CMA Awards
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Lainey Wilson is the top nominee for the 2023 CMA Awards, with nine nods. Wilson was also the top nominee last year, with six nods. Wilson is the first artist in CMA history to top the nominations list in her first two appearances on the final ballot.
Moreover, Wilson is just the fourth artist in CMA history to land nine or more nominations in a single year. She follows Merle Haggard (nine nods in 1970), Alan Jackson (a record 10 nods in 2002) and Miranda Lambert (nine nods in both 2010 and 2014).
Wilson is the first artist in 13 years to land two nominations for single of the year in the same year. Wilson is nominated for “Heart Like a Truck” and as a featured artist on HARDY’s “wait in the truck.” Lambert was the last artist to land two nods in this category in one year; she was nominated in 2010 with both “The House That Built Me” and “White Liar.”
First-time nominee Jelly Roll landed five nominations, second only to Wilson for the most nods this year.
Luke Combs and HARDY each collected four nominations. Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde, producer/mix engineer Joey Moi, songwriter/producer Jordan Schmidt, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and musician/producer Derek Wells each secured three nods.
Two women are nominated for entertainer of the year for the fourth consecutive year. Carrie Underwood and Wilson are nominated this year. Underwood and Lambert were both nominated in each of the last three years. This is the first time in CMA history that two women (or woman-led groups) have been nominated four years running.
The other entertainer of the year nominees are Combs, who won in that category the last two years; Stapleton, nominated for the seventh time; and Wallen, nominated for the second year in a row.
Women dominate the album of the year nominations for the second year in a row. Wilson, McBryde and Kelsea Ballerini are nominated in that marquee category this year. Wilson, Lambert and Maren Morris were nominated last year.
The other nominees in that category this year are Combs and Wallen.
Lambert landed her 17th nomination for female vocalist of the year, which puts her in a tie with Martina McBride for second place in that category; Reba McEntire leads with 18 nominations.
Little Big Town landed their 18th nomination for vocal group of the year; only Alabama has had more nods (21).
Brooks & Dunn was nominated for vocal duo of the year for a record-extending 24th time.
Three of the five song of the year nominees were written by gaggles of four or more songwriters, a change from past practices in country songwriting circles. A fourth was written by a three-member team. The only nominee written by a solitary songwriter was written 35 years ago: Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” nominated this year because of Combs’ smash cover version.
Chapman isn’t the only Black artist to receive a CMA nod this year in a high-profile category: The War and Treaty, consisting of married couple Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, is nominated for vocal duo of the year for the first time.
Davis’ “Next Thing You Know” and “Wait in the truck” by HARDY featuring Wilson are this year’s only works to receive nominations for single, song and video of the year. “Fast Car” and “Heart Like a Truck” were both nominated for single and song of the year, but not music video of the year.
First-time CMA Awards nominees — besides the aforementioned Jelly Roll, Chapman and The War and Treaty — include Mason Allen, Trannie Anderson, Renee Blair, Michael H. Brauer, Katelyn Brown, Zach Bryan, Josh Ditty, David Fanning, Nicki Fletcher, Greylan James, Paul Jenkins, Gena Johnson, Chase McGill, Cameron Montgomery, Megan Moroney, Austin Nivarel, Eivind Nordland, John Osborne, Hunter Phelps, David Ray Stevens, Patrick Tohill, Alysa Vanderheym, Hailey Whitters, Ben Williams, Dallas Wilson and Charlie Worsham.
Fiddle player Jenee Fleenor, who has won musician of the year four years running, is nominated again this year. She faces steel guitarist Paul Franklin, who is nominated in the category for the 31st time; guitarist Derek Wells (his eighth time); guitarist Rob McNelley (his second); and multi-instrumentalist Charlie Worsham (his first).
Winners will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting CMA members. The third and final ballot will be emailed to CMA professional members on Monday, Oct. 2. Voting closes on Friday, Oct. 27. CMA Broadcast Awards winners will be determined by a final round of judging this month. Entries are judged by a panel of broadcast professionals, representing all market sizes and regions. Winners will be revealed in October and will be honored at the CMA Awards. All balloting is tabulated by Deloitte.
The 57th annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning for the second year in a row, broadcasts live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 8 (8–11 p.m./ET) on ABC. The show is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the executive producer.
The first CMA Awards Banquet and Show was held at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast for the first time on NBC – making it the longest-running annual music awards program on network television. The CMA Awards have aired on ABC since 2006.
Here’s a complete list of the nominations for the 57th annual CMA Awards (listed in ballot category order):
Entertainer of the year
Luke Combs
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Single of the year
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
“Fast Car” – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
“Heart Like a Truck” – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
“Need a Favor” – Jelly Roll; Producer: Austin Nivarel; Mix Engineer: Jeff Braun
“Next Thing You Know” – Jordan Davis; Producer: Paul DiGiovanni; Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
“wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Producers: HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells; Mix Engineer: Joey Moi
Album of the year
Award goes to Artist, Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville – Ashley McBryde; Producers: John Osborne, John Peets; Mix Engineers: Gena Johnson, John Osborne
Bell Bottom Country – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
Gettin’ Old – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineers: Michael H. Brauer, Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews
One Thing at a Time – Morgan Wallen; Producers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery; Mix Engineers: Josh Ditty, Joey Moi, Eivind Nordland
Rolling Up the Welcome Mat – Kelsea Ballerini; Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym; Mix Engineers: Dan Grech-Marguerat, Alysa Vanderheym
Song of the year
Award goes to Songwriter(s)
“Fast Car”; Songwriter: Tracy Chapman
“Heart Like a Truck”; Songwriters: Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Lainey Wilson
“Next Thing You Know”; Songwriters: Jordan Davis, Greylan James, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne
“Tennessee Orange”; Songwriters: David Fanning, Paul Jenkins, Megan Moroney, Ben Williams
“wait in the truck”; Songwriters: Renee Blair, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt
Female vocalist of the year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Carly Pearce
Lainey Wilson
Male vocalist of the year
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Vocal group of the year
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Vocal duo of the year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Maddie & Tae
The War And Treaty
Musical event of the year
Award goes to Artists and Producer(s)
“Save Me” – Jelly Roll (with Lainey Wilson); Producers: Zach Crowell, David Ray Stevens
“She Had Me at Heads Carolina (Remix)” – Cole Swindell & Jo Dee Messina; Producer: Zach Crowell
“Thank God” – Kane Brown (with Katelyn Brown); Producer: Dann Huff
“wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Producers: HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells
“We Don’t Fight Anymore” – Carly Pearce (featuring Chris Stapleton); Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce
Musician of the year
Jenee Fleenor
Paul Franklin
Rob McNelley
Derek Wells
Charlie Worsham
Music video of the year
Award goes to Artist(s) and Director(s)
“Light on in the Kitchen” – Ashley McBryde; Director: Reid Long
“Memory Lane” – Old Dominion; Directors: Mason Allen, Nicki Fletcher
“Need a Favor” – Jelly Roll; Director: Patrick Tohill
“Next Thing You Know” – Jordan Davis; Director: Running Bear
“wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Director: Justin Clough
New artist of the year
Zach Bryan
Jelly Roll
Parker McCollum
Megan Moroney
Hailey Whitters
2023 CMA Broadcast Awards
Finalists for broadcast personality of the year (by market size):
Weekly National
“American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Cumulus/Westwood One
“Country Countdown USA” (Lon Helton) – Compass Media Networks
“Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence” (Tracy Lawrence and Patrick Thomas) – Silverfish Media
“On The Horizon with Buzz Brainard” (Buzz Brainard) – SiriusXM
“Y’all Access with Kelly Sutton” (Kelly Sutton) – Firefly Media/Silverfish Media
Daily National
“Angie Ward” – iHeartMedia
“The Big D and Bubba Show” (Derek “Big D” Haskins, Sean “Bubba” Powell, Patrick Thomas, and Carsen Humphreville) – Silverfish Media
“Katie & Company” (Katie Neal) – Audacy
“Nights with Elaina” (Elaina Smith) – Westwood One
“The Sam Alex Show” (Sam Alex) – Sam Alex Productions, LLC
Major Market
“Chris Carr & Company” (Chris Carr, Kia Becht, and Sam Sansevere) – KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
“Frito & Katy” (Tucker “Frito” Young and Katy Dempsey) – KCYY, San Antonio, Texas
“Hawkeye in the Morning with Hawkeye and Michelle” (“Hawkeye” Mark Louis Rybczyk and Michelle Rodriguez) – KSCS, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
“Josh, Rachael & Grunwald” (Josh Holleman, Rachael Hunter, and Steve Grunwald) – WYCD, Detroit, Mich.
“Scotty Kay” (Scotty Kay) – WUSN, Chicago, Ill.
Large Market
“The Big Dave Show” (“Big Dave” Chandler, Ashley Heiert, and Jason “Stattman” Statt) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
“The Morning Drive with Mike Kellar and Jenny Matthews” (Mike Kellar and Jenny Matthews) – KBEQ, Kansas City, Mo.
“Scott and Shannen” (Scott Dolphin and “Shannen O” Oesterreich) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
“Tim & Chelsea In The Morning” (Tim Leary and Chelsea Taylor) – WIRK, West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.
“The Wayne D Show” (“Wayne D” Danielson and Tay Hamilton) – WSIX, Nashville, Tenn.
Medium Market
“Cait & Bradley Morning Show” (Cait Fisher and Matt Bradley) – KWEN, Tulsa, Okla.
“Clay & Company” (Clay Moden, Rob Banks, and Kadie Daye) – WYRK, Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.
“Ellis and Bradley Show” (Bill Ellis and Beth Bradley) – WSSL, Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.
“Mo & StyckMan” (Melissa “Mo” Wagner and Greg “StyckMan” Owens) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.
“Steve & Gina In The Morning” (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa
Small Market
“The B100 Morning Show with Brittney Baily” (Brittney Baily) – WBYT, South Bend, Ind.
“The Eddie Foxx Show” (Eddie Foxx and Amanda Foxx) – WKSF, Asheville, N.C.
“Officer Don & DeAnn” (“Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Ky.
“Steve & Tiffany in the Morning” (Steve Waters and Tiffany Kay) – WFLS, Fredericksburg, Va.
“Steve, Ben and Nikki” (Steve Stroud, Ben Walker, and Nikki Thomas) – WXBQ, Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.
Finalists for radio station of the year (by market size):
Major Market
KCYY – San Antonio, Texas
KEEY – Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minn.
KKBQ – Houston, Texas
KSCS – Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
WXTU – Philadelphia, Pa.
Large Market
WIRK – West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.
WKDF – Nashville, Tenn.
WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio
WWKA – Orlando, Fla.
Medium Market
KUZZ – Bakersfield, Calif.
KXKT – Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa
WGGY – Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa.
WPCV – Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
WQMX – Akron, Ohio
Small Market
KCLR – Columbia, Mo.
WBYT – South Bend, Ind.
WKML – Fayetteville, N.C.
WXBQ – Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.
WYCT – Pensacola, Fla.
Final nominees for the 57th CMA Awards will be announced Thursday at 8 a.m. ET. It’s been an exceptional year for country music, with artists like Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs dominating the pop and country charts. Newer acts like Zach Bryan and Oliver Anthony Music have seemingly come out of nowhere to top the charts […]
Country artist Oliver Anthony is dominating the charts and political discourse right now with his Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Rich Men North of Richmond,” but one place fans likely won’t find him is among the 2023 CMA Awards nominations when they are announced next Thursday (Sept. 7).
That’s because the Virginia singer-songwriter, who records as Oliver Anthony Music, and his music either aren’t eligible for inclusion or did not come into enough prominence to be on voters’ minds, as they were marking their ballots by the deadline.
The CMA Awards eligibility period for the 2023 show, which airs live on ABC on Nov. 8, is July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023, meaning that, according to the 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.”
RadioWV put up Anthony’s live performance of “Rich Men North of Richmond” on YouTube Aug. 7, well after the eligibility cutoff.
However, Anthony has been releasing videos on YouTube for nearly a year, so he technically is eligible for several other categories, including male artist and new artist of the year. Practically, though, few were aware of Anthony until after “Rich Men” went viral in mid-August, and the first round of ballots closed July 16. Though the second round, which narrows the initial round of nominees down to the five finalists for each category, ran Aug. 2-Aug. 16, it’s unlikely that Anthony made it onto the first round. Also, unlike the Grammy Awards where artists or their representatives can submit them for contention, the CMA Awards’ first round ballot is based on voters writing in their selections based on the criteria.
Anthony’s early material also would have not been eligible for single of the year even though it was released during the eligibility period. For consideration, the track must have reached the top 10 of Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, Hot Country Songs chart or Country Aircheck’s chart for the first time within the eligibility period.
In addition to debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100 chart, “Rich Men” also bowed at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, but it was after the eligibility period closed. “Rich Men” is currently holding on top of both of those charts for a second week. “Rich Men” debuted at No. 45 on the Country Airplay chart last week.
In other words, though Anthony likely missed out for this year’s CMA Awards, he could be a big nominee for the 2024 show.
“Them good ol’ boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye.”
In January 1972 — “a long, long time ago,” as Don McLean said in the opening salvo of “American Pie” — his eight-minute pop opus rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for four weeks, lamenting “the day the music died.”
Just a few months later — also a long, long time ago — the Country Music Association inaugurated Fan Fair, an annual Nashville music event now named CMA Fest. The festival’s music definitely hasn’t died, though the pandemic forced a pause for two years. It will be presented for the 50th time June 8-11.
“American Pie” wasn’t intended as a prelude to CMA Fest, though in some ways, McLean foretold its emergence. At the festival, them good ol’ boys drink whiskey on Lower Broadway, or they sing about it onstage. The event features a reported 80,000 music fans moving “helter skelter in the summer swelter.” And McLean’s whole “American Pie” football scenario — “The players tried to take the field/The marching band refused to yield” — parallels CMA Fest, too: Its marquee performances are hosted in an NFL venue, Nissan Stadium.
2023’s Nissan lineups include Luke Combs, Eric Church, HARDY, Dan + Shay, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan and Ashley McBryde. There’s no Carrie Underwood this year — maybe the “Church Bells” all are broken? But the festival keeps bringing people back to Nashville in search of a good time.
Don McLean photographed in 1972.
David Redfern/Redferns
“One of my favorite lines [in “American Pie”] as relates to CMA Fest is ‘I can still remember when the music made me smile,’ ” CMA CEO Sarah Trahern says. “That’s what I always think about every year. I usually ask all of our young staff, ‘Tell me about an artist you saw for the first time,’ because one of the things I think we really value is the opportunity at the festival to have artists in all different stages of their career.”
That’s certainly true this year. The lineup includes current hitmakers Lainey Wilson, Jason Aldean, Jon Pardi and Jelly Roll. It has its share of heritage acts, including Reba McEntire, Tanya Tucker, Trisha Yearwood and Shenandoah. And it even features some new ones — for instance, Kidd G, Harper Grace, Avery Anna and Noah Thompson —who are so young that they were born after the last time the festival changed its location, in 2001.
CMA Fest launched at the Municipal Auditorium downtown in April 1972 and stayed there until 1982, when it moved to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. It returned to Lower Broadway downtown in 2001, and McLean appeared that year with a performance of “American Pie” at the Riverfront Stage — appropriate, since it coincided with the festival’s move from the racetrack to the riverfront. Or, better put, from the “Chevy to the levee.”
It’s doubtful that anyone who heard “American Pie” in 1972 thought the song, or McLean, would have country connections. But it didn’t take long for them to build. Pop singer Perry Como recorded one of his songs, “And I Love You So,” in Nashville exactly one year after “American Pie” hit No. 1. Before the ’70s were over, McLean recorded Roy Orbison‘s “Crying” in Music City with The Jordanaires on backing vocals, and it brought him a country hit in 1981. McLean became close friends with producer-guitarist Chet Atkins (who, ironically, died June 30, 2001, just 17 days after McLean played CMA Fest). And “American Pie” had a huge influence on Garth Brooks, who said it “could quite possibly be the greatest song in music history” in a 2022 documentary, The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s “American Pie.”
“That song was about that undeniable chorus — you hear it once, and it’s stuck in your head forever,” says Charlie Worsham, who will play June 9 at CMA Fest’s The Cadillac Three & Friends concert at Ascend Amphitheater. “It was a story, and you kind of had to listen to the words to get the full value of the song. And it was a song that could be delivered with an acoustic guitar and a voice on the back of a truck.”
Since those are the kinds of songs that Brooks was frequently attracted to, his penchant for “American Pie” influenced the generations of country artists who have followed him. He has occasionally dipped into mortality in hits such as “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” “Papa Loved Mama” or the long version of “The Thunder Rolls,” and “American Pie” is famously built around the deaths of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper in a plane crash.
“Just writing a song about that shit — can you imagine?” asks Jaren Johnston, who founded The Cadillac Three with Neil Mason and Kelby Ray. “It’s like, ‘Hey, I got an idea, Neil.’ It’s me and Ashley Gorley and Neil, let’s say. ‘Man, you remember that [Lynyrd] Skynyrd crash? Dude. Let’s do that today for Tuesday. That’d be fun.’ It just doesn’t exist anymore.”
Of course, there’s the “pink carnation and a pickup truck” line in “American Pie” — that pickup truck is still big business in country music: “wait in the truck,” “Heart Like a Truck,” “Truck Bed,” “I Drive Your Truck,” “New Truck,” “Out of That Truck,” etcetera.
But not to be forgotten is McLean’s reference to the spirit world with “the three men I admire the most/The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.” Many of the artists who were crucial to that first Fan Fair are gone, including Ernest Tubb, Tom T. Hall, Roy Acuff, Porter Wagoner, Skeeter Davisand Marty Robbins. Like the genre itself, the festival is built on those memories, which is why Johnston skipped it last year. His father, former Grand Ole Opry drummer Jerry Ray Johnston, frequently took him to Fan Fair in the ’80s and ’90s at the fairgrounds. When the senior Johnston died, it made the thought of playing CMA Fest an emotional trap.
“Everything’s a memory there when you get into that world of grief and loss,” Johnston says. “You kind of stop yourself from going places where you think something might be triggered, and Fan Fair — CMA Fest — is definitely one of those for me.”
His father’s death affected each member of The Cadillac Three, which is why the group is appearing at the festival this year in a different form, joined by boundary-pushing acts such as Boy Named Banjo, The Randy Rogers Band, Tenille Townes and Elvie Shane, plus some unannounced guests who will likely demonstrate the wide-reaching net of the genre.
“CMA should be the big tent,” says Trahern. “And in the big tent, there is space for mainstream country music, and there’s space for Americana and space for bluegrass. If you think about it, the Country Music Hall of Fame has Emmylou Harris, who identifies as an Americana artist as well as a country artist, and has Flatt & Scruggs and Bill Monroe, who identify [as bluegrass]. So I’m really excited about that Ascend show.”
Oddly enough, that “American Pie” reference to “the three men I admire the most” could translate in CMA Fest history to Merle Haggard, George Jones and Johnny Paycheck. The three traditional country singers performed a group show at the festival in 1997 — the only time they would do so. Given their checkered pasts, it could easily be considered sacrilege to place them next to a line about the Christian Trinity. Worsham disagrees.
“I would argue that George Jones and Merle Haggard and Johnny Paycheck are the perfect country music examples to hold up as a story of redemption, of grace, because they all walked through the fire, and they all had their come-to-Jesus moment,” he reasons. “For them to stand on that stage together, and at a later time in their journey, I feel like is very spiritually accurate to the point of Christianity. And because gospel music is one of the parents of country music, country music has always been found in that path from the bar to the church and back, and those guys blazed that trail quite literally.”
McLean’s American Pie album featured the stars and stripes imprinted on the singer’s thumb, creating a metaphor that’s particularly useful to country music in 2023. Critics continue to debate — thumbs up, thumbs down — what constitutes country, and this year’s festival arrives at a time when some Americans are having a difficult time giving a thumbs-up to democracy.
“Country music’s real message is Willie Nelson going, ‘Good morning, America. How are you?’ ” Worsham says. “You lock arms and sing along and literally reach to the person in the concert sitting next to you who canceled you out in the voting booth, point your beer cans together and sing along to that. That’s what we need so badly right now, and that’s what country music has to offer right now, like it always has.”
“American Pie” may have lamented the “day the music died,” but despite the song’s surprising similarities to modern country, CMA Fest’s 50th installment serves as a symbol for a genre that’s willing to ponder the grave without actually stepping into it.
“Country music was alive and well in 1972,” says Trahern. “And certainly it’s alive and well today in 2023.”
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Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning are set to co-host the 2023 CMA Awards, which will air live on ABC from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 8. The country star and the former football great also fronted last year’s show.
Bryan and Manning are just the fourth hosting team to repeat as CMA Awards hosts. Mac Davis and Barbara Mandrell co-hosted three years running, 1980-82. Brooks & Dunn also co-hosted three years in a row, 2004-06. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood fronted the show 11 years in a row, 2008-18.
Before teaming up with Manning, Bryan was the solo host of the 2021 show.
While Bryan and Manning are a great pairing, they are not quite in the same league as the hard-to-top pair of country legends that co-hosted the recent ACM Awards: Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton.
The CMA Awards, which likes to call itself “Country Music’s Biggest Night” (and has trademarked that phrase), will air live Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. ET.
The CMA Awards have aired on ABC since 2006. The show has aired on all three legacy networks. It aired on NBC from 1968-71 and on CBS from 1972-2005.
Luke Combs, Cody Johnson and Lainey Wilson each won two awards at last year’s CMA Awards. Combs took entertainer of the year for the second year in a row and album of the year for the second time in three years. Johnson took single of the year and music video of the year, both for “Til You Can’t.” Wilson took female vocalist of the year and new artist of the year.
Viewership for the 56th annual CMA Awards grew to three-year highs in 2022, with 9.7 million total viewers and a 1.79 rating among adults 18-49, after seven days of viewing across linear and digital platforms. The show was the No. 1 most social TV program that evening and the No. 1 most social entertainment program season-to-date. The event earned 3.7 million total social interactions (+71% above 2021) and 5.3M video views (+119% over 2021). (All figures provided by the CMA; Source: Talkwalker SCR)
The first CMA Awards Banquet and Show was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast for the first time – making it the longest running annual music awards program on network television. The Grammys first aired as a live telecast in 1971. The ACM Awards first aired in 1972. The American Music Awards debuted in 1974.
ABC is also the network home of CMA’s two other television properties, CMA Fest and CMA Country Christmas.
The ballot schedule has been revealed for the 57th annual CMA Awards, which is set to be held in in Nashville this November.
The eligibility period for this year’s awards ceremony is from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. The nomination ballot and instructions for online voting will be emailed Wednesday, July 5 to Country Music Association members in good standing who are eligible to vote.
The voting schedule is as follows:
July 14: Voting for the nomination ballot closes at 6 p.m. CT.
Aug. 2: The second ballot is emailed to CMA members.
Aug. 16: Voting for the second ballot closes at 6 p.m. CT. The final nominees in each of the 12 categories are set to be announced later in the summer.
Oct. 2: The third and final ballot is emailed to CMA members.
Oct. 27: Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot closes at 6 p.m. CT.
All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization Deloitte. To vote in all three rounds of balloting for the 57th annual awards, prospective CMA members must apply for membership by Thursday, June 1.
In regards to the 2023 CMA Broadcast Awards — which awards broadcast personality, station and national broadcast personality of the year — applicants are no longer required to be CMA members in order to submit.
The CMA Broadcast Awards are presented for broadcast personality and station of the year in four categories determined by market size (major, large, medium and small market) as well as two categories for CMA national broadcast personality of the year (daily and weekly). Digital service providers with livestream broadcasts are eligible to apply for national broadcast personality of the year.
To submit an entry, radio stations and broadcast personalities in the United States and Canada can log on to broadcast.CMAawards.com, where guidelines and instructions for entries are posted. The site will continue to accept submissions until Friday, June 30 at 5 p.m. CT.
All CMA Broadcast Awards entries must reflect performances and events between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023. CMA’s panel of judges, which includes radio and industry professionals, will view and evaluate each entry online. CMA Broadcast Awards winners will be notified in early October and recognized at the November ceremony.
Additionally, the nomination period for CMA’s “industry honors” — which includes categories such as the CMA founding president’s award, the CMA Foundation humanitarian award and the Irving Waugh award of excellence — will remain open through Sunday, July 9.
Nominees and winners for the 2023 CMA Broadcast Awards and the CMA Awards are determined by professional members of the CMA.
CMA Fest returns to downtown Nashville on June 8-11 and organizers revealed the initial artist performer lineup for the festival’s 50th anniversary on Tuesday (March 7), including entertainers set for the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium as well as the lineups for multiple outdoor daytime stages including Chevy Riverfront Stage and Dr Pepper Amp Stage at Ascend Park. Outdoor daytime stages are free and open to the public.
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“We are so excited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of CMA Fest this year!” said CMA chief executive officer Sarah Trahern in a statement. “A lot has changed since our early days of Fan Fair but all these years later, the heart of the festival remains that special connection between the fans and the artists. We are truly grateful to everyone who has supported us throughout the years and we look forward to celebrating this milestone with all of our attendees in June. Stay tuned for much more!”
See below for the performer lineups, listed by stage:
Nissan Stadium: Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Jordan Davis, HARDY, Tyler Hubbard, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Tim McGraw, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson
Nissan Stadium Platform Stage: Ashley Cooke, Dalton Dover, Megan Moroney, Ian Munsick, RVSHVD, Nate Smith, Alana Springsteen, Hailey Whitters
Chevy Riverfront Stage: Lauren Alaina, Cooper Alan, Ingrid Andress, Tenille Arts, Chayce Beckham, Priscilla Block, Danielle Bradbery, Tyler Braden, BRELAND, Cooke, Jackson Dean, Travis Denning, Madeline Edwards, Morgan Evans, Caylee Hammack, Corey Kent, Jon Langston, Maddie & Tae, Kameron Marlowe, Chase Matthew, Drake Milligan, Niko Moon, Kylie Morgan, Megan Moroney, Munsick, Parmalee, MacKenzie Porter, Restless Road, Jameson Rodgers, Lily Rose, Runaway June, Dylan Scott, Elvie Shane, Conner Smith, Smith, Matt Stell, Whitters, Wilson, Warren Zeiders
Dr Pepper Amp Stage at Ascend Park: A Thousand Horses, Avery Anna, Kassi Ashton, Rodney Atkins, Frankie Ballard, Blanco Brown, Craig Campbell, Mackenzie Carpenter, Callista Clark, Ashland Craft, Tyler Farr, Josh Gracin, Kidd G, Erin Kinsey, Love and Theft, Alexander Ludwig, Dylan Marlowe, Chrissy Metz, William Michael Morgan, David Nail, Jamie O’Neal, Frank Ray, Seaforth, Shenandoah, Caitlyn Smith, Springsteen, The Frontmen, The Red Clay Strays, Pam Tillis, Uncle Kracker, Chancey Williams and Rita Wilson.
Chevy Vibes Stage at Walk of Fame Park: Tyler Booth, Dillon Carmichael, Spencer Crandall, Adam Doleac, Dalton Dover, Hannah Ellis, Carter Faith, Ryan Griffin, Chapel Hart, Home Free, Kat & Alex, Halle Kearns, Tiera Kennedy, Brett Kissel, Ella Langley, Jerrod Niemann, Catie Offerman, Drew Parker, Meghan Patrick, Kimberly Perry, Shane Profitt, Tyler Rich, Josh Ross, RVSHVD, Dylan Schneider, Canaan Smith, Noah Thompson, Thompson Square, Kasey Tyndall, Georgia Webster, Mark Wills, Anne Wilson
Maui Jim Reverb Stage at Bridgestone Plaza: Tanner Adell, Casey Barnes, Justin Champagne, Ben Chapman, Kyle Clark, Abbey Cone, Melanie Dyer, Taylor Edwards, Drew Green, Jonathan Hutcherson, David J, Willie Jones, Thomas Mac, Bryan Martin, Chase McDaniel, Meg McRee, Madeline Merlo, Logan Michael, David Morris, Patrick Murphy, Neon Union, Griffen Palmer, Pillbox Patti, Peytan Porter, Brandon Ratcliff, Riley Roth, Matt Schuster, Austin Snell, Tigirlily Gold, Anna Vaus, Lathan Warlick, Lauren Watkins, Sam Williams, Stephen Wilson Jr.
Additional stage lineups for Ascend Amphitheater, Fan Fair X activities inside Music City Center and more are set to be revealed in coming weeks. Once again, portions of the country music festival will be filmed for the annual CMA Fest television special set to air on ABC.
A limited number of four-night stadium passes are currently on sale, while fans can access several new ticket options beginning Tuesday (March 7) at 10 a.m. CT here.
Single night tickets for the nightly Nissan Stadium concerts are available beginning at $85.70 per night. Four-day and single day tickets will be available to Fan Fair X inside Music City Center (which features meet-and-greet events, music, merchandise and more in an air-conditioned environment).
Four-day tickets will also be available for Riverside Retreat, located along the Cumberland River. Riverside Retreat offers early admission to the Chevy Riverfront Stage, as well as shaded areas, misting stations, charging for mobile device, air-conditioned restrooms, discounts on select beverages and online merchandise and more.
“Country music is known for its storytelling, and that storytelling starts with you, our songwriters,” CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said in welcoming guests to the 13th annual CMA Triple Play Awards, held Wednesday (March 1). “You all have the gift of taking the experience, the story, and connecting it to people in a compelling, beautiful way.”
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The CMA Triple Play Awards honor songwriters who have managed the feat of scoring three No. 1 country songs within the span of 12 months, based on the Billboard Country Airplay, Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Aircheck charts.
This year’s ceremony honored 16 CMA Triple Play recipients: Rhett Akins, Kurt Allison, Luke Combs, Jesse Frasure, Nicolle Galyon, Ashley Gorley (x2), Charlie Handsome, HARDY, Ben Johnson, Tully Kennedy, Shane McAnally, Chase McGill, Thomas Rhett, ERNEST, Josh Thompson and Morgan Wallen.
First-time CMA Triple Play Award honorees were Allison, Handsome, Johnson and Kennedy. On the opposite end of the spectrum were three heavily decorated writers adding to their CMA Triple Play arsenal: Akins (taking home his eighth win), McAnally (11th) and Gorley (a two-time winner that evening, earning his 19th and 20th CMA Triple Play Awards). To date, the CMA has given out more than 300 CMA Triple Play Awards.
Composer and CMA Board member Jim Beavers brought heartfelt class — and plenty of jokes — to his role hosting the event.
In introducing honoree ERNEST to accept his CMA Triple Play award for songs including Sam Hunt’s “Breaking Up Was Easy in the ‘90s,” Beavers said, “You know what else was easy in the ‘90s? Making money on an album cut.”
Jamie Schramm/CMA
Later in the evening, Beavers humorously noted that there was one more CMA Triple Play Award winner who had been left off of the program list. “ChatGPT,” he deadpanned, as the audience laughed. “Is that too insider for you?”
Several artist/writers were in attendance to accept their accolades, including Thomas Rhett, who told the crowd, “I never thought I would be doing this, I really didn’t,” he said. “I want to thank the songwriters. I’m looking at the songs here. One was written on Zoom right when COVID happened, one was written on a writing trip in Montana and the other I think was my first No. 1 that I wrote in Nashville. Thank you to the writers that write with me, that leave their families to come on the bus and write way too many songs while we’re out there. I would not be able to do this without y’all.” He also thanked radio and Warner Chappell.
Galyon, the sole female honoree out of 16 CMA Triple Play Awards recipients, was honored for “Gone,” recorded by Dierks Bentley; “half of my hometown,” recorded by Kelsea Ballerini; and “Thought You Should Know,” recorded by Wallen.
“You know I’m going to say something. Gotta hold it down for the girls,” Galyon said, drawing cheers from the audience. She thanked her publishing team of Influence Media, as well as Warner Chappell Music Nashville’s Ben Vaughn, BJ Hill and Christina Wiltshire, noting that Wiltshire pitched “Gone” to Dierks Bentley.
“She plucked ‘Gone’ out of the millions of songs in the Chappell catalog and got what is the jackpot for all songwriters—a complete outside cut and a No. 1,” Galyon said, drawing fervent cheers from the industry crowd. “If you want to appreciate your publishers, try to become one,” said Galyon who leads her own publishing company, Songs & Daughters. “It really makes you appreciative for what you had all those years as a writer, so thank you,” she added, thanking her S&D team. “I’m moving into new spaces, new territories and it would not be sustainable for me to continue to write songs and keep my day job going if they weren’t holding it down at the office, which happens to be my kitchen table.”
Jamie Schramm/CMA
Morgan Wallen was honored for his songs “Wasted on You,” “Thought You Should Know” and “You Proof.”
“He earned all of these No. 1 songs in just one month, in May 2022,” Beavers noted.
“I’m just glad I’m allowed to be here this year,” Wallen first told the crowd, alluding to the fallout that happened in recent years following his use of a racial slur. “For real, I always thank God, my lord and savior Jesus Christ. I always have a positive outlook on everything, that’s because of Him. Thank you to my family, and to my songwriters and my best friends. Sometimes I come into the room and I got nothing, but when I get in there with them, there’s always something. This is not something I take lightly. It means a lot to me. I get to put food on my little boy’s plate and clothes on him, and good food at that. And I’m damn proud of that, so thank you everybody.”
Luke Combs and HARDY were not in attendance, but each sent in acceptance speech videos. Combs was awarded his fifth CMA Triple Play Award, while HARDY was awarded his third.
“Three years in a row, and I haven’t been able to make one [CMA Triple Play Awards ceremony] yet,” HARDY said. “I’m honored as always and I still can’t believe it. I wake up every day and can’t believe my whole life and how blessed I am. I’m very thankful. It inspires me to keep writing and plugging along so that maybe one day I will get another Triple Play and actually show up because I’ve wanted to go since before I was even a hit songwriter…I want to thank everybody involved, all the hit songwriters in the room that really gave me a shot when I was just starting out and helped write songs that really put thing on the map for me. Dennis and Jesse Matkosky at Relative Music, I truly feel like we are building something really cool as a publishing company and I’m happy to be a part of that.” He ended the video in true HARDY “Rednecker” fashion, by shotgunning a beer.
Akins accepted for songs including “Half of Me,” “Slow Down Summer” and “To Be Loved By You.”
“I don’t know how I won eight of these…this is a big deal. This is something that I don’t take this for granted. To have three [songs] come out and line up at just the right time, only God can do that, and I thank God every day for it, for moving chess pieces every day that I don’t know how to move…I want to thank CMA for putting this on, thank you for honoring songwriters.” He also nodded to the daily fortitude inherent in successful songwriters.
“That’s the glory of songwriting, man,” Akins added, before thanking all of his co-writers and the artists who record the songs and the radio promotions teams. “It’s in our blood so much that no matter how hard it is, we get up everyday and go, ‘I’m gonna knock that dang wall down today.’”
During the celebration, Jody Williams (founder of Jody Williams Songs) was honored as the recipient of the CMA Songwriter Advocate Award—an accolade given to an industry member who has been a tireless champion for the songwriting community. Over four decades, Williams has supported songwriters through his previous role as the head of creative at BMI, as well as years at both major publishers and his own companies.
A video tribute featured several of the artists and writers Williams has supported over the years, including several of his Jody Williams Songs clients including Vince Gill, Ashley McBryde and Natalie Hemby.
Eric Church, McBryde and Robert Earl Keen were surprise performers during the evening, each honoring Williams for his dedication to songwriters.
“I met Jody in my formative years, my songwriting years, which is what I came to town to do,” Church told the crowd, noting that he met his wife Katherine while she was working for Williams as a song plugger. “He had this really attractive song plugger who was a blonde that I took a liking to, and we’ve been married for 15 years. Jody’s son [Driver Williams] plays guitar for me and he’s been an integral part of the band. This was a no-brainer. I got to thinking about those feelings when I would show up at Jody Williams Music and you’d never know who was writing there. One day, Taylor would be there—that’s Taylor Swift–and every day was like, ‘Ok, I gotta write the best song in this place. If I win this building, I’m the best on Music Row.’”
McBryde performed her current release, “Light on in the Kitchen,” which she noted was the “first song I wrote for you, Jody.” Church offered a song he had written just that day, titled “My Nebraska,” while Keen performed “Feelin’ Good Again.”
Liz Rose, who will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year, presented Willams with the award, tearing up as she said, “I wouldn’t be a songwriter without Jody Williams.”
In accepting the honor, Williams recognized a previous CMA songwriter advocate honoree, Bob DiPiero, and praised all of this year’s CMA Triple Play Award honorees.
“How awesome is it that you hit a lick like that in one year? I’m genuinely happy for all of you. This is really why we are here. We are here to celebrate you,” Williams said. “He also honored his wife and sons, recalling how surrounded by music the family has been from the beginning. “When they were little, I’d drive them to school and we’d play ‘Smash or Trash’ with new demoes or worktapes from the publishing company I was working at. So guess what? They learned the song business and became musicians and songwriters. The most important thing to us is that they also turned out to be really good men.”
Williams recalled how Del Bryant, the son of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant who went on to become the president/CEO of BMI until his retirement in 2014, showed him how the publishing community worked and told him he might be a good song plugger.
“From that moment on, I began waking up each day with a simple purpose–to help songwriters make a living writing songs,” Williams said. He recalled how Charlie Daniels gave him his first publishing job, and how Kix Brooks “let me practice being a publisher on him, and Kix is like a brother to me.” Donna Hilley gave him a joint-venture publishing company with Sony-Tree in 1999. “I was so grateful for Donna Hilley,” he said. “She believed in me more than I believed in myself…That path led me to Liz Rose. I learned to let Liz do what she does and don’t get in her way. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned from Liz Rose in my career. She remains one of my very best friends.”
He also went on to thank those he has worked with at BMI, before thanking the staff and roster at Jody Williams Songs, and every songwriter in the room.
“I would not have a career at all if not for the songwriters in this community,” Williams concluded. “You are incredibly special to me and have blessed me beyond any expectations I have ever had.”
See the full list of CMA Triple Play honorees and their No. 1s below:
Rhett Akins“To Be Loved By You,” recorded by Parker McCollum“Slow Down Summer,” recorded by Thomas Rhett“Half Of Me,” recorded by Thomas Rhett featuring Riley Green
Kurt Allison“Blame It On You,” recorded by Jason Aldean“If I Didn’t Love You,” recorded by Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood“Trouble With A Heartbreak,” recorded by Jason Aldean
Luke Combs“Cold As You,” recorded by Combs“Doin’ This,” recorded by Combs“The Kind Of Love We Make,” recorded by Combs
Jesse Frasure“Whiskey And Rain,” recorded by Michael Ray“One Mississippi,” recorded by Kane Brown“Slow Down Summer,” recorded by Thomas Rhett
Nicolle Galyon“Gone,” recorded by Dierks Bentley“half of my hometown,” recorded by Kelsea Ballerini“Thought You Should Know,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
Ashley Gorley“Sand In My Boots,” recorded by Morgan Wallen“Beers On Me,” recorded by Dierks Bentley featuring BRELAND and HARDY“You Proof,” recorded by Morgan Wallen“Slow Down Summer,” recorded by Thomas Rhett“Take My Name,” recorded by Parmalee“New Truck,” recorded by Dylan Scott
Charlie Handsome“I Love My Country,” recorded by Florida Georgia Line“More Than My Hometown,” recorded by Morgan Wallen“Wasted On You,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
Michael Hardy (HARDY)“Single Saturday Night,” recorded by Cole Swindell“Sand In My Boots,” recorded by Morgan Wallen“Beers On Me,” recorded by Dierks Bentley featuring BRELAND and HARDY
Ben Johnson“Take My Name,” recorded by Parmalee“Best Thing Since Backroads,” recorded by Jake Owen“New Truck,” recorded by Dylan Scott
Tully Kennedy“Blame It On You,” recorded by Jason Aldean“If I Didn’t Love You,” recorded by Jason Aldean“Trouble With A Heartbreak,” recorded by Jason Aldean
Shane McAnally“half of my hometown,” recorded by Kelsea Ballerini“23,” recorded by Sam Hunt“Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” recorded by Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce
Chase McGill“Waves,” recorded by Luke Bryan“Never Say Never,” recorded by Cole Swindell and Lainey Wilson“Don’t Think Jesus,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
Thomas Rhett“Country Again,” recorded by Thomas Rhett“Slow Down Summer,” recorded by Thomas Rhett“She Had Me At Heads Carolina,” recorded by Cole Swindell
Ernest Keith Smith (ERNEST)“Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s,” recorded by Sam Hunt“One Mississippi,” recorded by Kane Brown“Wasted On You,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
Josh Thompson“Whiskey And Rain,” recorded by Michael Ray“Wasted On You,” recorded by Morgan Wallen“Half Of Me,” recorded by Thomas Rhett
Morgan Wallen“Wasted On You,” recorded by Wallen“Thought You Should Know,” recorded by Wallen“You Proof,” recorded by Wallen
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