because I get to meet icons like this for the first time,” the pop star explains, before Judd says, “I can’t believe we’ve never met!”
Perry continues, “It confirms that you are an icon because of your awesome energy and personality. I just love you.”
Judd added to the sweet interaction by replying, “I love you too. I’ve watched you from afar, and I’m here and we’re going to take a picture and everyone is going to be so impressed.”
Perry is teaming up with two-time CMA Award winner Thomas Rhett at the CMA Awards to perform their collaboration “Where We Started” (the title track from Rhett’s 2021 album). “Where We Started” peaked at No. 33 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart in April. Meanwhile, Rhett’s album spent three weeks on the Billboard 200, where it peaked at No. 12 following its April 1 release.
Judd, meanwhile, appeared as a presenter at the event, honoring Brothers Osborne with the vocal duo of the year award for the fifth year in a row. Onstage, the band’s John Osborne revealed the news that he and his wife Lucie Silvas are expecting twins.
The 56th annual CMA Awards took over Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (Nov. 9), and the country music celebration kicked off with a special tribute to the late Loretta Lynn, who died Oct. 4 at age 90.
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The commemoration began with video footage of Lynn at the Ryman Auditorium in 1972, where she accepted her CMA entertainer of the year award, becoming the first woman to take home the Country Music Association’s highest honor.
Carrie Underwood then stepped onstage to honor the Country Music Hall of Fame member with a performance of her 1966 hit “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” before Miranda Lambert sang “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’.” Reba McEntire then took over by performing Lynn’s 1971 track “You’re Lookin’ at Country,” sweetly switching up the lyrics at one point to sing, “If you’re looking at Loretta, you’re looking at country.”
The superstar trio then came together to wrap up the tribute with a powerful performance of one of Lynn’s most beloved hits, 1971’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” as photos of Lynn with a variety of artists, including Dolly Parton, Lambert, Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson flashed across the screen.
The 2022 CMA Awards will feature a number of other major collaborations, including Elle King joining the Black Keys to perform “Great Balls of Fire” in honor of the late Country Music Hall of Fame member Jerry Lee Lewis. Thomas Rhett will pair with Katy Perry for their collaboration “Where We Started,” while Chris Stapleton will share the stage with Patty Loveless for a rendition of “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.”
See our list of CMA winners here.
The 56th annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards take over Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday (Nov. 9). Hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, the 2022 CMA Awards will see Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood compete for the entertainer of the year honor.
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Check out the full list of nominees and winners below, updating throughout the ABC broadcast.
Entertainer of the year
Luke CombsMiranda LambertChris StapletonCarrie UnderwoodMorgan Wallen
Single of the year
Award goes to artist(s), producer(s) and mix engineer“Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan; producer: Paul DiGiovanni; mix engineer: Jim Cooley“half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini (feat. Kenny Chesney); producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Ross Copperman, Jimmy Robbins; mix engineer: Dan Grech-Marguerat“Never Wanted to Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde; producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne; mix engineer: Ryan Gore“’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson; producer: Trent Willmon; mix engineer: Jack Clarke“You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton; producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton; mix engineer: Vance Powell
Album of the year
Award goes to artist(s), producer(s) and mix engineer(s)Growin’ Up – Luke Combs; producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; mix engineers: Jim Cooley, Chip MatthewsHumble Quest – Maren Morris; producer: Greg Kurstin; mix engineer: Serban GheneaPalomino – Miranda Lambert; producers: Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, Mikey Reaves; mix engineer: Jason LehningSayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ – Lainey Wilson; producer: Jay Joyce; mix engineer: F. Reid ShippenTime, Tequila & Therapy – Old Dominion; producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion; mix engineer: Justin Niebank
Song of the year
Award goes to songwriters“Buy Dirt” — songwriters: Jacob Davis, Jordan Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins“Never Wanted to Be That Girl” –songwriters: Shane McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce“Sand in My Boots” — songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Josh Osborne“Things a Man Oughta Know” — songwriters: Jason Nix, Jonathan Singleton, Lainey Wilson“You Should Probably Leave” — songwriters: Chris DuBois, Ashley Gorley, Chris Stapleton
Female vocalist of the year
Miranda LambertAshley McBrydeCarly PearceCarrie UnderwoodLainey Wilson
Male vocalist of the year
Eric ChurchLuke CombsCody JohnsonChris StapletonMorgan Wallen
Vocal group of the year
Lady ALittle Big TownMidlandOld DominionZac Brown Band
Vocal duo of the year
Brooks & DunnBrothers OsborneDan + ShayLOCASHMaddie & Tae
New artist of the year
HARDYWalker HayesCody JohnsonParker McCollumLainey Wilson
Musical event of the year
Award goes to artist(s) and producer(s)“Beers on Me” – Dierks Bentley with BRELAND & HARDY; producers: Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman“If I Didn’t Love You” – Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood; producer: Michael Knox“Longneck Way to Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi); producers: Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne“Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson); producer: Zach Crowell“Never Wanted to Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde; producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne – WINNER
Music video of the year
Award goes to artist(s) and directors“I Bet You Think About Me” (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – Taylor Swift (featuring Chris Stapleton); director: Blake Lively“Longneck Way to Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi); director: Harper Smith“Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson); director: Michael Monaco“Never Wanted to Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde; director: Alexa Campbell“’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson; director: Dustin Haney – WINNER
Musician of the year
Jenee Fleenor, fiddlePaul Franklin, steel guitarBrent Mason, guitarIlya Toshinskiy, banjoDerek Wells, guitar