Country

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For a couple minutes there, Jelly Roll and Brooks & Dunn turned the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville into a church with a spiritual performance of “Believe” at the 2024 Country Music Association Awards Wednesday (Nov. 20). With Kix Brooks on piano and Ronnie Dunn sharing lead vocals with the “Son of a Sinner” singer, the […]

Shaboozey proved that there are way more colors in his musical palette than “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” when he took the stage at the 2024 Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 20). The singer, whose signature song has straddled the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for 18 weeks so far — snagging the […]

Post Malone and Chris Stapleton opened the 2024 Country Music Association Awards Wednesday (Nov. 20) with a rockin’ performance of their duet “California Sober.” With both stars wearing cowboy hats and slinging guitars with a full band backing them up, the rapper-turned-country star and Kentucky native brought the energy right away. “She said, ‘I’ll take […]

The 2024 CMA Awards have arrived!
Going into Wednesday’s (Nov. 20) ceremony at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Morgan Wallen is the leading nominee, racking up seven nods, including for the night’s top honor: entertainer of the year. Following Wallen, Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton have five nods each; Post Malone and Lainey Wilson each nabbed four; and Louis Bell, Luke Combs, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney and Kacey Musgraves have three apiece.

But who will emerge the night’s big winner? Follow along with Billboard all night as we keep track of the winners, updating live.

Entertainer of the year

Luke Combs

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Jelly Roll

Chris Stapleton

Morgan Wallen

Lainey Wilson

Single of the year

Award goes to artist(s), producer(s) and mix engineer(s)

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey; Producers: Sean Cook, Nevin Sastry; Mix Engineer: Raul Lopez

“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; Producer: Trent Willmon; Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke

“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone (Feat. Morgan Wallen); Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore

“Watermelon Moonshine” – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce

“White Horse” – Chris Stapleton; Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton; Mix Engineer: Vance Powell

Album of the year  

Award goes to artist, producer(s) and mix engineer(s)

Deeper Well – Kacey Musgraves; Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Tashian; Mix Engineers: Shawn Everett, Konrad Snyder

Fathers & Sons – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews

Higher – Chris Stapleton; Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton; Mix Engineer: Vance Powell

Leather – Cody Johnson; Producer: Trent Willmon; Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke

Whitsitt Chapel – Jelly Roll; Producers: Andrew Baylis, Brock Berryhill, Zach Crowell, Jesse Frasure, David Garcia, Kevin “Thrasher” Gruft, Austin Nivarel, David Ray Stevens; Mix Engineers: Jeff Braun, Jim Cooley

Song of the year 

Award goes to songwriter(s)

“Burn It Down”; Songwriters: Hillary Lindsey, Parker McCollum, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose

“Dirt Cheap”; Songwriter: Josh Phillips

“I Had Some Help”; Songwriters: Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith, Morgan Wallen, Chandler Paul Walters

“The Painter”; Songwriters: Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins, Ryan Larkins

“White Horse”; Songwriters: Chris Stapleton, Dan Wilson

Female vocalist of the year 

Kelsea Ballerini

Ashley McBryde

Megan Moroney

Kacey Musgraves

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

Old Dominion

The Red Clay Strays

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) 

“Cowboys Cry Too” – Kelsea Ballerini (with Noah Kahan); Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym

“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone (Feat. Morgan Wallen); Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins

“I Remember Everything” – Zach Bryan (ft. Kacey Musgraves); Producer: Zach Bryan

“Man Made a Bar” – Morgan Wallen (feat. Eric Church); Producer: Joey Moi

WINNER: “you look like you love me” – Ella Langley (feat. Riley Green); Producer: Will Bundy

Musician of the year

Tom Bukovac – Guitar

Jenee Fleenor – Fiddle

Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar

Rob McNelley – Guitar

Charlie Worsham – Guitar

Music video of the year 

Award goes to artist(s) and director(s)

“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; Director: Dustin Haney

“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone (Feat. Morgan Wallen); Director: Chris Villa

“I’m Not Pretty” – Megan Moroney; Directors: Jeff Johnson, Megan Moroney

“The Painter” – Cody Johnson; Director: Dustin Haney

“Wildflowers and Wild Horses” – Lainey Wilson; Director: Patrick Tracy

New artist of the year

Megan Moroney

Shaboozey

Nate Smith

Mitchell Tenpenny

Zach Top

Bailey Zimmerman

   

Weekly national

“American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Cumulus/Westwood One

“Country Gold with Terri Clark” (Terri Clark) – Westwood One

WINNER: “Crook & Chase Countdown” (Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase) – Jim Owens Entertainment

“Highway Hot 30 with Buzz Brainard” (Buzz Brainard) – SiriusXM

“Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence” (Tracy Lawrence and Patrick Thomas) – Silverfish Media

Daily national

WINNER: “The Bobby Bones Show” (Bobby Bones, Amy Brown, “Lunchbox” Dan Chappell, Eddie Garcia, Morgan Huelsman, “SZN Raymundo” Ray Slater, “Mike D” Rodriguez, Abby Anderson, “Kick Off Kevin” O’Connell, and Stephen “Scuba Steve” Spradlin) – iHeartMedia

“Michael J On Air” (Michael J. Stuehler) – iHeartMedia

“Nights with Elaina” (Elaina Smith) – Westwood One / Cumulus Media

“PickleJar Up All Night with Patrick Thomas” (Patrick Thomas) – PickleJar / Cumulus Media

“Steve Harmon Show” (Steve Harmon) – Westwood One / Cumulus Media

Major market

“The Andie Summers Show” (Andie Summers, Jeff Kurkjian, Donnie Black, and Shannon Boyle) – WXTU, Philadelphia, Pa.

“Chris Carr & Company” (Chris Carr, Kia Becht, and Sam Sansevere) – KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.

WINNER: “Frito & Katy” (Tucker “Frito” Young and Katy Dempsey) – KCYY, San Antonio, Texas

“The Morning Wolfpack with Matt McAllister” (Matt McAllister, Gabe Mercer, and “Captain Ron” Koons) – KKWF, Seattle, Wash.

“The Most Fun Afternoons With Scotty Kay” (Scotty Kay) – WUSN, Chicago, Ill.

Large market

“Dale Carter Morning Show” (Dale Carter) – KFKF, Kansas City, Mo.

“Heather Froglear” (Heather Froglear) – KFRG, Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.

WINNER: “Jesse & Anna” (Jesse Tack and Anna Marie) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio

“Mike & Amanda” (Mike Wheless and Amanda Daughtry) – WQDR, Raleigh-Durham, N.C.

“On-Air with Anthony” (Anthony Donatelli) – KFRG, Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.

Medium market

“Brent Michaels” (Brent Michaels) – KUZZ, Bakersfield, Calif.

“Joey & Nancy” (Joey Tack, Nancy Barger, and Karly Duggan) – WIVK, Knoxville, Tenn.

“New Country Mornings with Nancy and Woody” (Nancy Wilson and Aaron “Woody” Woods) – WHKO, Dayton, Ohio

“Scott and Sarah in the Morning” (Scott Wynn and Sarah Kay) – WQMX, Akron, Ohio

WINNER: “Steve & Gina In The Morning” (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa

Small market

“Dan Austin Show” (Dan Austin) – WQHK, Fort Wayne, Ind.

“Dave and Jenn” (Dave Roberts and Jenn Seay) – WTCR, Huntington-Ashland, W. Va.

WINNER: “The Eddie Foxx Show” (Eddie Foxx and Amanda Foxx) – WKSF, Asheville, N.C.

“Hilley & Hart” (Kevin Hilley and Erin Hart) – KATI, Columbia, Mo.

“Officer Don & DeAnn” (“Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Ky.

Major market

KCYY – San Antonio, Texas

KKBQ – Houston, Texas

KYGO – Denver, Colo.

WXTU – Philadelphia, Pa.

WINNER: WYCD – Detroit, Mich.

Large market

WIRK – West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.

WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.

WINNER: WQDR – Raleigh-Durham, N.C.      

WSIX – Nashville, Tenn.

WWKA – Orlando, Fla.

Medium market

KXKT – Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa

WBEE – Rochester, N.Y.

WIVK – Knoxville, Tenn.

WLFP – Memphis, Tenn.

WINNER: WUSY – Chattanooga, Tenn.

Small market

WCOW – La Crosse, Wis.

WKML – Fayetteville, N.C.

WKXC – Augusta, Ga.

WXFL – Florence-Muscle Shoals, Ala.

WINNER: WYCT – Pensacola, Fla.