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CMAs

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Tracy Chapman is officially a CMAs winner. The folk singer-songwriter, whose signature hit “Fast Car” came out in 1988 and reached a No. 6 peak on the Billboard Hot 100, nabbed a 2023 Country Music Association Award on Wednesday (Nov. 8) thanks to Luke Combs’ smash hit cover version, which reached No. 2 on the […]

The Country Music Association has launched two new membership tiers in an effort to attract a younger and broader membership body.
In addition to the already-established professional membership tier, the CMA is introducing an industry membership tier for current and prospective music industry professionals who do not work fulltime in country music, such as many touring personnel. It is also adding a student membership tier for high school and college students.

The COVID-19 pandemic became a catalyst for strategic planning initiatives to serve the existing 6,300-person membership, as well as extend to the next generation of the music industry.

“We asked ourselves, ‘How are we meeting the needs of our industry today as well as our industry tomorrow?’” CMA CEO Sarah Trahern tells Billboard via email. “Of course, we always want to ensure the integrity of the CMA Awards process, but we also want to provide a larger platform for dialogue and issues important to the music business as a whole. Our experience during the pandemic certainly helped us realize that a lot of people in our larger music community didn’t qualify for CMA membership, even if they were doing significant work in the country music space.”

The changes allow for “an easier pipeline for young people to enter our business, an opportunity to work with music industry personnel who may not work in country music 24/7, and an open door for country music professionals at large organizations who might not have had the chance to engage closely with CMA based on our membership criteria and how it was closely connected to awards voting,” she continues.

The student tier is free to high school and college students, age 16 or older, who are interested in working in the music industry. Student members will receive access to internships and apprenticeships, as well as access to programming from CMA’s collegiate professional development program, CMA EDU.

Dues for the industry tier are $25 annually and includes access to a number of membership benefits, including professional development opportunities, as well as healthcare and mental health resources.

These two new tiers will be added to the existing professional tier, which costs $100 annually and is available to full-time professionals whose work is primarily focused within the country music industry in one of 16 categories including consumption (satellite, digital streaming, radio), musician, personal manager, producer/engineer/studio, talent agent, and publisher/PRO. Professional tier members can access CMA research, professional development opportunities, mentoring, healthcare guidance, CMA’s member directory and opportunities to purchase event tickets. Only professional tier members are considered to join the voting body provided they meet the criteria.

“This new structure gives us the ability to welcome a younger generation in,” Trahern says. “I’m a perfect example. Years ago when I was at TNN, I wasn’t able to become a CMA member because of limitations for larger companies, even though my job was 100% in country music. And all of that makes sense, because CMA membership was previously tied to voting rights, and the integrity of the CMA Awards is extremely important. It took more than five years until someone left the company that I was able to become a CMA member. Now, with this new structure, young people can become members and take advantage of networking opportunities, or healthcare resources. They can attend our events and further become a vibrant and vital part of the CMA community.”

Along with the new membership tiers, a revamped CMA membership website will launch March 20, offering improved website navigation and professional and personal development resources.

“We will continue to evolve and we have to be able to be agile to the needs of our members,” Tiffany Kerns, executive director of the CMA Foundation and vp, community outreach, tells Billboard. “The changes allow us to be more inclusive and allow us to broaden our reach. We want to make sure we are hearing their needs loud and clear.”

The new membership tiers are among the latest initiatives from the CMA, which earlier this year launched a diversity and inclusion fellowship, and last year debuted the Women’s Leadership Academy.

The Country Music Association has revealed the honorees for the 13th CMA Triple Play Awards, which celebrate songwriters who have earned three No. 1 songs within a 12-month period based on the Billboard Country Airplay, Billboard Hot Country Songs, and Country Aircheck charts.

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This year’s 16 honorees are Rhett Akins, Kurt Allison, Luke Combs, Jesse Frasure, Nicolle Galyon, Ashley Gorley (who contributed to six chart-topping hits during the 12-month period), Charlie Handsome, Michael Hardy, Ben Johnson, Tully Kennedy, Shane McAnally, Chase McGill, Thomas Rhett, Ernest Keith Smith, Josh Thompson and Morgan Wallen.

All of this year’s honorees will be feted during a ceremony to be held Wednesday, March 1 at Saint Elle in Nashville, and hosted by CMA Board member Jim Beavers.

Gorley will receive his 19th and 20th CMA Triple Play awards during the upcoming ceremony, while first-time CMA Triple Play award recipients this year are Allison, Handsome, Johnson and Kennedy.

In addition to honoring songwriters for crafting some of the year’s most-popular compositions, the CMA Triple Play Awards ceremony will honor longtime songwriter champion and Jody Williams Songs founder Jody Williams with the CMA Songwriter Advocate award.

This accolade recognizes an individual who has dedicated their life to supporting and advancing the art of songwriting and the careers of songwriters. The honoree accepting this award must have positively impacted and contributed to the growth of songwriting in country music over the course of several years, and has proven their unprecedented historical impact on the songwriting community.

“Being honored by the CMA with this award is the cherry on top of the incredible experience I have had serving on the CMA board,” Williams said via a statement. “Nashville’s songwriters have blessed me with a fulfilling career. I’m extremely grateful.”

For more than four decades, Williams has supported, uplifted and aided numerous songwriters, both during his tenure as the head of creative at BMI, as well as his time spent with both major publishers and at his own companies. Just a few of the songwriters and writer-artists Williams has supported over the years are Liz Rose, Ashley McBryde, Eric Church, Vince Gill, Maren Morris, Jeffrey Steele, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Brooks & Dunn, Taylor Swift, Natalie Hemby and Alison Krauss.

See the honorees for this year’s CMA Triple Play Awards, as well as the songs they are being honored for, 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“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“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

The Country Music Association will soon launch its inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship, which will provide a select group of BIPOC students with an immersive educational experience leading up to the 2023 CMA Fest in June.
The CMA has partnered with the University of Alabama, Nashville’s Belmont University and Knoxville’s University of Tennessee. Six students (two from each university) will be selected to take part in the fellowship, launching this spring. Students must be an incoming junior or senior majoring in public relations, advertising, journalism, business or a related field. Each student will also receive compensation for their work, as well as a stipend to cover living expenses while in Nashville.

“As we look at our industry and how we can drive country music into the future, it’s being thoughtful about who is part of it and who feels like they can be part of it,” Mia McNeal, CMA senior director, industry relations and inclusion, tells Billboard. “Working with all three of these universities has been incredible, thinking strategically and intentionally about how we can engage the student body in a way that is very direct and making a pipeline of talent.”

McNeal adds, “There has been a push for more artists of color within the country music industry, but they also need the opportunity to team with people behind the scenes who look like them.”

In April, the students will begin working remotely with the CMA’s communications team, participating in planning meetings with cross-departmental teams and various industry partners. They will then join CMA team members in Nashville in the weeks leading up to and through CMA Fest, June 9-12. Following the event, the students will take part in a six-week assignment with a country music publicity partner, offering the students additional real-world PR experience.

“They get the 360-degree view of exactly how public relations and communications is central not only to the CMA, but to the industry at large,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA vice president, industry relations and philanthropy.

“The idea for this fellowship came out of having significant conversations with several artists and a wide variety of industry professionals who really felt that publicists are part of the storytellers of our business,” Kerns adds.

The University of Alabama’s Dr. Kenon Brown, who was previously the faculty advisor for the UofA’s CMA EDU chapter for about three years, serves as the fellowship’s managing faculty member. Brown along with faculty representatives from the university partners and CMA staff will review applications.

“We felt the one thing that would help students be exposed to the industry would be to give them first-hand experience,” Brown tells Billboard. “We wanted to also give them mentors to give them a more realistic viewpoint of how the music industry works. Hopefully this helps make them more excited about not just working in music but working in country music.”

In describing the types of students they are looking for, Brown says, “We want students who recognize the opportunity they have here to become a leader in this industry and a voice for promoting diversity and inclusion in the country music industry. We want students who can look at the country music industry and see the strides that they have made and see the advantage that they have to really add a unique voice to the genre.”

The CMA is also working with the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations on the fellowship, as well as with Trell Thomas, a public relations executive and co-founder of My Publicist is Black, to match each student participant with an industry expert to serve as a mentor throughout the fellowship.

“At CMA Fest last year, we had diversity on all of our stages,” McNeal says. “Our fans are diverse and that representation matters so much. It’s hard to be something you cannot see.”

The application to apply for the fellowship is open today (Jan. 9) through Feb. 24 at cmaworld.com/fellowship.

The fellowship is one of multiple recent initiatives the CMA has launched to support leadership, education, and diversity. The CMA previously teamed with Discovery Education for a series highlighting STEAM careers within the country music industry. In 2022, the trade organization also launched a 16-week training program to support women in leadership throughout the country music industry.

The Country Music Association (CMA) has elected its board of directors for 2023, with new board members including songwriter Rhett Akins, Onsite Entertainment executive Debbie Carroll, Pink Dog Entertainment leader Curt Jenkins, Warner Music Nashville co-head Ben Kline, CCLD LLC’s Chris Lisle, BMG Nashville/BBR Music Group leader Jon Loba, Monument Records general manager Katie McCartney, Maverick’s Chris Parr, Grand Ole Opry vp/executive producer Dan Rogers, Sony Music Publishing Nashville executive vp of creative Josh Van Valkenburg, Press On Publicity founder Wes Vause and singer/songwriter/musician Charlie Worsham.

The board officers for 2023 will be chairman Charlie Morgan of Apple Music; president Kella Farris of Farris, Self & Moore; president-elect Jennie Smythe of Girlilla Marketing; and secretary/treasurer Virginia Bunetta of G Major Management.

The CMA’s elected and appointed board members include artist managers, songwriters, radio executives, publicists, music publishers, record label executives and touring/live entertainment executives. See the full list of 2023 CMA Board of Directors at cmaworld.com.

Recently, the CMA revealed the nominees for the upcoming CMA Touring Awards, which will be held Jan. 30 at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works. CMA members in the following membership groups are eligible to vote on the 15 categories up for awards: advertising/public relations/media, affiliated, artist, entertainment services, marketing/digital, musician, personal manager, record label, talent agent, talent buyer/promoter, touring and venue.  

During the recent CMA Awards held in November in Nashville, Luke Combs continued his reign as CMA entertainer of the year, while his album Growin’ Up earned album of the year honors (Combs earned two trophies for this win, as both artist and producer on the project). Combs is the first person to win entertainer of the year and album of the year on the same night since Taylor Swift did so in 2009.

Elsewhere, Chris Stapleton became the first six-time male vocalist of the year winner, surpassing Vince Gill, George Strait and Blake Shelton, each of whom is a five-time winner in the category. Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde also won musical event of the year for “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.” Their win marks the first all-female collaboration to win in 28 years — since Reba McEntire and Linda Davis’ “Does He Love You” in 1994.

After a two-year, pandemic-induced hiatus, the Country Music Association’s CMA Touring Awards will return Monday, Jan. 30 at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works.
Members of the teams supporting artists including Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley and Eric Church are among the nominees for the upcoming awards ceremony, which honors country music industry members in categories including advertising/public relations/media, touring musician, record label, touring, venue, personal manager and talent agent.

“I am thrilled that we will be returning this year to host the CMA Touring Awards after a two-year hiatus,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA CEO, via a statement. “The touring industry was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic, and I have been amazed at the continued resilience and dedication from this community as they rebuild. These behind-the-scenes heroes are the ones that keep the music playing, so to be able to honor and celebrate them again is especially exciting. We can’t wait for January 30!”

Final voting for the 2022 CMA Touring Awards launches Wednesday (Dec. 14) and closes Dec. 28.

See the full list of the nominees below.

Manager of the yearClint Higham – Morris Higham ManagementMary Hilliard Harrington – Red Light ManagementChris Kappy – Make Wake ArtistsMarion Kraft – ShopKeeper ManagementJohn Peets – Q Prime South

Business manager of the year Renee Allen – Arnie Barn, Inc.David Boyer – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.Jamie Cheek – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.Duane Clark – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.Stephanie Mundy-Self – Farris, Self & Moore, LLC

Tour manager of the year David Farmer – Kenny ChesneyLuke Holton – Brothers OsborneCurt Jenkins – Miranda LambertEthan Strunk – Luke CombsJon Townley – Thomas Rhett

Talent agent of the yearMike Betterton – Wasserman MusicJoey Lee – WMEAustin Neal – The Neal AgencyNate Towne – WMEJay Williams – WME

Touring musician of the year Jimmie Deeghan – Kane BrownDan Hochhalter – Dierks BentleyHarmoni Kelley – Kenny ChesneyJimmy Mattingly – Garth BrooksJosh Reedy – Thomas Rhett

Venue of the year Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TNBank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NHBridgestone Arena – Nashville, TNRed Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CORyman Auditorium – Nashville, TN

Coach/truck driver of the yearRonnie Brown – Zac Brown BandRhett Evans – Thomas RhettCaleb Garrett – Luke BryanJon Long – Dierks BentleyJohn Stalder – Kenny Chesney

FOH (front of house) engineer of the yearAaron Lain – Morgan WallenTodd Lewis – Luke CombsRobert Scovill – Kenny ChesneyFrank Sgambellone – Luke BryanTrey Smith – Thomas Rhett

Lighting director of the yearZac Coren – Morgan WallenPhilip Ealy – Kenny ChesneyKevin Northrup – Luke CombsChris Reade – Dierks BentleyAlec Takahashi – Thomas Rhett

Monitor engineer of the year Jimmy Nicholson – Thomas RhettPhillip Robinson – Kenny ChesneyScott Tatter – Dierks BentleyPhil Wilkey – Keith UrbanMichael Zuehsow – Luke Combs

Production manager of the year Chris Alderman – Blake SheltonErik Leighty – Miranda LambertJerry Slone – Luke CombsKevin Twist – Thomas RhettEd Wannebo – Kenny Chesney

Publicist of the yearJanet Buck – Essential Broadcast MediaEbie McFarland – Essential Broadcast MediaTyne Parrish – The GreenRoomJensen Sussman – Sweet Talk PublicityJennifer Vessio – 1220 Entertainment Publicity

Talent buyer/promoter of the year Jered Johnson – Pepper EntertainmentLouis Messina – Messina Touring GroupBrian O’Connell – Live Nation NashvilleAaron Spalding – Live Nation NashvilleAdam Weiser – AEG Presents

Tour videographer/photographer of the year *Due to a tie in this category, there are six nominees.Zach Belcher – Dierks BentleyDavid Bergman – Luke CombsTanner Gallagher – HARDYGrayson Gregory – Thomas RhettJeff Johnson – Carrie UnderwoodJill Trunnell – Kenny Chesney

Tour video director of the yearJohn Breslin – Garth BrooksJay Cooper – Kenny ChesneyRon Etters – Chris StapletonTyler Hutcheson – Luke CombsPhil Nudelman – Keith Urban

The 2022 CMA Awards, which aired live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (Nov. 9), were ablaze with spectacular moments onscreen, including trophy wins for Luke Combs, Cody Johnson and Lainey Wilson. Performances included Brothers Osborne with The War and Treaty, stellar tributes to Alan Jackson and Loretta Lynn and a searing performance from Chris Stapleton and Patty Loveless on “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.” Plus, there was an intimate rendering of “Dear Miss Loretta” from Carly Pearce, accompanied by Ricky Skaggs and Sonya Isaacs.

Backstage, on the red carpet and in the press room, artists had plenty to say. Here are some of the best moments you didn’t see on the CMA Awards’ ABC broadcast.

Brothers Osborne Discuss Their Winning Moment With Wynonna Judd, John Osborne Reflects on Baby News

During their acceptance speech for vocal duo of the year, Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne revealed that he and his wife Lucie Silvas are expecting twins. Backstage in the press room, Osborne told reporters that the onstage reveal was an impromptu one.

“I guess I got nervous and didn’t know what to say…Wynonna is standing right next to us, and you look up and you see the clock going and I’m so nervous right now,” he said. “You never prepare a speech, you never expect to win, and I looked over and I saw Lucie sitting over there and my heart filled up…and I just wanted to tell the world. I hope that’s okay, Lucie. I’m sorry if it wasn’t.”

T.J. called accepting the vocal duo of the year honor — with Wynonna Judd presenting it — “mind-blowing.” “I’m still processing that moment…it feels in those moments very like a carrying of the torch.”

John added, “She is iconic, The Judds have been iconic, very important to the country music story.”

Morgan Evans Discusses His New Song, “Over For You”

Not long after news was revealed of Evans’ split with Kelsea Ballerini, the country singer-songwriter performed a new song at Australia’s CMC Rocks festival and the ballad instantly connected with listeners. On the CMA Awards red carpet, Evans told Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly about the song.

“Yeah, breakups suck and it’s been a rough few months,” Evans said, “But writing this song kind of helped me sort through a lot of that.” He said he didn’t have any expectations when he first performed the song, but says “I felt like I needed to get it off my chest. The reaction to that was kind of overwhelming.”

Lainey Wilson Talks Having Her Father With Her at the CMA Awards

Wilson had a big night at the CMAs, picking up two wins out of six nominations. It was extra special because she brought her father to the awards with her, after he has spent months battling a health scare.

“This actually was a dream of my daddy’s when he was a little boy,” Wilson told reporters backstage after her wins. “He used to roll a picnic table out to the side of the highway, and pretend he was Glen Campbell on top of the picnic table and play guitar for the cars passing by. This was a full-circle moment for me and my family. I’ll tell you what, he’s grinning ear to ear and it’s the most I’ve seen him smile in months since he got sick. Of course, this right here means the world to me, but having him here tonight with me meant just as much.”

Luke Combs Says He Was “So Nervous” About a Possible Second Entertainer of the Year Win

Backstage in the press room after picking up his second CMA entertainer of the year win (in addition to album of the year for Growin’ Up), Luke Combs told reporters he was nervous about his EOY nomination this year.

“Last year when I won [entertainer of the year] a bunch of people reached out to me after winning entertainer [of the year] last year, and said, ‘Hey man, just enjoy tonight. It may never happen again and it’s the pinnacle of success that you can have in this business.’ I’m not going to lie to you, I was so nervous tonight about it.” He recalled how, earlier in the week, he had “this somber thought of, ‘Man, this could be the last two days that I’m entertainer of the year, ever. I may never win this again.’ So really, it’s just being present in the moment you’re in now. My wife [Nicole] is here and our son [four-month-old Tex] is at home. My parents are still around, just being thankful for the things that I have right now and enjoying the moment.”

Wynonna Judd Meets Katy Perry, Reveals “Tricks of the Trade”

The CMA Awards red carpet featured the meeting of two towering musical talents, Katy Perry and Wynonna Judd. In an interview with Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly, Perry gestured toward the country music luminary and said, “This is who I aspire…the glitter in the hair, the full beat,” later adding, “just your awesome energy and personality, I just love you.” To which Wynonna replied, “It comes from being so poor, this can of glitter spray was like $1.99, I swear to God…It’s what we did when we were poor and now that we have money we still do it because we know where we come from.”

“Tricks of the trade,” Perry added.

The War and Treaty Reveals the Influence of The Civil Wars

Husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty performed on the CMA Awards stage alongside Brothers Osborne, performing The Rolling Stones’ classic “It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll (But I Like It).” The War and Treaty’s Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter have been capturing the attention of audiences for the past few years with their sterling vocal harmonies. Trotter Jr. told reporters backstage at the CMAs that they looked to one duo in particular to help shape their own tightly woven harmonies.

“We’ve always sung with our families but being able to sing intimately as husband and wife, we have a few years under our belts, but we had to look to other duos…Tanya and I, we took literally two years studying The Civil Wars, Joy [Williams] and John Paul White. They were electric and they had something so unique. We were floored by how they were able to captivate every audience with a guitar and two voices. We really studied them and realized it’s all about the intimacy, not just intimacy as lovers but two human beings saying let’s flow and roll together.”

The War and Treaty also released their EP Blank Page ahead of the CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 9).

Cody Johnson Discusses His Single of the Year Win

Backstage in the press area, Johnson discussed his music video of the year and single of the year wins (both for “‘Til You Can’t”), as well as his male vocalist of the year nomination.

“If I’m being honest, single of the year was the one I wanted to win. That’s a team victory,” he told reporters backstage. “That’s Warner Music Nashville pushing my first No. 1, double-platinum single on Billboard, and it couldn’t have gone better. As far as male vocalist goes, when you’re in a category with Chris Stapleton, you kind of already know who’s going to win, right? So I’m feeling pretty happy tonight.”

Jordan Davis Talks About Sharing a CMA Award Win With His Brother

Davis took home the song of the year honor for “Buy Dirt,” featuring Luke Bryan, which Davis wrote with his brother Jacob Davis as well as another set of brothers, Matt and Josh Jenkins. Backstage in the media room, Davis shared with reporters how special it is to win a song of the year honor alongside his brother.

“We’ve had some moments backstage to kind of drink this in. We both moved to town to write songs and just try to make a living doing that. We’d have been crazy to think that this was even attainable, but now that we have it, and I have it with my brother — I shared a room with the guy until I was 16 years old, so we’re pretty close. This is something that nobody’s going to be able to take away from us.”

Davis also shared that he is grateful for Bryan’s friendship, calling Bryan “not only someone I look up to professionally, but somebody that personally has become a buddy, a guy that I can reach out and talk to about whatever I need to talk to him, and how tough this business is.”

The 2022 CMA Awards are all about the girl power on Wednesday night (Nov. 9), and Kelly Clarkson, Kelsea Ballerini and Carly Pearce brought the heat with their fun “You’re Drunk, Go Home” performance.

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The trio traded verses and impressive vocal ability as they sang onstage in sleek blue outfits, with sparklers blasting behind them. “Hey, walk away, so me and my girls can do our thing/ I ain’t looking for a one-night rodeo/ You’re drunk, go home,” they declare in the sassy chorus.

Back in September, Clarkson had Ballerini as a guest on her daytime talk show, where the “Since U Been Gone” singer admitted that she was fittingly inebriated while recording the song. “I get to the studio here with [music director] Jason [Halbert], and I get in there and I’m like, ‘Look, I didn’t know I was gonna be singing today,’” Clarkson remembered. “I didn’t know! … So I had to sing a song called ‘You’re Drunk, Go Home’ inebriated, trying to sing first soprano parts like, ‘I’m fine!’”

In an interview with Billboard, Ballerini said she thought of her friend of 10 years Pearce immediately for the song and then sent it to Clarkson too, trying to add “someone who can add a different texture, vocally.” “I thought the biggest ask I could make is Kelly Clarkson, and I texted her that morning,” Ballerini shared. “She did her vocals that night.”

Ballerini’s “Half of My Hometown” was nominated for single of the year at the 2022 CMA Awards, though she ultimately lost to Cody Johnson’s “Til You Can’t.” See our full list of CMA Awards winners here.

The 56th annual CMA Awards took over Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (Nov. 9), and the country music celebration kicked off with a special tribute to the late Loretta Lynn, who died Oct. 4 at age 90.

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The commemoration began with video footage of Lynn at the Ryman Auditorium in 1972, where she accepted her CMA entertainer of the year award, becoming the first woman to take home the Country Music Association’s highest honor.

Carrie Underwood then stepped onstage to honor the Country Music Hall of Fame member with a performance of her 1966 hit “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” before Miranda Lambert sang “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’.” Reba McEntire then took over by performing Lynn’s 1971 track “You’re Lookin’ at Country,” sweetly switching up the lyrics at one point to sing, “If you’re looking at Loretta, you’re looking at country.”

The superstar trio then came together to wrap up the tribute with a powerful performance of one of Lynn’s most beloved hits, 1971’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” as photos of Lynn with a variety of artists, including Dolly Parton, Lambert, Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson flashed across the screen.

The 2022 CMA Awards will feature a number of other major collaborations, including Elle King joining the Black Keys to perform “Great Balls of Fire” in honor of the late Country Music Hall of Fame member Jerry Lee Lewis. Thomas Rhett will pair with Katy Perry for their collaboration “Where We Started,” while Chris Stapleton will share the stage with Patty Loveless for a rendition of “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.”

See our list of CMA winners here.

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