State Champ Radio CMA Awards
Page: 6
At Wednesday night’s (Nov. 20) CMA Awards, slated to air live on ABC from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Eric Church is nominated for musical event of the year for his Morgan Wallen collaboration “Man Made a Bar.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Church is a CMA entertainer of the year winner and two-time CMA album of the year winner. But during his performance at the upcoming awards show, the focus won’t be about hit songs or career success. North Carolina native Church is using the awards show’s wide-reaching platform to perform his recent release, and solo-written, “Darkest Hour,” with the aim of continuing to shine a light on those who continue to be impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Helene. It was previously revealed that Church’s publishing royalties from “Darkest Hour” will go to aid those who impacted by Hurricane Helene.
“I think the biggest thing that the people of North Carolina need after Helene is awareness,” Church tells Billboard ahead of the CMA Awards. “Because as a society we tend to move on pretty quickly to other things. That’s just our nature and these people are going to need help for a long time. So the more that I can shine a light on the people there and the need that is going to still be there for a long time, the better off it it will be. And we can help the people there get back on their feet.”
Trending on Billboard
Since the category four Hurricane Helene wrought destruction in numerous communities in North Carolina and other states in September, with more than 100 storm-related fatalities in North Carolina alone, Church has been a leader in spearheading several efforts to help those in need.
He teamed with fellow artists including Luke Combs, James Taylor and Billy Strings to lead the “Concert For Carolina” in October, with the event also welcoming guests including Keith Urban, Scotty McCreery, Parmalee, Sheryl Crow and Chase Rice. Concert For Carolina raised over $24 million to help those impacted Hurricane Helene.
“It was an amazing night,” Church tells Billboard, reflecting on the event. “I’ve done a lot of shows, but I don’t know that I’ve ever felt a show like that. We had a lot of people come help — Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, James Taylor — and it just ended up being this redemptive revival night. But at the same time, we all knew why we were there. We knew that there was still a need. So we were there on a mission. The concert had a mission feel to it that we were organizing and weaponizing and we were there to help the people in North Carolina. It was a unique feel for any concert I’ve ever done.”
Additionally, the singer-songwriter’s Chief Cares Foundation launched the building initiative Blue Print for the Blue Ridge, pledging to build 100 homes for families in Avery County, North Carolina and surrounding areas whose homes were impacted by the hurricane. Church tells Billboard that he’s visited Avery County multiple times, surveying the damage and looking at sites for the project.
“In this country, we do pretty well at the 911 — the food, the water, the diapers. We don’t do as well at phase two, and that’s keeping people in the community,” he says. “We will never rebuild these communities if you don’t keep the people there. So we’ve committed to putting a hundred homes in Avery County and to give people a place that they can figure out what’s next for them. They can stay in their county, their kids can stay in the local schools, they can stay involved in their church. It just gives ’em a shelter that they can then figure out the next part of their life. And it’s all I’ve been doing every day, all day since the hurricane happened.”
When the award for entertainer of the year is presented at the 58th annual CMA Awards on Thursday Nov. 20, we could see history being made. If Lainey Wilson wins for the second year in a row, she’ll become just the second woman to win two years running. Barbara Mandrell was the first, in 1980 and 1981.
If Jelly Roll wins, this will be the second year in a row that a relative newcomer has swooped in and won entertainer of the year the first time they were nominated. Wilson achieved the feat last year. Not since the 1970s have we seen first-time entertainer of the year nominees win the award in back-to-back years. Back then, it happened four years in a row with Roy Clark (1973), Charlie Rich (1974), John Denver (1975) and Mel Tillis (1976).
If Chris Stapleton wins at long last on his eighth nomination in the category, he will cease to be the artist with the most nominations in the category without a win. (That distinction would then be held by Carrie Underwood, who is 0-6 in the category.)
The other two nominees in the category are Luke Combs, who is vying for his third win in the category inside of four years, and Morgan Wallen, who is nominated for the third year in a row. He has yet to win.
According to the CMA site, the CMA Award for entertainer of the year “is for the act displaying the greatest competence in all aspects of the entertainment field. Voter should give consideration not only to recorded performance, but also to the in-person performance, public acceptance, leadership, and overall contribution to Country Music.”
The inaugural recipient of the award was Eddy Arnold in 1967. In 1971, Charley Pride became the first (and still only) person of color to win the award. The following year, Loretta Lynn became the first woman to win. In 1982, Alabama being the first group to take the prize. In 1996, Brooks & Dunn became the first (and still only) duo to win.
Here all the artists who have won the CMA award for entertainer of the year multiple times.
Barbara Mandrell, 2
The 58th annual CMA Awards are set for Wednesday, Nov. 20 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Two-time CMA Award entertainer of the year winner Luke Bryan returns to co-host with NFL hall of famer Peyton Manning and reigning CMA entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson. Morgan Wallen leads this year’s nominees with seven nominations, including for entertainer of the year, followed by Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton with five nominations, and Post Malone and Lainey Wilson with four nominations.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The eligibility period for the 2024 show, which will air live on ABC at 8 p.m. ET, is July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. The 58th Annual CMA Awards is set to broadcast live on Wednesday (8:00–11:00 p.m. ET) on ABC and next day on Hulu.
According to CMA rules, “singles, albums, music videos and qualified music products for the annual show must have been released or reached peak national prominence during the eligibility period” to qualify. More than 7,000 members of the country music industry vote for the nominees and winners through three rounds of voting.
Trending on Billboard
Here are Billboard’s predictions on who will emerge victorious in select categories, from Melinda Newman (executive editor, West Coast and Nashville) and Jessica Nicholson (staff writer, Nashville).
Entertainer of the year
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Newman: Jelly Roll replaces Carrie Underwood in what otherwise is a replay of last year. Wilson, who won in 2023, continues to have a strong streak, but she faces steep competition from label mate Jelly Roll, who has smashed it on his first headlining arena tour. Stapleton is looking for his first win here in eight nominations, but it’s also hard to deny two-time winner Combs and Wallen, both of whom had sold-out stadium tours this year. An extremely tough and competitive category. It also shows what a good job country music has done in building the next generation of superstars: Stapleton is the most seasoned veteran in this category, and his first solo album only came out nine years ago.
Will win: Morgan Wallen
Nicholson: Each artist nominated here has had a stellar year, with album releases and/or massive tours. Wilson won this category last year, and could very well take it home a second time. Meanwhile, her labelmate Jelly Roll has been seemingly ubiquitous this year, thanks to his Billboard 200-topping album Beautifully Broken and its corresponding headlining arena tour. Combs has previously won twice in the category, while Morgan Wallen looks to take home his first EOY win. Both have both led massive stadium tours and logged chart-topping hits. Stapleton earns his eighth nomination in the category, on the strength of recent hits such as “White Horse” and this year continued his All-American Road Show Tour. Given Wallen’s stadium-headlining status and massive all-genre chart hits this year, it seems likely that he will earn the EOY win.
Will win: Morgan Wallen
Male vocalist of the year
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Newman: The line-up repeats from last year, when Stapleton took home his seventh trophy, extending his record for most wins in the category. With his bluesy, rangy growl, Stapleton has a once-in-a-generation voice and Combs has been the only male vocalist who has been able to break his strangle-hold on the category, winning in 2019 and 2020. Stapleton faces stiff competition again, but just throw on “White Horse” or any other song from Higher and it feels like Stapleton will win again.
Will win: Chris Stapleton
Nicholson: Stapleton has taken home this category for the past three consecutive years, and given his pair of chart hits this year (the top 5 Country Airplay hit “White Horse” and top 20 hit “Think I’m in Love With You”), he’s in a good position to take home the honor again this year. However, he has quite the battle ahead of him — particularly from stadium headliner Wallen, whose collab with Post Malone was a six-week Billboard Hot 100-topper. Meanwhile, Combs has continued his own headlining stadium tour and took successful creative risks on his concept album Fathers & Sons. Johnson has shown himself a torchbearer for traditional country, with two songs he recorded earning song of the year nominations. Jelly Roll was named new artist of the year last year and his career has only skyrocketed since, with a headlining arena tour, a No. 1 Billboard 200 debut album and his joyous, megawatt personality garnering loads of media attention.
Will win: Jelly Roll
Female vocalist of the year
Kelsea Ballerini
Ashley McBryde
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson
Newman: McBryde, who has been nominated five times, and Ballerini, who has been nominated seven, are both going for their first wins here, as is Moroney, who received her first nom this year. Wilson won the past two years, while Musgraves — who took home the trophy in 2019, received her first nomination since 2020. All are deserving, but it feels like Wilson is building a dynasty that could rival that of Miranda Lambert — who won six years in a row, and then, after losing to Carrie Underwood, came back and won again. (Underwood is no slouch here, having been nominated 13 times and winning five times).
Winner: Lainey Wilson
Nicholson: Each artist has had a strong year, with headlining tours and/or album releases. McBryde, who picks up a fifth nomination in this category, released The Devil I Know. Musgraves, who previously won this category in 2019, released Deeper Well. Moroney, who headlined her own tour and opened for Kenny Chesney this year, earns her first female vocalist of the year nomination this year on the strength of releases including “No Caller ID.” Wilson, the reigning CMA entertainer of the year, also won in this category the past two years, and has been headlining her Country’s Cool Again Tour and earned a top 20 Hot Country Songs hit with “Hang Tight Honey,” ahead of her August-released album Whirlwind. Ballerini picks up her seventh nomination in the category. This past year, she earned a top 20 Country Songs hit with her Noah Kahan collaboration “Cowboys Cry Too,” an early look at her October-released new album Patterns. Still, this looks like Wilson’s to lose.
Will win: Lainey Wilson
Vocal group of the year
Lady A
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
The Red Clay Strays
Zac Brown Band
Newman: This category has remained largely static—this year, The Red Clay Strays replace Midland, but the other four nominees remain the same as they have largely for the past five years. Old Dominion has won for the past six years… and Little Big Town for the six consecutive years before that and Lady A for three years in a row before that. You get the idea. Zac Brown Band has been nominated 13 times and not taken home the crown. Hot (relative) newcomers Red Clay Strays could pull off some kind of miraculous upset, but they haven’t broken through significantly yet. It’s another year for Old Dominion, who will try to look surprised when they win.
Will win: Old Dominion
Nicholson: The past year was fairly quiet for some of the nominees. Three of the nominated groups — Little Big Town, Zac Brown Band and Lady A — did not release an album during the eligibility period, though Old Dominion released the album Memory Lane, spearheaded by the title track and the Megan Moroney collab “Can’t Break Up Now.” However, ZBB joined Kenny Chesney on his 2024 tour, while Little Big Town revealed a co-headlining tour with Sugarland. New to the category this year is The Red Clay Strays, who earned a breakthrough hit with Hot 100 hit “Wondering Why” and followed with a sterling album Made By These Moments. Still, look for six-time vocal group of the year winners Old Dominion to extend their winning streak here.
Will win: Old Dominion
Vocal duo of the year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Maddie & Tae
The War and Treaty
Newman: It’s the exact same duos competing this year as last year. In the last eight years, the award has gone to reigning champs Brothers Osborne six times and Dan + Shay two times. Brooks & Dunn hold the record for 14 non-consecutive wins spanning 1992-2006. The War & Treaty could score their first win here given the love Nashville feels for them and their immense talent, but we thought that last year. Dan + Shay have had a stellar year with a sold-out arena tour and hits from their album, Bigger Houses, and a holiday album. Feels like time for the pair to follow up its ACM Awards top duo win earlier this year with another CMA.
Will win: Dan + Shay
Nicholson: This year’s category features several previous nominees and winners. Brooks & Dunn, who have won in the category 14 previous times, are again nominated, thanks to their headlining Reboot 2024 tour (the duo also recently released the Reboot II album). Meanwhile, Dan + Shay released Bigger Houses, spearheaded by the single “Save Me The Trouble.” Brothers Osborne released “Break Mine” and issued a self-titled album, while The War and Treaty issued “Called Me By Your Name” and made several high-profile appearances this year. Maddie & Tae released “Heart They Didn’t Break” ahead of their 2024 EP What a Woman Can Do. Look for Dan + Shay to return to the winner’s circle here.
Will win: Dan + Shay
New artist of the year
Megan Moroney
Shaboozey
Nate Smith
Mitchell Tenpenny
Zach Top
Bailey Zimmerman
Newman: No offense to Mitchell Tenpenny, but given that he’s been having hits since 2018, it seems odd that he was nominated this year. Zimmerman should have been nominated last year but wasn’t. Zach Top is breaking through now and his star is shining brightly, but he hasn’t had the kind of year that Moroney, Shaboozey or Smith have, in part because he started later. Artists can be nominated twice for this award, and Moroney repeats her nomination from last year. It’s a solid crop of artists — and the category is loaded with acts that seem like they have long futures ahead of them. It’s a bit of a coin toss between Moroney, Smith and Shaboozey and it’s hard to bet against someone who dominated this summer’s country and pop charts like Shaboozey, but it feels like Moroney has the wind at her back.
Will win: Megan Moroney
Nicholson: Several of the artists nominated for new artist of the year reached new heights this year. Shaboozey scored a massive hit on several charts including 18 weeks (and counting) atop the Hot 100 with “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Megan Moroney notched multiple Hot 100 hits, including “No Caller ID” and “Am I Okay?,” while Zach Top has garnered considerable buzz since releasing his debut country album Cold Beer & Country Music earlier this year, and has two songs on the Country Airplay chart at present. Nate Smith earned a multi-week No. 1 with “World on Fire,” and followed with another hit “Bulletproof.” Meanwhile, Tenpenny released his new album, The 3rd, in September. Zimmerman earned a No. 1 Country Airplay hit with “Where It Ends,” and had opening slots on tours for Wallen, Luke Bryan and Kane Brown. Still, Shaboozey’s cross-genre hit is tough to deny here.
Will win: Shaboozey
Album of the year
Award goes to artist, producer(s) and mix engineer(s)
Deeper Well – Kacey Musgraves; Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Tashian; Mix Engineers: Shawn Everett, Konrad Snyder
Fathers & Sons – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
Higher – Chris Stapleton; Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton; Mix Engineer: Vance Powell
Leather – Cody Johnson; Producer: Trent Willmon; Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke
Whitsitt Chapel – Jelly Roll; Producers: Andrew Baylis, Brock Berryhill, Zach Crowell, Jesse Frasure, David Garcia, Kevin “Thrasher” Gruft, Austin Nivarel, David Ray Stevens; Mix Engineers: Jeff Braun, Jim Cooley
Newman: Last year, Wilson’s Bell Bottom Country won, but her follow-up, Whirlwind, won’t be eligible until next year because of the qualifying dates (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024). Those dates are somewhat flexible and adjusted for when an album had its greatest impact — which is how Whitsitt Chapel, which came out June 2, 2023, finds itself here. Musgraves, Combs and Stapleton have all won before, and every solo album released by Stapleton has received a nomination, so it’s impossible to bet against him. But I’m going to anyway: An album like Whitsitt Chapel doesn’t come along very often, and it is only going to grow in importance as time passes. An album about salvation and redemption with bonafide radio hits like “Need a Favor” and “Save Me,” Whitsitt Chapel changed the tenor of country radio.
Will win: Whitsitt Chapel
Nicholson: Musgraves’ Deeper Well and Stapleton’s Higher are both up for Grammy best country album nominations as well the CMA album of the year honor, further heightening their credentials here. Combs crafted his familial-focused project Fathers & Sons to great acclaim, while Johnson’s Leather included hits including “Dirt Cheap” and “The Painter,” both of which are up for song of the year. Jelly Roll’s breakthrough album Whitsitt Chapel launched multiple hits for the Tennessee native, including “Halfway to Hell” and “Need a Favor.” Musgraves, Stapleton and Combs have all won in the category, but look for awards-show favorite Stapleton to take home the win.
Will win: Higher
Single of the year
Award goes to artist(s), producer(s) and mix engineer(s)
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey; Producers: Sean Cook, Nevin Sastry; Mix Engineer: Raul Lopez
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; Producer: Trent Willmon; Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone (Feat. Morgan Wallen); Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore
“Watermelon Moonshine” – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
“White Horse” – Chris Stapleton; Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton; Mix Engineer: Vance Powell
Newman: After Wallen’s “Last Night” wasn’t nominated last year despite spending 16 weeks at No. 1, it feels like his and Post Malone’s insanely catchy “I Had Some Help,” which was Billboard’s Song of the Summer, will take the prize here. But “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has insinuated its way into listeners’ hearts and set the record for the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for an artist with no accompanying acts at 17 weeks. Some voters may want to go more traditional Nashville, and could go for Stapleton or Johnson, both of whom have won before — but we think we’re going to be raising a glass to Post Malone and Wallen.
Will win: “I Had Some Help”
Nicholson: The single of the year nominees for 2024 are an array of sounds, from pop-entrenched smashes, blistering country-rock tracks and staunchly country entries. All five nominated singles connected with fans this year, but the double star power of Post Malone and Morgan Wallen could be enough to earn the win.
Will win: “I Had Some Help”
Song of the year
Award goes to songwriter(s)
“Burn It Down”; Songwriters: Hillary Lindsey, Parker McCollum, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose
“Dirt Cheap”; Songwriter: Josh Phillips
“I Had Some Help”; Songwriters: Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith, Morgan Wallen, Chandler Paul Walters
“The Painter”; Songwriters: Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins, Ryan Larkins
“White Horse”; Songwriters: Chris Stapleton, Dan Wilson
Newman: These are all strong selections, and all reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Though this is a songwriter’s award, credit to Cody Johnson for having an unerring song sense with both “Dirt Cheap” and “The Painter.” “I Had Some Help” is a bit of an outlier here, given its bouncy, lightweight nature, which contrasts with the more serious nature of the other songs. That — and the fact that it was an enduring crossover smash — may play in its favor, but we like it more for single of the year than song. The intensity of “Burn It Down” and “White Horse” still hit every time we hear either, and a great song should continue to wear well. A very slight nod here to “White Horse” and its driving, western swagger.
Will win: “White Horse”
Nicholson: Cody Johnson seems to be a songwriter’s not-so-secret weapon in this category, as two Johnson-recorded songs made the final nominees: “Dirt Cheap,” a solo write from Josh Phillips, and “The Painter,” written by Benjy Davis, Ryan Larkins and Kat Higgins. The song of the year category generally goes to songs with detailed storylines and/or heartfelt sentiments, and while this year’s nominated songs ranged from rock-fueled heartbreakers (“White Horse,” “Burn It Down”) to smash radio hits (“I Had Some Help”), the sentimental fan-favorite “Dirt Cheap” could take home the win.
Will win: “Dirt Cheap”
Four of the five nominees for entertainer of the year – Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson – are set to perform on the 2024 CMA Awards, which will air live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday (Nov. 20). Of the nominees for entertainer of the year, only Morgan Wallen has not been announced as a performer on the broadcast.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The show will be hosted by Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning and Wilson.
Trending on Billboard
Combs will perform “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,” the opening track on Twisters: The Album. The song topped Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for two weeks in September and October. Jelly Roll will join Brooks & Dunn on a performance of their 2006 classic, “Believe.” The hit won both single and song of the year at the 2006 CMAs.
Stapleton will perform twice on the show. He will sing “What Am I Gonna Do,” the opening track from his album Higher. He will also team with Post Malone to perform their “California Sober” collaboration from Posty’s album F-1 Trillion LP. (For his part, Post will also perform “Yours,” the closing track from F-1 Trillion.)
Wilson will perform her single “4x4xU,” which is currently up to No. 21 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Her co-host, Bryan, will take the stage for “Love You, Miss You, Mean It,” which reached No. 2 on Country Airplay last month, becoming his 36th top 10 hit on that chart.
Shaboozey, a first-time nominee this year with two nods, will perform a medley of his breakthrough smash “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — which has logged 17 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — and his new single, “Highway.”
Performing together for the first time, Thomas Rhett and Teddy Swims will offer a mash-up of Rhett’s “Somethin’ ’Bout a Woman,” from his new album About a Woman, and Swims’ “Lose Control,” a recent No. 1 hit on the Hot 100.
Dierks Bentley will be joined by Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes for a performance of Tom Petty’s 1976 classic, “American Girl.” Bentley performed the rock classic on this year’s Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration ofTom Petty.
There will also be a star-studded tribute in honor of George Strait, this year’s recipient of the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
This year’s CMAs will include performances of two of this year’s nominees for musical event of the year. Langley and Green will perform “you look like you love me,” which is currently No. 7 on the Country Airplay chart. Ballerini and Kahan will perform “Cowboys Cry Too,” which reached No. 27 on that chart in July.
Other performances set for the show include Moroney’s “Am I Okay?” Musgraves’ “The Architect” and Zimmerman’s “New to Country.”
Presenters on the show include a wide range of artists, actors and athletes. The Oak Ridge Boys will appear, just four months after the death of longtime member Joe Bonsall at age 76. Two nominees for new artist of the year, Nate Smith and Mitchell Tenpenny, are also set to present. Other country artists lined up to present include Clint Black, Jordan Davis, Little Big Town, Dustin Lynch and Carly Pearce. Pop singer and entertainer Katharine McPhee will also be on hand to present during the show.
Actors set to take the stage include Jeff Bridges, Mark Collie, Don Johnson, Taylor Frankie Paul, Daniel Sunjata and Billy Bob Thornton. Olympic Gymnast Simone Biles and first baseman for the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers Freddie Freeman will also present.
Country Music’s Biggest Night is set to air live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday from 8:00-11:00 p.m./ET. It will air on ABC be available for streaming the next day on Hulu.
The 58th Annual CMA Awards is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the executive producer. Alan Carter is the director and Jon Macks is the head writer.
Check out a complete list of performers and presenters below. If any additional names are announced, they will be added to this report.
Performers
Kelsea Ballerini
Dierks Bentley
Brooks & Dunn
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Riley Green
Sierra Hull
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Noah Kahan
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Ella Langley
Ashley McBryde
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Post Malone
Thomas Rhett
Shaboozey
Chris Stapleton
Teddy Swims
Molly Tuttle
Lainey Wilson
Bailey Zimmerman
Presenters
Simone Biles
Clint Black
Jeff Bridges
Mark Collie
Jordan Davis
Freddie Freeman
Don Johnson
Jackson Laux
Little Big Town
Dustin Lynch
Katharine McPhee
The Oak Ridge Boys
Taylor Frankie Paul
Carly Pearce
Caleb Pressley
Nate Smith
Daniel Sunjata
Mitchell Tenpenny
Billy Bob Thornton
Luke Bryan, a co-host of this year’s CMA Awards and a two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner, is set to guide viewers through country music’s current moment, offering fans a journey into the artists, songs and stories that have led the genre over the past year, when he hosts the ABC News special Vegas Lights & Country Nights: Countdown to the CMA Awards — A Special Edition of 20/20.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The one-hour special will air Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 10:01 p.m. ET on ABC, and will stream the following day on Hulu and Disney+.
Filmed in Las Vegas, the special will take fans behind-the-scenes as country music gears up for the 58th Annual CMA Awards. The awards ceremony is hosted by Bryan, Peyton Manning and Lainey Wilson, and will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 20, on ABC, and the following day on Hulu.
Trending on Billboard
Vegas Lights & Country Nights will feature Jason Aldean, who will sit down for a candid discussion of his career history in Vegas, at his new Jason Aldean Kitchen+Bar Vegas location; he will also surprise first responders from 2017’s Route 91 Harvest Festival with an intimate musical performance. Bryan’s fellow American Idol judge and eight-time Grammy winner Carrie Underwood will take fans behind the curtains of her Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency, while Blake Shelton will show fans around his Ole Red Las Vegas bar while talking about his life and upcoming residency.
From there, Keith Urban will also reflect on his new album, High, and his Las Vegas residency, while Shaboozey will discuss his breakthrough year and his 17-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Shaboozey has two nominations leading into this year’s CMA Awards, including new artist of the year and single of the year for “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”
The special will also feature conversations with Thomas Rhett, who will launch a limited Las Vegas residency in December, as well as Carly Pearce, who offers an all-access pass to her “Hummingbird” tour stop in Las Vegas. Dustin Lynch, Brandi Cyrus and the YEEDM DJ duo VAVO will also provide an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at their performances at the Professional Bull Riders after-party.
Vegas Lights & Country Nights: Countdown to the CMA Awards – A Special Edition of 20/20 is produced by ABC News Studios and 20/20. Emily Whipp serves as executive producer, and Janice Johnston is senior executive producer. Monica Escobedo serves as senior entertainment producer.
Get an early look at the ABC News special below:
11/14/2024
Hearing your name called even once is a thrill, but repeating is the ultimate goal.
11/14/2024
At the 58th annual CMA Awards on Nov. 20, two pairings have the chance to earn their first CMA Award for vocal duo of the year—The War and Treaty and Maddie & Tae. But they are up against three duos who each have previously won multiple times in the category: Brooks & Dunn, Dan + Shay and Brothers Osborne. The Country Music Association’s vocal duo of the year […]
The Country Music Association is set to honor three-time CMA Award entertainer of the year winner George Strait with the 2024 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award during the upcoming 58th annual CMA Awards, which will air on Nov. 20 on ABC from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Strait will receive his accolade following a performance from […]
Post Malone and Chris Stapleton will each perform twice on the 58th annual CMA Awards, which are set for Wednesday, Nov. 20. Post will perform “Yours,” the closing track from his album F-1 Trillion. Stapleton will perform “What Am I Gonna Do,” the opening track from his album Higher. The two stars will also team to perform “California Sober,” a track from F-1 Trillion on which they collaborated.
Shaboozey, a first-time nominee this year with two nods, will perform a medley of his breakthrough smash “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which is in its 16th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and his new single “Highway.” Both songs are featured on his album Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going.
Trending on Billboard
Performing together for the first time, Thomas Rhett and Teddy Swims will offer a mash-up of Rhett’s “Somethin’ ’Bout a Woman,” from his new album About a Woman, and Swims’ “Lose Control,” a recent No. 1 hit on the Hot 100. The two Georgia natives also had a hand in co-writing Rhett’s “Angels (Don’t Always Have Wings),” a No. 1 hit on Country Airplay in 2023. Before that, they teamed on Swims’ pre-fame 2020 song “Broke.”
Dierks Bentley will be joined by Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes for a performance of Tom Petty’s 1976 classic “American Girl.” Bentley performed the rock classic on this year’s Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty.
Luke Bryan and Lainey Wilson, who are co-hosting the show with Peyton Manning, will each perform on the show. Bryan will perform “Love You, Miss You, Mean It,” which reached No. 2 on Country Airplay last month, becoming his 36th top 10 hit on that chart. Wilson will perform her current single “4x4xU,” which is currently up to No. 23 on that chart. The songs are featured on their albums Mind of a Country Boy and Whirlwind, respectively.
Ashley McBryde is also set to perform on the show, though her song selection has not yet been named. Additional performers and presenters will be announced in the weeks ahead.
Country Music’s Biggest Night is set to air live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday Nov. 20 (8-11 p.m. ET). It will air on ABC and be available for streaming the next day on Hulu.
The 58th annual CMA Awards is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the executive producer, Alan Carter is the director and Jon Macks is the head writer. Tickets are on-sale now at Ticketmaster.
By the time surging newcomer Zach Top released his debut country album, Cold Beer & Country Music, in April, the 27-year-old singer-songwriter was already seeing a groundswell of support from fans and his fellow artists. With his unabashed devotion to traditional country sounds on songs like “Bad Luck” and “There’s The Sun,” matched with his unmistakably country drawl, the singer-songwriter from Sunnyside, Wash., has drawn comparisons to such ’90s country luminaries as Alan Jackson, Doug Stone and one of his musical heroes, Keith Whitley.
Top, who is signed with label Leo33 and managed and published by Major Bob Music, has been on tour with reigning CMA entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson since May. He was a guest at Dierks Bentley’s early September headlining show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and most recently teamed with bluegrass luminary Billy Strings to release a trio of collaborations for Apple Music.
As Top’s “Sounds Like the Radio” continues to grow on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, reaching a new No. 16 high on the Nov. 9-dated list, another track from Cold Beer & Country Music has also grown into a chart hit: “I Never Lie.” After the slow grooving, sarcastic song became his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 in September (it has since reached a No. 68 high), his team pushed “I Never Lie” to country radio. It debuted on Country Airplay in late October, giving Top two songs simultaneously on the ranking — a feat more typically reserved for arena- and stadium-headlining stars in the genre.
Trending on Billboard
He’s up for new artist of the year at the CMA Awards later this month, and his rising career has led to additional dates to his 2025 Cold Beer & Country Music Tour, which launches Jan. 16 in Nebraska, with openers Jake Worthington and Cole Goodwin.
Billboard caught up with Top to discuss “I Never Lie” reaching new chart heights, as well as his thoughts on his upcoming CMA Award nomination for new artist of the year and who he thinks will take home the entertainer of the year honor.
“I Never Lie” was included on your debut studio album, Cold Beer & Country Music. How did the song come together?
I wrote it with Carson Chamberlain and Tim Nichols. I have one of my more clever rhymes on there, with the “Angel” and “April” rhyme in the first verse [“You still look like an angel/I heard you’re doin’ fine, got promoted back in April”]. We cut it pretty old-school with the band, and I sang and tracked the vocals as they were playing. They never hear the song until the day we record it. I’ll have an acoustic recording of it on my phone, and they hear it once or twice, and that’s it. It’s two or three takes and we play it like we feel it. We might overdub a thing or two or add some fills, but it’s all played live, nothing computerized about it. Carson produced it and [engineer] Matt [Rovey] mixed it up.
What has been your reaction to it connecting with fans on this level?
It may be the countriest song on the record. It sticks out and there’s nothing but steel guitar on there — you haven’t heard a song like that, sonically, in a long time. I think people have had an appetite for my kind of country for a little while, and we’re getting a dose of it. Songs like “Sounds Like the Radio” and “Cold Beer & Country Music,” you would expect those to be hits because they are up-tempo. This song goes in the face of what’s out there right now.
When did you first realize the song was a hit?
We had been playing it in live shows, so people already knew it. Around April 5, we had our album release show, and over the last four months, it has really taken off. Our fans know every word of every song on the album — they are not just waiting to hear one song. It gives me chills every night when we play that first riff [of “I Never Lie”]. They don’t need to hear no words, they know it from that first note.
“I Never Lie” debuted on Country Airplay in late October, giving you two current hits on the Billboard chart, including the top 20 hit “Sounds Like The Radio.” How does that feel?
I’m excited, because you don’t see that a lot with an artist as new as me. I’m proud to have the success so far and not be just a one-hit wonder.
You’ve also gained traction on TikTok with “I Never Lie.” What is your approach to social media?
I don’t get on social media much. There is a girl named Cheyenne in my band who has TikTok and she’ll tell me about videos that have “I Never Lie” or other songs in them. I was never very into social media — it was just a tool to get music out there. Early this year, I turned it all over [to my team]. I don’t have the apps on my phone, and I don’t think I have the logins. It can suck you in, scrolling through, and I think it’s probably healthy for me to stay off it.
You are nominated for new artist of the year at the CMA Awards on Nov. 20. What do you remember about finding out about your nomination?
It’s funny because I got a couple of texts that said, “Congratulations,” and I was like, “It’s not my birthday. What’s going on?” They sent me screenshots and filled me in. There are a bunch of big artists on that list, and I’m proud to be in this group.
Who do you think will win entertainer of the year at the CMA Awards?
I think Lainey [Wilson] would be a good pick. She puts on a hell of a show and is a great entertainer. And [Chris] Stapleton, I saw his show at [Nashville’s] Nissan Stadium, and I had not seen his show before and it’s pretty old-school with the band up there. He sings and captivates people with his voice and music, so he gets my vote, too.
A version of this story appears in the Oct. 26, 2024, issue of Billboard.
