Country
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The 2023 CMA Awards are in the books. Lainey Wilson was the big winner, with wins in five categories. That ties the one-year record, first set by Johnny Cash in 1969 and later matched by Vince Gill (1993) and Alan Jackson (2002). This also sets a new, one-year record for a female artist. Just one […]
Lainey Wilson was the big winner at the 2023 CMA Awards, which were held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday (Nov 8). Wilson won in five categories, which ties the one-year record, first set by Johnny Cash in 1969 and later matched by Vince Gill (1993) and Alan Jackson (2002). This also sets a new, one-year record for a female artist. Alison Krauss, Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert each won in four categories in one night.
Just one year after winning new artist of the year, Wilson won entertainer of the year. That ties Garth Brooks’ quick sprint from the horizon award (as new artist of the year was then called) in 1990 to his first entertainer of the year award in 1991. No other artist in CMA history has made this leap that quickly. Just the fact that a woman has won entertainer of the year is newsworthy. Wilson is the first woman to prevail in that top category since Taylor Swift in 2011.
Wilson also won album of the year, female vocalist of the year and two awards shared with HARDY – musical event of the year and music video of the year. This was the second year in a row that Wilson won female vocalist of the year. She’s the first artist to win consecutive awards in that category since Miranda Lambert won six in a row from 2010-15.
And Wilson’s Bell Bottom Country won album of the year. The album peaked at No. 9 on Top Country Albums. It’s just the fourth album that didn’t reach the top five on that chart to win this award. The three previous ones that didn’t were Merle Haggard’s Let Me Tell You About a Song (1972, No. 7), Anne Murray’s A Little Good News (1984, No. 9) and Patty Loveless’ When Fallen Angels Fly (1995, No. 8). (Of course, it’s possible the album will surpass its original No. 9 peak in the wake of the awards. Stay tuned.)
Luke Combs won single of the year for his hit remake of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” The smash topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for four weeks. In addition, “Fast Car” logged eight weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s just the fifth CMA single of the year winner to reach No. 1 or No. 2 on the all-genre Hot 100. It follows Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley P.T.A.” (1968, No. 1), Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue” (1969, No. 2), Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” (1975, No. 1) and Lady A’s “Need You Now” (2010, No. 2).
“Fast Car” also won song of the year for its songwriter, Tracy Chapman (who was not in attendance). Chapman’s original version of “Fast Car” reached No. 6 on the Hot 100 in 1988. It’s the third CMA song of the year winner that was widely known before the version that prompted the CMA to award the song. “Always on My Mind” won in both 1982 and 1983, tied to Willie Nelson’s hit version, but many knew the song from previous versions by Elvis Presley and Brenda Lee. “The Wind Beneath My Wings, which won in 1984, was known for other versions by Sheena Easton and Gladys Knight & the Pips.
“Fast Car” is the first song written by a solitary writer to win song of the year since Taylor Swift’s “Better Man” took the award six years ago. Four other CMA song of the year winners in this century were written by solitary writers – “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” (2002, Alan Jackson), “Stay” (2008, Jennifer Nettles), “If I Die Young” (2011, Kimberly Perry) and “Humble and Kind” (2016, Lori McKenna).
Chapman is the first Black songwriter to win for song of the year, and joins a short list of Black CMA winners. Charley Pride won entertainer of the year and male vocalist of the year in 1971 and repeated in the latter category in 1972. Darius Rucker won new artist of the year in 2009. Jimmie Allen won in that same category in 2021. (We might have seen two Black acts win CMA Awards for the first time this year. The highly-regarded The War and Treaty were nominated for vocal duo of the year, but Brothers Osborne prevailed again.)
Jelly Roll won new artist of the year. Jelly Roll, 38, is the second-oldest solo artist to win in this category (or its predecessor category, the horizon award). Darius Rucker was 43 when he won in 2009. Other solo artists who were 35 plus when they won are Ricky Van Shelton (36 in 1988), Suzy Bogguss (35 in 1992), Chris Stapleton (37 in 2015), Ashley McBryde (36 in 2019) and Jimmie Allen (36 in 2021).
Jelly Roll said he was 39 in his acceptance speech, which he delivered with the zeal of an evangelical preacher. It’s unusual in this youth-focused business for an artist to make himself out to be older than he actually is. Jelly Roll turns 39 next month.
Jelly Roll opened the telecast with his breakthrough smash “Need a Favor,” on which he was backed by Wynonna. Wynonna won the horizon award, the forerunner of new artist of the year, in 1984 with her mother Naomi as The Judds.
Brothers Osborne won vocal duo of the year for the sixth time. Only two other duos in CMA history have won six or more awards in this category. Brooks & Dunn lead with 14 wins. The Judds won seven times (counting three wins in the group category). The Judds’ seven wins were consecutive. Brooks & Dunn’s long streak was interrupted in 2000 by Montgomery Gentry. Brothers Osborne’s run was interrupted in 2017-18 by Dan + Shay.
Old Dominion won vocal group of the year for the sixth year in a row. Old Dominion is just the fourth group to win six years in a row in this category. They follow The Statler Brothers (1972-77), Rascal Flatts (2003-08) and Little Big Town (2012-17). The Statlers won nine times total, more than any other group in the history of the category.
Fiddler Jenee Fleenor won musician of the year for the fifth year in a row. That’s the longest winning streak in that category since guitarist Mac McAnally won eight years in a row (2008-15). With Fleenor’s win, steel guitarist Paul Franklin lost in the category for the 31st time. That’s not a typo – he has been nominated, and lost, in the category 31 times.
After opening the 2023 CMA Awards alongside Wynonna Judd, Jelly Roll closed out the awards show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (Nov. 8) night with another duet. And while Judd wasn’t by his side this time, he was singing one of her group’s most covered songs – the Judds’ “Love Can Build a Bridge,” […]
When singer-songwriter Joe Diffie died in early 2020, he left behind some of ’90s country music’s most enduring songs — “Home,” “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets),” “Third Rock From the Sun,” “Bigger Than the Beatles,” and more.
During the 2023 CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 8), a multi-genre collaboration brought together Post Malone, Morgan Wallen and HARDY to honor the late artist. Diffie earned three CMA Awards nominations (including one win) during his career.
CMA Awards host Luke Bryan and Joe Diffie’s son Parker Diffie introduced the tribute, also revealing that the songs performed will be included on HARDY’s upcoming third edition of his “Hixtape” series, with a project called Hixtape Volume 3: Difftape. It arrives March 29.
Wallen and HARDY launched with Diffie’s 1993 hit “John Deere Green.” Their voices may not have been pitch perfect at every second of the performance, but it was clear they were having a blast taking on a childhood favorite song before a packed arena crowd.
Post Malone, who will perform during the 2024 Stagecoach Music Festival, has previously delved into country, posting a cover of Brad Paisley’s “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)” and Hank Williams’ “There’s a Tear in My Beer.”
He joined Wallen and HARDY for Diffie’s 1994 hit “Pickup Man,” offering up a solid take on the song. The trio’s versions of both songs are already available.
Post Malone recently teamed up with Noah Kahan for “Dial Drunk,” which reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wallen was nominated that evening for accolades including album of the year and male vocalist of the year.
Wallen is also a finalist at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards. He’s nominated for 17 awards, tied with SZA. (Taylor Swift is the lead finalist with nods in 20 categories.) HARDY is a finalist in the top rock album category. The awards stream Nov. 19 at BBMAs.watch and via Billboard and the BBMAs social channels.
Watch Post Malone, Morgan Wallen and HARDY’s tribute to Joe Diffie at the 2023 CMA Awards below:
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Jelly Roll needs a favor — he wants fans to keep going for their dreams, regardless of their age. The country singer gave a rousing speech after winning the new artist of the year award at the 2023 CMA Awards, held at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (Nov. 8).
As his name was announced by Lady A, the artist gave wife Bunnie Xo a kiss, then hugged fellow nominee Zach Bryan before making his way up to the stage as his song “Need a Favor” — which he performed with Wynonna Judd to kick off the ceremony — played to accept the award.
“I got a thousand people to thank, but most importantly my lord and my wife — I love you so much, you changed my life, baby. Megan, Parker, Hailey I love all of you all — we’re friends,” he said, shouting out the category’s other nominees — Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, and Hailey Whitters. “And Zach Bryan, I think you’re one of the hottest things on Earth, not just country music! You deserve this just as anybody else! I love you, I’m glad we’re sitting there partying the rest of the night, baby.”
Then, Jelly Roll kicked his speech into high gear and addressed his fans with an inspirational message.
“Most importantly, there’s something poetic about a 39-year-old man winning new artist of the year. I don’t know where you’re at in your life or what you’re going through, but I want to tell you to keep going, baby. I want to tell you, ‘Success is on the other side,’” he declared passionately, his voice getting louder with each line, the live crowd cheering him along. “I want to tell you, ‘It’s going to be OK!’ I want to tell you that the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason, because what’s in front of you is so much more important than what’s behind you!”
He concluded his speech by yelling, “Let’s party, Nashville!” raising his trophy in triumph as the arena’s audience gave him a standing ovation.
New artist of the year was just one of the five awards that Jelly Roll was nominated for. He also received nods for single of the year and music video of the year for “Need a Favor,” male vocalist of the year and musical event of the year. The country star is also a finalist in several categories at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, including the top new artist and top rock artist categories. The BBMAs will stream on BBMAs.watch and the Billboard and BBMAs social channels on Nov. 19.
The 2023 CMA Awards were hosted once again by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. The show aired live on ABC.
Watch Jelly Roll’s acceptance speech for new artist of the year below:
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While Jimmy Buffett is best remembered for his tropical rock hits like “Margaritaville,” he’s always held a special place in the country music world — from getting his start as a singer/songwriter in Nashville to teaming up with Alan Jackson for the CMA Award-winning 2003 duet “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.”
So it’s fitting that the 2023 CMA Awards paid tribute to the late superstar on Wednesday night (Nov. 8), with Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band and Mac McAnally — a longtime member of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band — teaming up for a medley of his hits.
Chesney and McAnally kicked things off with “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” trading lyrics and acoustic guitar licks on the 1974 number’s first verse before beautifully harmonizing on the second verse. “Jimmy made a whole world full of friends,” McAnally sang in lieu of the lyric “just a few friends,” before Chesney wrapped up the duet by hollering “Thank you, Jimmy!”
Zac Brown Band — with their namesake frontman appropriately barefoot in shorts — and Jackson were up next, singing “adios, my friend” to Buffett before launching into his signature hit, 1977’s “Margaritaville.” The crowd got in on the party by calling out “Salt! Where’s the damn salt!” during the tequila-soaked chorus.
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Buffett died Sept. 1 at his home in Sag Harbor on Long Island, New York, from skin cancer. He was 76 years old. In addition to winning a CMA Award for vocal event of the year with Jackson for “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” he also won two ACM Awards for the duet: single of the year and vocal event of the year.
In his career, Buffett scored 13 Billboard Hot 100 charting singles — including seven top 40 hits and one top 10 — as well as 40 entries on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Ahead of Wednesday night’s show, Billboard‘s Lyndsey Havens caught up with McAnally on the red carpet, with the musician promising an emotional tribute. “Everybody taking part in it loved Jimmy and he loved everybody taking part in it – and that’s an easy call, because Jimmy loved everybody and he made everybody feel better every time he was in front of them for his whole life, all the way to the end,” McAnally said. “The thing we’re trying to convey is that he was not a fictional character. He was really the guy that you thought he was. He’s gonna be smiling down on us tonight. Because he’s gonna hear some people that loved and put their hearts right up against the microphone and gave it all we got.”
Country music’s brightest gathered at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for the 57th annual CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 8, to celebrate the genre in a star-studded ceremony. The show was once again hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. The ceremony kicked off with a raucous performance by Jelly Roll of his hit “Need a Favor.” […]
Eric Church and Morgan Wallen — two sterling country music headliners– teamed up during Wednesday evening’s (Nov. 8) 2023 CMA Awards. Clad in his signature dark sunglasses, Church traded lines with Wallen on “Man Made a Bar,” a tribute to the hazy, smoke-filled spaces where libations flow freely and the heartbroken escape to find solace […]
Jelly Roll may be one of the CMA Awards‘ big nominees on Wednesday night (Nov. 8), but all his attention was on his wife, Bunnie XO. “My wife wore a black dress with these chains things on it, so I was like — you know how we dress ourselves on red carpets now? I say […]
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 […]