Awards

20 Nov 2024

‘Morgan Waylon’? Jeff Bridges Mispronounces Morgan Wallen’s Name While Revealing Biggest CMA Award of the Night

Jeff Bridges is many things – and “legendary actor” is certainly one of them. Not only did Bridges bring The Dude to life in 1998’s The Big Lebowski, creating one of the most beloved (and imitated) cinematic characters of the last 30 years, but he beautifully portrayed an alcoholic country singer in 2009’s Crazy Heart and won the best actor Oscar for it.

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Shortly after Crazy Heart, Bridges – who used to play around on the guitar with Kris Kristofferson when the two worked together on 1980’s Heaven’s Gate – began taking music more seriously in a professional sense. After performing live a few times and trying his hand at covering some country classics, Bridges recorded his own self-titled album of country music in 2011 with legendary producer T Bone Burnett.

So yes, he’s an actor, a singer and a legend. But it seems that Bridges may not be a particularly attentive listener when it comes to country music today, at least based on his appearance at the 2024 CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 20). While presenting entertainer of the year (the biggest award the Country Music Association gives out) at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Bridges announced that Morgan Wallen – one of the most popular artists today in any musical genre — was the winner. But instead of pronouncing Wallen as, well, Wallen, Bridges said “Morgan Waylon” (or perhaps “Morgan Whalen” — maybe he’s been reading Moby-Dick lately).

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“Morgan’s not here, man, Morgan couldn’t make it tonight, so I’m gonna accept on his behalf,” Bridges said after bungling the surname pronunciation.

“Let’s hear it for Morgan!” he continued as 2024 CMAs co-hosts Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning and Lainey Wilson rushed the stage to relieve him at that moment with some closing comments and jokes about their bespoke CMA host t-shirts.

Wallen, Waylon. Tomato, tomatoe. Well, you can’t be right all the time, can you? And it’s nothing a white Russian – or a rug that really ties a room together – can’t fix.

20 Nov 2024

Jelly Roll & Keith Urban Bring the Fire With Performance of ‘Liar’ at 2024 CMA Awards

Temperatures rose at the 2024 CMA Awards when Jelly Roll stepped out onstage for his second performance of the night, joined by Keith Urban for a rousing performance of “Liar.”

Backdropped by bursts of flames and rhythmic balls of sparks, the two musicians brought the heat, with the “Son of a Sinner” singer passionately belting out his lyrics while the Australian-American country star shredded on guitar next to him. “You ain’t nothin’ but a liar/ Yeah, I walk right out the fire,” Jelly sang, with his wife — podcaster Bunnie XO — mouthing along to the lyrics in the audience. “Yeah, you try to keep me down/ Try to put me underground/ But I’m only going higher.”

Bowing at No. 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 18 on the Hot Country Songs chart, “Liar” appears on Jelly’s Billboard 200-topping album Beautifully Broken. The Tennessee native previously debuted the track in May at the ACM Awards.

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Jelly was up for numerous awards at the 2024 CMA Awards, including entertainer of the year, which an absent Morgan Wallen won at the very end of the night. He was also in the running for album of the year with 2023’s Whitsitt Chapel and male vocalist of the year, but the prizes went to Cody Johnson’s Leather and Chris Stapleton, respectively.

Earlier that night, the “Need a Favor” musician took the stage for the first time, performing a religious rendition of his collaboration with Brooks & Dunn “Believe.” The three-hour show was hosted by Peyton Manning, Luke Bryan and Lainey Wilson and took place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

20 Nov 2024

George Strait Pays Tribute to Wife of 53 Years While Accepting CMA Lifetime Achievement Award

With a whopping 44 chart-toppers on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs list, George Strait is a bona fide legend in the genre and beyond. And at the 2024 CMA Awards at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (Nov. 20), Strait made a rare public appearance to accept the Willie Nelson lifetime achievement award from the Country Music Association.

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The tribute opened with a fiery-eyed, ferocious Jamey Johnson performing Strait’s 2006 single “Give It Away,” a Hot Country Songs No. 1 hit that Johnson co-wrote. (Johnson made headlines just days ago after being arrested in Tennessee on Sunday and charged with speeding and drug possession; Johnson has spoken about his sobriety journey before, but acknowledges that he sometimes smokes “a joint.”)

Miranda Lambert and Parker McCollum followed with Strait’s 2008 single “Troubadour,” a fitting enough song for the 72-year-old legend given that it’s a meditation on music, aging and legacy (“I was a young troubadour/ When I rode in on a song/ And I’ll be an old troubadour when I’m gone”).

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After that, Strait himself proved he’s far from done, taking the stage with Chris Stapleton for a full-throated duet on “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame” from his recent album Cowboys and Dreamers while his wife, Norma Strait, bopped along from the crowd.

“First of allm, I want to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ,” Strait said after wrapping his performance and receiving a standing ovation from the crowd (including Luke Combs, who mimed bowing down to Strait). “I want to thank the CMAs for adding my name to the incredible artists on this small list of recipients, hearing the name of the icon Willie Nelson.”

He also thanked “these great artists” who performed his songs on the CMA Awards stage. “It’s amazing to hear y’all do them – I’m so glad I got to ‘em before you,” he said, laughing, and adding, “Not you, Jamey.”

After paying homage to some of his departed associates (fiddle player Gene Elders, road manager Tom Foote and manager Erv Woolsey have all passed away in 2024), Strait paid tribute to his closest companion for more than half a century. “I want to thank my family who are all here tonight. My wife Norma, my son Bubba, his wife Tamara, my grandkids Harvey and Jillian,” Strait said. “Especially Norma, who has supported me for just shy of 53 years – it’s been an amazing 53 years.”

20 Nov 2024

2024 CMA Awards: Photos From the Show

The 2024 CMA Awards took over Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday night (Nov. 20) to honor country’s brightest stars, from fresh talent like new artist of the year winner Megan Moroney to CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award honoree George Strait.

The awards show — hosted by Luke Bryan, Lainey Wilson and Peyton Manning — was packed with performances, from Shaboozey playing his 18-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” alongside his single “Highway” to Brooks & Dunn joining forces with Jelly Roll for a come-to-Jesus performance of “Believe.”

Post Malone pulled double duty, kicking off the show with Chris Stapleton for the F-1 Trillion standout “California Sober” and then showing his sensitive side with the song “Yours,” inspired by his 2-year-old daughter. Stapleton has also hit the stage a few times — with his 2023 single “White Horse” picking up two early awards (not to mention a win for male vocalist of the year) and joining wife Morgane Stapleton for a gloriously harmonized performance of “What Am I Gonna Do.”

Stapleton was also part of the musical tribute to Strait, performing “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame” alongside the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.  Their duet was preceded by tribute performances from Wilson, Miranda Lambert and Parker McCollum.

The winners on Wednesday night included Cody Johnson’s Leather taking home album of the year; Old Dominion winning vocal group of the year for a seventh time; Brooks & Dunn taking home vocal duo of the year for a 15th time; Ella Langley and Riley Green winning musical event of the year for “you look like you love me”; and Wilson’s “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” being named video of the year.

Below, find the best photos from the 2024 CMA Awards, from performances to crowd shots to the night’s biggest winners.

20 Nov 2024

Old Dominion Says the World Is ‘Weird,’ Urges Artists to ‘Get Together and Create’ at 2024 CMA Awards

Old Dominion made history at the 2024 CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday (Nov. 20) evening. Not only did the country outfit nab the 2024 CMA Award for vocal group of the year, but it became the second-most awarded vocal group in the history of the Country Music Association Awards.

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Accepting the award from The Oak Ridge Boys, frontman Matthew Ramsey acknowledged the moment: “We just made history, that’s crazy,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

He thanked The Oak Ridge Boys, Alabama and other groups who “paved the way for us,” and urged every creative person watching in the Bridgestone Arena or at home to create art during these “weird” times.

“If you are an artist of any type or a creator or a musician, this is when the world needs you the most, when it’s weird like it is right now,” said Ramsey. “So get out there and get together and create.”

While Ramsey’s speech wasn’t explicitly political or partisan, it arrives just two weeks after a divisive presidential election — albeit one that was won handily by the Republican Party, who nabbed control of the executive branch and Congress. Also, the word “weird,” intentionally or not, echoed the word Minnesota Governor Tim Walz used to describe President Trump and MAGA Republicans in a viral clip from July. Speaking on MSNBC about Republican efforts to censor school curricula and control reproductive rights, Walz said, “These are weird people on the other side. They want to take books away, they want to be in your exam room … these are weird ideas.” Walz’s viral clip preceded him joining Kamala Harris’ campaign in August as her would-be vice president on the Democratic Party ticket.

Then again, “weird” could apply to any number of things going on in today’s world, from the rise of artificial intelligence to the “Hawk Tuah” girl. And given that country music awards shows tend to veer a country mile wide of anything political, it could be something else entirely.

20 Nov 2024

Post Malone Delivers Moving Performance of Song Inspired by His Daughter at 2024 CMA Awards

Post Malone didn’t have much time to chill in his Bridgestone Arena seat at the 2024 Country Music Association Awards in Nashville Wednesday night (Nov. 20). After opening the show 90 minutes earlier with a run through “California Sober” with multiple CMA-winner Chris Stapleton, Posty was back all by his lonesome later in the broadcast for a moving performance of his daddy-daughter dedication song “Yours.”

The sweet closing track from the singer’s debut country album, F-1 Trillion, brought a hush over the star-studded crowd of luminaries in the house as Malone crooned the lyrics about a father’s stern, but gentle warning to the man in his daughter’s life about who will always come first.

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“I don’t know who you are/ But one day, I’m goin’ to/ And it’s gonna break my heart/ When she gives hers to you,” he sang with an ache in his voice as he closed his eyes tight and emoted over gentle accompaniment from an acoustic guitar and fiddle. Wearing jeans, cowboy boots, a blue Nudie-style jacket and cowboy hat, Posty leaned into the heartbreak chorus, “And she might be wearin’ white/ But her first dress, it was pink/ She might be your better half/ Yeah, but she’s my everything/ We’ll both love her forever/ But I loved her long before.”

His voice rising to a cracked crescendo by the end, Malone followed the final “buddy that don’t mean she’s yours” with a seeming shout-out to his 2-year-old daughter, “We love you, DD”; People reported in 2022 that the “DDP” tattoo across the singer’s forehead are his baby girl’s initials. The musician also told the magazine when he released the “Yours” music video in July that the song was inspired by his thoughts about daughter’s future wedding, calling the track “very special to me.”

Malone went into Wednesday night’s event with four nominations — his first ever at the CMAs — including song of the year, single of the year, music video of the year and musical event of the year for his Morgan Wallen collaboration “I Had Some Help.”

20 Nov 2024

Jelly Roll, Brooks & Dunn Take the 2024 CMA Awards to Church With Gospel ‘Believe’ Performance

For a couple minutes there, Jelly Roll and Brooks & Dunn turned the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville into a church with a spiritual performance of “Believe” at the 2024 Country Music Association Awards Wednesday (Nov. 20).

With Kix Brooks on piano and Ronnie Dunn sharing lead vocals with the “Son of a Sinner” singer, the trio took the stage in front of a full orchestra to perform their version of the track, which appears on the “Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You” duo’s 2024 LP, Reboot II. With the emotional density of the track increasing in tandem with the power of Dunn and Jelly’s raw voices, the musicians’ peers in the audience started raising their hands and wiping away tears as the spirit took over the room.

“I can’t quote the book/ Don’t know the chapter or the verse,” Jelly sang, trading lines with Dunn on the song’s bridge.

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“You can’t tell me this all ends/ In a slow ride in a hearse,” jumped in Dunn.

As the song faded away, the “Need a Favor” musician — who pointed up at the sky — said into the microphone, “I love you, Lord.”

Hosted this year by Peyton Manning, Luke Bryan and Lainey Wilson, the CMAs are back to honor some of the biggest names, songs and moments in country music over the past year. Both Jelly and Brooks & Dunn scored nominations in 2024, with the former competing for entertainer of the year and male vocalist of the year, and the latter up for vocal duo of the year.

Jelly was also in the running for album of the year thanks to his 2023 breakout LP, Whitsitt Chapel. The prize ended up going to Cody Johnson’s Leather.

20 Nov 2024

Shaboozey Sings Pensive ‘Highway’ and ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ at 2024 CMA Awards

Shaboozey proved that there are way more colors in his musical palette than “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” when he took the stage at the 2024 Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 20). The singer, whose signature song has straddled the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for 18 weeks so far — snagging the title for the longest-running No. 1 on the chart this decade and second place all time — dipped into his bag for the pensive “Highway,” the latest single from his smash Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going LP.

Seated on a stool on a smoke-shrouded set made up to look like the outside of a country honky tonk, the singer cut a striking figure in jeans and a lime green fringed jacket with bedazzled lapels and accents. “I see dead ends, but we’re still goin’ strong/ We’ve been headin’ down a one-way street, but it feel like it’s wrong/ Movin’ like a freight train, gettin’ tired of chuggin’ alone,” he sang over acoustic guitars and a lonesome fiddle.

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As he leaned into the foreboding chorus — “I might die on the highway/ With all my regrets/ I’ve been driving for miles and miles and miles, I can’t see where it ends” — the singer, who was up for new artist of the year and single of the year for “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” gave the crowd what they came for mid-song when he made a hard turn into his signature hit.

“CMAs can we turn this place into the greatest dive bar in the world tonight?” he asked as the crowd began to clap and sing along, with many jumping to their feet as a group of line dancers filled the stage and the ubiquitous chorus came around. Keith Urban was not immune, as the cameras caught him mouthing along to the line about the party down of Fifth Street.

The celebration just kept amping up, with a cowboy pulling off impressive moves with his lariat and a dancer doing a back round-off as the song came to a close, and Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena crowd couldn’t help but raise their glasses to one of the genre’s rising superstars.

20 Nov 2024

Troye Sivan and Royel Otis Celebrate Big Wins at 2024 ARIA Awards

The 2024 ARIA Awards lit up Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Nov. 20, celebrating the best in Australian music— but it was Troye Sivan and Sydney duo Royel Otis who were the big winners of the evening.

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Fresh off his SWEAT tour with Charli XCX, Sivan dominated for the second consecutive year, taking home three major awards: Album of the Year and Best Pop Release for Something to Give Each Other and Best Solo Artist. It follows his impressive performance at the 2023 ARIAs, where he collected four trophies, including Song of the Year.

The pop powerhouse said when receiving the coveted Album of the Year award, “I literally don’t have anything to say. Genuinely, totally, totally speechless, thank you guys, so, so much,” before delving into the deeply personal inspiration behind his record.

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“This album has completely, completely changed my life. It was inspired by the moments between lockdowns in Melbourne. I was single, and really depressed and lonely, and then those little glimpses of hope in between. I just started to go out and hook up with random people,” Sivan said.

The crowd erupted in cheers, but the camera quickly panned to his mother, who was seen covering her ears in mock horror. Sivan laughed and apologized: “Oh, my mum, sorry mum! Guys, my mum has seen the craziest s— at my shows, this is like, nothing for her.”

He went on to share a specific encounter that shaped the album’s direction: “So, I was going through the break-up, really, really depressed, and I meet this one guy. I have this one-night stand with him, right? And we have this incredible, incredible connection. And I’m like, oh my God, I thought the connection could only look like one thing, you know? And then I started to realise just how many people there are in the world and how many incredible connections of all kinds can feel, and how it can present in all of these different ways.”

Sivan added that he wrote the album “about this random stranger that I never saw again.” However, he later ran into the same man at a wine bar in Melbourne after the album’s release.

“The album is out at this point and it’s going really well,” he said. “And then the crazy thing is, that I said to him – the album is out at this point and it’s going really well – and I said to him, just so you know, it’s sort of about you,” adding that the man told him the album had helped him through a breakup.

The singer ended with: “So, music is just really, really cool. So yeah, go have a one-night stand with someone—you never know what could happen!”

Sivan’s latest album has been hailed as a defining moment in the pop powerhouse’s career. The record debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, marking his first-ever chart-topping album in Australia. It has garnered nearly 250 million streams globally, earned two Grammy nominations, and was shortlisted for the prestigious Australian Music Prize.

“Rush” not only debuted at No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 — marking Sivan’s first solo appearance on this chart since 2018 — but it also topped the Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs and Dance/Electronic Song Sales charts, amassing over 23.4 million global streams to date.

As Sivan prepares for his Something to Give Each Other Tour, his momentum shows no signs of slowing. The tour, kicking off in late 2024, includes stops in Australia and New Zealand, with highlights like back-to-back performances at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt on Nov. 28 and 29, marking a homecoming for the artist.

Beyond Troye Sivan’s big night, the 2024 ARIA Awards delivered plenty of standout moments. Royel Otis, consisting of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic, pulled an impressive four-award haul, for Best Group presented by Stan, Best Rock Album, Engineer – Best Engineered Release (Chris Collins), and Producer – Best Produced Release (Chris Collins).

First Nations hip hop trio 3% — consisting of Nooky, Dallas Woods, and Angus Field — won Best Hip Hop/Rap Release for “KILL THE DEAD” and Best Cover Art (Daniel Boyd and Nomad Create).

Hardcore Sydney group SPEED, who are set to be part of the Coachella 2025 lineup, took out the gong for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album.

Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers took home the Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist Award and Dom Dolla nabbed the win for Best Dance/Electronic Release for “Saving Up,” marking his third ARIA Award. Meanwhile, Angie McMahon proved her indie prowess, snagging Best Independent Release for Light, Dark, Light Again.

The night also saw Missy Higgins inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, a heartfelt moment celebrating her incredible legacy, topped off with her win for Best Australian Live Act Presented by Destination NSW. G Flip struck a chord with fans, clinching Song of the Year for “The Worst Person Alive”, while Taylor Swift’s global dominance continued as she was crowned Most Popular International Artist.

The 2024 ARIA Awards were packed with show-stopping performances, showcasing the incredible talent and diversity of Australian music. Troy Cassar-Daley brought the crowd to its feet with a heartfelt performance featuring U.S. country star Kane Brown and a surprise appearance by Kasey Chambers. Jessica Mauboy teamed up with hip-hop standouts 3% and Julian Hamilton of The Presets for a high-energy rendition of “Won’t Stop” and “Our People.”

The night wasn’t short on surprises either—CYRIL, Becca Hatch, and Budjerah created a soulful, genre-blending moment that spotlighted Australia’s rising stars, while The Kid LAROI brought the house down with his high-energy set. Ava Max lit up the stage with a medley of her hits, and The Pixies stunned with a surprise world-exclusive TV performance of “Where Is My Mind” in support of Ausmusic T-Shirt Day.

Wrapping it all up in style was a performance from Missy Higgins, alongside Amy Shark, Angie McMahon, Gretta Ray, and G Flip, who landed Song of the Year for “The Worst Person Alive.”

More winners on the night included Tkay Maidza for Best Soul/R&B release, Emily Wurramara for Best Adult Contemporary Album, Mia Dyson for Best Blues & Roots Album, Bluey for Best Children’s Album, Tones And I (Nick Kozakis and Sela Vai) for Best Video Presented by YouTube, Missy Higgins for Best Australian Live Act presented by Destination NSW,  Taylor Swift for Most Popular International Artist, Midlife for Best Jazz Album and DOBBY for Best World Music Album. 

ARIA CEO, Annabelle Herd, said of the evening: “All of us at ARIA are so proud of this genuinely global-facing industry that proved tonight exactly how much Australia has to be proud of when it comes to homegrown music. I’m beyond excited for the future of Australian music after seeing the incredible talent of the winners, performers, and nominees at this year’s Awards. Thank you to YouTube, DNSW, all of our partners, and the incredible ARIAs team, especially broadcast EP Craig Campbell and Event Producer Brendan Maher. Here’s to another incredible year of Ausmusic in 2025!”

Mel Silva, VP, Google Australia on behalf of YouTube added: “Year after year, the ARIA Awards prove to be an incredible celebration of Australian music. Huge congratulations to all of this year’s winners and nominees – you’re absolutely crushing it! YouTube is honored to continue our partnership with ARIA, and to help connect fans around the world with their favourite artists – from the Red Carpet mirror-selfies, to the incredible content created by artists, to showcasing unforgettable performances and amazing talent like Missy Higgins’ Hall of Fame induction. You can check it all out on YouTube.”

See all the 2024 ARIA Award winners here.

20 Nov 2024

Post Malone & Chris Stapleton Open the 2024 CMA Awards With Spirited ‘California Sober’ Performance

Post Malone and Chris Stapleton opened the 2024 Country Music Association Awards Wednesday (Nov. 20) with a rockin’ performance of their duet “California Sober.”

With both stars wearing cowboy hats and slinging guitars with a full band backing them up, the rapper-turned-country star and Kentucky native brought the energy right away. “She said, ‘I’ll take you on a little trip/ Come on, give these lips a try,’” they sang, harmonizing while looking at each other excitedly. “She said, ‘Baby, give me one more kiss/ Before I kiss your ass goodbye.’”

“California Sober” appears on Posty’s album F-1 Trillion, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 in August. The track peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 14 on the Hot Country Songs chart.

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Hosted by Peyton Manning, Luke Bryan and Lainey Wilson, this year’s CMAs are taking place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Both Posty and Stapleton are nominated for prizes, and the former’s Morgan Wallen duet, “I Had Some Help,” and the latter’s “White Horse” even competed against each other in the single of the year category. The winner was announced just moments after the duo’s show-opening performance, with Stapleton walking away with the prize — his third time winning single of the year to date.

The “Starting Over” musician is also up for entertainer of the year and male vocalist of the year, as well as album of the year for Higher and song of the year for “White Horse.” In addition to single of the year, Post and Wallen’s “I Had Some Help” snagged nods for musical event of the year and music video of the year.