Chris Stapleton at the 55th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on November 10, 2021. (Photo courtesy of ABC)
Luke Combs at the 55th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on November 10, 2021. (Photo courtesy of ABC)
Kelsea Ballerini at the 55th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on November 10, 2021. (Photo courtesy of ABC)
With four prizes, Chris Stapleton was the biggest winner at the 55th Annual CMA Awards, which were presented at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 10, 2021. ABC had the U.S. telecast of the ceremony, which was hosted by Luke Bryan. Stapleton received the awards for Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, Single of the Year and Song of the Year—all for “Starting Over.”
Other winners were Luke Combs (who was named Entertainer of the Year) and Kelsea Ballerini, who won two prizes for “Half of My Hometown” (featuring Kenny Chesney): Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year.
Other winners of the 2021 CMA Awards included Old Dominion (Vocal Group of the Year); Brothers Osborne (Vocal Duo of the Year); Carly Pearce (Female Vocalist of the Year); and Jimmie Allen (New Artist of the Year). Eric Church, who was tied with Stapleton with the most nominations (five) going into the ceremony, ended up winning no CMA Awards this year.
Performers at the ceremony included Bryan, Stapleton, Church, Combs, Allen, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Gabby Barrett, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, Jennifer Hudson, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Chris Young, Kane Brown and Zac Brown Band. All-star team-ups included Mickey Guyton featuring Brittney Spencer and Madeline Edwards, as well as Dierks Bentley featuring Breland and Hardy.
Presenters included Trace Adkins, Ingrid Andress, Ballerini, Deana Carter, Lauren Daigle, Russell Dickerson, Faith Fennidy, Florida Georgia Line, Freddie Freeman, Amy Grant, Dulé Hill, Alan Jackson, Elle King, Lady A, Zachary Levi, Scotty McCreery, Hayley Orrantia, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Darius Rucker, Susan Sarandon, Saycon Sengbloh, Kurt Warner, Lainey Wilson and Trisha Yearwood.
The 55th Annual CMA Awards ceremony was a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton was the executive producer. Alan Carter was the director, and David Wild was the head writer.
The following is a complete list of winners and nominees for the 2021 CMA Awards:
*=winner
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Eric Church
Luke Combs*
Miranda Lambert
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
SINGLE OF THE YEAR Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
“Famous Friends” – Chris Young with Kane Brown Producers: Corey Crowder, Chris Young Mix Engineer: Sean Moffitt
“The Good Ones” – Gabby Barrett Producers: Ross Copperman, Zach Kale Mix Engineers: Chris Galland, Manny Marroquin
“Hell Of A View” – Eric Church Producer: Jay Joyce Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
“One Night Standards” – Ashley McBryde Producer: Jay Joyce Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
“Starting Over” – Chris Stapleton* Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton Mix Engineer: Vance Powell
ALBUM OF THE YEAR Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
29 – Carly Pearce Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Jimmy RobbinsMix Engineer: Ryan Gore
Dangerous: The Double Album – Morgan Wallen Producers: Dave Cohen, Matt Dragstrem, Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome and Joey MoiMix Engineer: Joey Moi
Heart – Eric Church Producer: Jay JoyceMix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
Skeletons – Brothers Osborne Producer: Jay JoyceMix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
Starting Over – Chris Stapleton* Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris StapletonMix Engineer: Vance Powell
SONG OF THE YEAR Award goes to Songwriter(s)
“Forever After All” Songwriters: Luke Combs, Drew Parker, Robert Williford
“The Good Ones” Songwriters: Gabby Barrett, Zach Kale, Emily Landis, Jim McCormick
“Hell Of A View” Songwriters: Casey Beathard, Eric Church, Monty Criswell
“One Night Standards” Songwriters: Nicolette Hayford, Shane McAnally, Ashley McBryde
“Starting Over”* Songwriters: Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Gabby Barrett
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Carly Pearce*
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Dierks Bentley
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton*
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
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae
MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR Award goes to Artist(s) and Producer(s)
“Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan Producer: Paul DiGiovanni
“Chasing After You” – Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris Producers: Aaron Eshuis, Teddy Reimer
“Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” – Elle King & Miranda Lambert Producer: Martin Johnson
“Famous Friends” – Chris Young with Kane Brown Producers: Corey Crowder, Chris Young
“Half of My Hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini (featuring Kenny Chesney)* Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Ross Copperman, Jimmy Robbins
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle*
Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar
Aaron Sterling, Drums
Ilya Toshinskiy, Banjo
Derek Wells, Guitar
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR Award goes to Artist(s) and Director(s)
“Chasing After You” – Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris Director: TK McKamy
“Famous Friends” – Chris Young with Kane Brown Director: Peter Zavadil
“Gone” – Dierks Bentley Directors: Wes Edwards, Travis Nicholson, Ed Pryor, Running Bear, Sam Siske
“Half of My Hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini (featuring Kenny Chesney)* Director: Patrick Tracy
“Younger Me” – Brothers Osborne Director: Reid Long
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jimmie Allen*
Ingrid Andress
Gabby Barrett
Mickey Guyton
HARDY
The presentations of the following CMA Awards were not televised:
*=winner
“THE 55th ANNUAL CMA AWARDS” – FINALISTS FOR BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR (by market size):
Weekly National
“American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Westwood One
“The Crook & Chase Countdown” (Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase) – iHeartMedia
“Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence” (Tracy Lawrence and Patrick Thomas) – Compass Media Networks
Daily National
“The Big D and Bubba Show” (Derek Haskins, Sean Powell, Patrick Thomas and Carsen Humphreville) – Compass Media Networks
“The Bobby Bones Show” (Bobby Bones, Amy Brown, “Lunchbox” Dan Chappell, Eddie Garcia, “Morgan #2” Huelsman, “Raymundo” Ray Slater, “Scuba Steve” Stephen Spradlin, “Mike D” Rodriguez and “Utility Hillary” Borden) – Premiere Networks
“CMT After Midnite” (Cody Alan) – Premiere Networks*
“The Lia Show” (Lia Knight) – Westwood One
“The Music Row Happy Hour” (Buzz Brainard and Ania Hammar) – Sirius XM Satellite Radio
Major Market
“Angie Ward” – WUBL, Atlanta, Ga.
“Double-L” (Lois Lewis) – KNIX, Phoenix, Ariz.*
“Hawkeye in the Morning with Hawkeye and Michelle” (“Hawkeye” Mark Louis Rybczyk and Michelle Rodriguez) – KSCS, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas
“The Morning Bull: George, Mo & Cowboy Dave” (George Lindsey, “Mo” Monica Lunsford and “Cowboy Dave” Bayless) – KILT, Houston, Texas
“Tampa Bay’s Morning Krewe with J.R., Launa and Kevin” (“J.R.” Jon Jaus, Launa Phillips and Kevin Ebel) – WQYK, Tampa Bay, Fla.
Large Market
“Jesse Tack” – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
“Jim, Deb & Kevin” (Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt and Kevin Freeman) – WFMS, Indianapolis, Ind.
“Lexi & Banks” (“Lexi” Elena Abatgis and “Banks” Jared Danielson) – KUBL, Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, Utah
“Ridder, Scott and Shannen” (“Ridder” Shaun Ridderbush, Scott Dolphin, and Shannen Oesterreich) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.*
“The Wayne D Show” (“Wayne D” Danielson and Taylor Rosenberg) – WSIX, Nashville, Tenn.
Medium Market
“Brent Michaels” – KUZZ, Bakersfield, Calif.
“Ellis and Bradley Show” (Bill Ellis and Beth Bradley) – WSSL, Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.
“Julie and DJ in the Morning” (“Julie K” Kansy and “D.J. Thee Trucker” Dale Sellers) – WPCV, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
Miranda Lambert at the 54th Annual CMA Awards at Music City Center in Nashville on November 11, 2020. (Photo courtesy of ABC)
Dan + Shay at the 54th Annual CMA Awards at Music City Center in Nashville on November 11, 2020. (Photo courtesy of ABC)
Thomas Rhett at the 54th Annual CMA Awards at Music City Center in Nashville on November 11, 2020. (Photo courtesy of ABC)
The following is a press release from the Academy of Country Music, CBS and Dick Clark Productions:
CBS, The Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions announced today the full superstar performance lineup for the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards, airing live on Sunday, April 18 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.
The artists include Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Lee Brice, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Mickey Guyton, Ryan Hurd, Jack Ingram, Alan Jackson, Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Carly Pearce, Jon Randall, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, The War and Treaty, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Cece Winans and Chris Young.
Over 30 performances from more than 25 artists will take place from three iconic Country Music venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe. Additional details on the exciting performances including unprecedented collaborations and surprising moments will be announced in the coming weeks.
Hosted by 15-time ACM Award winner Keith Urban and New Female Artist of the Year nominee Mickey Guyton, the 56th ACM Awards honor and showcase the biggest names and emerging talent in Country Music. Official 56th ACM Awards sponsors include 1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel-Aged Wine, Ford, Security Benefit and T-Mobile.
The health and safety of the artists, fans, industry, staff and partners involved in the ACM Awards is the number one priority. All guidelines set forth by national, state and local health officials will be closely followed and implemented during the production along with additional safety measures to be instated by dick clark productions and the Academy of Country Music.
For more information, visit ACMcountry.com. You can also like Academy of Country Music on Facebook, follow on Twitter at @ACMawards, follow on Instagram at @ACMawards and sign up for the FREE ACM A-List for more immediate updates.
About the Academy of Country Music Awards(TM)
The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the Country Music industry. The show is produced for television by Dick Clark Productions. R.A. Clark, Barry Adelman and Linda Gierahn are executive producers. Damon Whiteside is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.
April 13, 2021 UPDATE:
CBS, The Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions announced today the exciting collaborations and must-see moments that will take center stage at the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards. Hosted by Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton, the 56th ACM Awards will air live on Sunday, April 18 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
The 56th ACM Awards will feature an unprecedented number of world television premiere performances, including Elle King and Miranda Lambert opening the show with “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”; Dierks Bentley performing U2’s poignant classic “Pride (In The Name of Love)” with husband and wife duo The War and Treaty; Brothers Osborne (“I’m Not For Everyone”); Kenny Chesney (“Knowing You”); Eric Church (“Bunch Of Nothing”); Luke Combs (“Forever After All”); Dan + Shay (“Glad You Exist”); Mickey Guyton (“Hold On”); Alan Jackson with “You’ll Always Be My Baby” and a special mashup for “Drive (For Daddy Gene)”; Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall (“In His Arms”); Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd (“Chasing After You”); Thomas Rhett premiering “What’s Your Country Song” while also performing “Country Again”; Blake Shelton celebrating the 20th Anniversary of his first hit single “Austin” as well as “Minimum Wage”; Chris Stapleton (“Maggie’s Song”); and Chris Young and Kane Brown (“Famous Friends”).
Additional powerful collaborations include Carly Pearce and Lee Brice duetting on “I Hope You’re Happy Now”; Carrie Underwood performing a medley from her new album of gospel hymns, My Savior, which will also feature a duet with CeCe Winans; and Kelsea Ballerini and Kenny Chesney performing together for “half of my hometown.”
Also, it was announced today that Lady A will join the lineup with recently revealed New Male Artist of the Year Jimmie Allen and New Female Artist of the Year Gabby Barrett, who will all perform on this year’s show. Previously announced performers include Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde and Keith Urban. Additional details on these performances, this year’s presenters and more will be announced in the coming days.
The unforgettable evening showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in Country Music will take place from three iconic Country Music venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe and also feature performances at legendary locations across the city including the Station Inn, Bridge Building and on Broadway.
Beyoncé at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. (Photo by Cliff Lipson/CBS)
Taylor Swift at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. (Photo by Francis Specker/CBS)
Billie Eilish and Finneas at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. (Photo by Francis Specker/CBS)
Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Beyoncé were among the top winners at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, which were presented in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. The show was originally scheduled to take place at the Staples Center, but due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, performances were held inside an unnamed alternate building, while the awards were given at an outside location directly across from the Staples Center. Trevor Noah hosted the show, which was televised in the U.S. on CBS and Paramount+.
Swift won Album of the Year for “Folklore,” and she became the first artist in Grammy history to win three Grammys for Album of the Year. It was the only award that she won at the 2021 Grammy ceremony. Swift previously won Grammys for Album of the Year for 2008’s “Fearless” and 2014’s “1989.”
Eilish received two prizes at the 2021 Grammy Awards: Record of the Year (for “Everything I Wanted”) and Best Song Written for Visual Media (for “No Time to Die”). These wins came a year after Eilish swept all four of the General Field categories (Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist) at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Beyoncé had the most nominations (nine) at the 2021 Grammy Awards. She ended up winning four: “Black Parade” won for Best R&B Performance; “Brown Skin Girl” won for Best Music Video/Film (an award she shares with her daughter Blue Ivy and rapper WizKid); and as a featured artist and co-writer on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage,” Beyoncé won for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. Beyoncé’s Grammy haul brought her total to 28 Grammys in her career so far. Beyoncé now holds the record as the female artist with the most Grammys, breaking the previous record held by Alison Krauss, who has 27 Grammys.
Other winners in major categories included H.E.R.’s “I Can’t Breathe” (Song of the Year); Megan Thee Stallion (Best New Artist); Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” (Best Pop Vocal Album); Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” (Best Pop Vocal Performance); and Lady Gaga With Ariana Grande’s “Rain on Me” (Best Pop/Duo Vocal Performance).
The performers at the 2021 Grammy Awards included Bad Bunny, Black Pumas, Cardi B, BTS, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Eilish, Mickey Guyton, Haim, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Lipa, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Megan Thee Stallion, Maren Morris, Post Malone, Bruno Mars, Roddy Ricch, Styles and Swift.
The Grammy nominations and awards are voted for by the Recording Academy. The 2021 Grammy Awards ceremony was produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy. Ben Winston was executive producer, Jesse Collins and Raj Kapoor were co-executive producers; and Fatima Robinson, Josie Cliff and David Wild were producers, Patrick Menton was talent producer, and Hamish Hamilton was director.
Here is the complete list of winners and nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards:
*=winner
General Field
Record of the Year
“Black Parade” — Beyoncé — Beyoncé & Derek Dixie, producers; Stuart White, engineer/mixer; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
“Colors” — Black Pumas — Adrian Quesada, producer; Adrian Quesada, engineer/mixer; JJ Golden, mastering engineer
“Rockstar” —DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch — SethinTheKitchen, producer; Derek “MixedByAli” Ali, Chris Dennis & Liz Robson, engineers/mixers; Susan Tabor, mastering engineer
“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish — Finneas O’Connell, producer; Rob Kinelski & Finneas O’Connell, engineers/mixers; John Greenham, mastering engineer*
“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa — Caroline Ailin & Ian Kirkpatrick, producers; Josh Gudwin, Drew Jurecka & Ian Kirkpatrick, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
“Circles” — Post Malone — Louis Bell, Frank Dukes & Post Malone, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé — Beyoncé & J. White Did It, producers; Stuart White, engineer/mixer; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
Album of the Year
“Chilombo” — Jhené Aiko — Fisticuffs & Julian-Quán Việt Lê, producers; Fisticuffs, Julian-Quán Việt Lê, Zeke Mishanec, Christian Plata & Gregg Rominiecki, engineers/mixers; Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo, Julian-Quán Việt Lê, Maclean Robinson & Brian Keith Warfield, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer
“Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition)” — Black Pumas — Jon Kaplan & Adrian Quesada, producers; Adrian Quesada, Jacob Sciba, Stuart Sikes & Erik Wofford, engineers/mixers; Eric Burton & Adrian Quesada, songwriters; JJ Golden, mastering engineer
“Everyday Life” — Coldplay — Daniel Green, Bill Rahko & Rik Simpson, producers; Mark “Spike” Stent, engineer/mixer; Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer
“Djesse Vol.3” — Jacob Collier — Jacob Collier, producer; Ben Bloomberg & Jacob Collier, engineers/mixers; Jacob Collier, songwriter; Chris Allgood & Emily Lazar, mastering engineers
“Women in Music Pt. III” — HAIM — Rostam Batmanglij, Danielle Haim & Ariel Rechtshaid, producers; Rostam Batmanglij, Jasmine Chen, John DeBold, Matt DiMona, Tom Elmhirst, Joey Messina-Doerning & Ariel Rechtshaid, engineers/mixers; Rostam Batmanglij, Alana Haim, Danielle Haim, Este Haim & Ariel Rechtshaid, songwriters; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer
“Future Nostalgia” — Dua Lipa — Koz, producer; Josh Gudwin & Cameron Gower Poole, engineers/mixers; Clarence Coffee Jr. & Dua Lipa, songwriters; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
“Hollywood’s Bleeding” — Post Malone — Louis Bell & Frank Dukes, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
“Folklore” — Taylor Swift — Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, producers; Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Jonathan Low & Laura Sisk, engineers/mixers; Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer*
Song of the Year
“Black Parade” — Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“The Box” — Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“Cardigan” — Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
Circles Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters (Post Malone)
“Don’t Start Now” — Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa & Emily Warren, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
“On The Tender Spot Of Every Calloused Moment” — Ambrose Akinmusire
“Waiting Game” — Terri Lyne Carrington and Social Science
“Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard” — Gerald Clayton
“Trilogy 2” — Chick Corea, Christian Mcbride & Brian Blade*
“Roundagain” — Redman Mehldau McBride Blade
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
“Dialogues on Race” — Gregg August
“Monk’estra Plays John Beasley” — John Beasley
“The Intangible Between” — Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band
“Songs You Like a Lot” — John Hollenbeck with Theo Bleckmann, Kate Mcgarry, Gary Versace and the Frankfurt Radio Big Band
“Data Lords” —Maria Schneider Orchestra*
Best Latin Jazz Album
“Tradiciones” — Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra*
“Four Questions” — Arturo O’farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
“City of Dreams” — Chico Pinheiro
“Viento y Tiempo – Live at Blue Note Tokyo” — Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola
“Trane’s Delight” — Poncho Sanchez
Field 11 – Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music
Best Gospel Performance/Song
“Wonderful Is Your Name” — Melvin Crispell III
“Release (Live)” — Ricky Dillard Featuring Tiff Joy; David Frazier, songwriter “Come Together” — Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins Presents: The Good News; Lashawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Lecrae Moore & Jazz Nixon, songwriters
“Won’t Let Go” — Travis Greene; Travis Greene, songwriter
“Movin’ On” — Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music; Darryl L. Howell, Jonathan Caleb McReynolds, Kortney Jamaal Pollard & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters*
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
“The Blessing (Live)” — Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes & Elevation Worship; Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe Carnes & Steven Furtick, songwriters
“Sunday Morning” — Lecrae Featuring Kirk Franklin; Denisia Andrews, Jones Terrence Antonio, Saint Bodhi, Brittany Coney, Kirk Franklin, Lasanna Harris, Shama Joseph, Stuart Lowery, Lecrae Moore & Nathanael Saint-Fleur, songwriters “Holy Water” — We The Kingdom; Andrew Bergthold, Ed Cash, Franni Cash, Martin Cash & Scott Cash, songwriters
“Famous For (I Believe)” — Tauren Wells Featuring Jenn Johnson; Chuck Butler, Krissy Nordhoff, Jordan Sapp, Alexis Slifer & Tauren Wells, songwriters
“There Was Jesus” — Zach Williams & Dolly Parton; Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters*
Best Gospel Album
“2econd Wind: Ready” — Anthony Brown & Group Therapy
“My Tribute” — Myron Butler
“Choirmaster” — Ricky Dillard
“Gospel According to PJ” — PJ Morton*
“Kierra” — Kierra Sheard
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
“Run to the Father” — Cody Carnes
All of My Best Friends” — Hillsong Young & Free
“Holy Water” — We the Kingdom
“Citizen of Heaven” — Tauren Wells
“Jesus Is King” — Kanye West*
Best Roots Gospel Album
“Beautiful Day” — Mark Bishop
“20/20” — The Crabb Family
“What Christmas Really Means” — The Erwins
“Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album)” — Fisk Jubilee Singers*
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
“Hecho En México” — Alejandro Fernández
“La Serenata” — Lupita Infante
“Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1” — Natalia Lafourcade*
“Bailando Sones Y Huapangos Con Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez” — Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez
“Ayayay!” — Christian Nodal
Best Tropical Latin Album
“Mi Tumbao” — José Alberto “El Ruiseñor”
“Infinito” — Edwin Bonilla
“Sigo Cantando Al Amor (Deluxe)” — Jorge Celedon & Sergio Luis
“40” — Grupo Niche*
“Memorias De Navidad” — Víctor Manuelle
Field 13 – American Roots Music
Best American Roots Performance
“Colors” — Black Pumas
“Deep in Love” — Bonny Light Horseman
“Short and Sweet” — Brittany Howard
“I’ll Be Gone” — Norah Jones & Mavis Staples
“I Remember Everything” — John Prine*
Best American Roots Song
“Cabin” — Laura Rogers & Lydia Rogers, songwriters (The Secret Sisters)
“Ceiling to the Floor” — Sierra Hull & Kai Welch, songwriters (Sierra Hull)
“Hometown” — Sarah Jarosz, songwriter (Sarah Jarosz)
“I Remember Everything” — Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)*
“Man Without a Soul” — Tom Overby & Lucinda Williams, songwriters (Lucinda Williams)
Best Americana Album
“Old Flowers” — Courtney Marie Andrews
“Terms of Surrender” — Hiss Golden Messenger
“World on the Ground” — Sarah Jarosz*
“El Dorado” — Marcus King
“Good Souls Better Angels” — Lucinda Williams
Best Bluegrass Album
“Man on Fire” — Danny Barnes
“To Live in Two Worlds, Vol. 1” — Thomm Jutz
“North Carolina Songbook” — Steep Canyon Rangers
“Home” — Billy Strings*
“The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 1” (Various Artists)
Best Traditional Blues Album
“All My Dues Are Paid” — Frank Bey
“You Make Me Feel” — Don Bryant
“That’s What I Heard” — Robert Cray Band
“Cypress Grove” — Jimmy “Duck” Holmes
“Rawer Than Raw” — Bobby Rush*
Best Contemporary Blues Album
“Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?” — Fantastic Negrito*
“Live at the Paramount” — Ruthie Foster Big Band
“The Juice” — G. Love
“Blackbirds” — Bettye Lavette
“Up and Rolling” — North Mississippi Allstars
Best Folk Album
“Bonny Light Horseman” — Bonny Light Horseman
“Thanks for the Dance” — Leonard Cohen
“Song for Our Daughter” — Laura Marling
“Saturn Return” — The Secret Sisters
“All the Good Times” — Gillian Welch & David Rawlings*
Best Regional Roots Music Album
“My Relatives” — “Nikso Kowaiks” Black Lodge Singers
“Cameron Dupuy and the Cajun Troubadours” — Cameron Dupuy And The Cajun Troubadours
“Lovely Sunrise” — Nā Wai ʽehā
“Atmosphere” — New Orleans Nightcrawlers*
“A Tribute to Al Berard” — Sweet Cecilia
Field 14 – Reggae
Best Reggae Album
“Upside Down 2020” — Buju Banton
“Higher Place” — Skip Marley
“It All Comes Back to Love” — Maxi Priest
“Got to Be Tough” — Toots & the Maytals*
“One World” — The Wailers
Field 15 – Global Music
Best Global Music Album
“Fu Chronicles” — Antibalas
“Twice As Tall” — Burna Boy*
“Agora” — Bebel Gilberto
“Love Letters” — Anoushka Shankar
“Amadjar” — Tinariwen
Field 16 – Children’s
Best Children’s Music Album
“All the Ladies” — Joanie Leeds*
“Be a Pain: An Album for Young (and Old) Leaders” — Alastair Moock And Friends
“I’m an Optimist” — Dog On Fleas
“Songs for Singin’” — The Okee Dokee Brothers
“Wild Life” — Justin Roberts
Field 17 – Spoken Word
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)
“Acid for the Children: A Memoir” — Flea
“Alex Trebek – The Answer Is…” — Ken Jennings
“Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth” — Rachel Maddow*
“Catch and Kill” — Ronan Farrow
“Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)” — Meryl Streep (& Full cast)
Field 18 – Comedy
Best Comedy Album
“Black Mitzvah” — Tiffany Haddish*
“I Love Everything” — Patton Oswalt
“The Pale Tourist” — Jim Gaffigan
“Paper Tiger” — Bill Burr
“23 Hours to Kill” — Jerry Seinfeld
Field 19 – Musical Theater
Best Musical Theater Album
“Amélie” — Audrey Brisson, Chris Jared, Caolan McCarthy & Jez Unwin, principal soloists; Michael Fentiman, Sean Patrick Flahaven, Barnaby Race & Nathan Tysen, producers; Nathan Tysen, lyricist; Daniel Messe, composer & lyricist (Original London Cast)
“American Utopia on Broadway” — David Byrne, principal soloist; David Byrne, producer (David Byrne, composer & lyricist) (Original Cast)
“Jagged Little Pill” — Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & Elizabeth Stanley, principal soloists; Neal Avron, Pete Ganbarg, Tom Kitt, Michael Parker, Craig Rosen & Vivek J. Tiwary, producers (Glen Ballard & Alanis Morissette, lyricists) (Original Broadway Cast)*
“Little Shop of Horrors” — Tammy Blanchard, Jonathan Groff & Tom Alan Robbins, principal soloists; Will Van Dyke, Michael Mayer, Alan Menken & Frank Wolf, producers (Alan Menken, composer; Howard Ashman, lyricist) (The New Off-Broadway Cast)
“The Prince of Egypt” — Christine Allado, Luke Brady, Alexia Khadime & Liam Tamne, principal soloists; Dominick Amendum & Stephen Schwartz, producers; Stephen Schwartz, composer & lyricist (Original Cast)
“Soft Power” — Francis Jue, Austin Ku, Alyse Alan Louis & Conrad Ricamora, principal soloists; Matt Stine, producer; David Henry Hwang, lyricist; Jeanine Tesori, composer & lyricist (Original Cast)
Field 20 – Music for Visual Media
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (Various Artists)
“Bill & Ted Face the Music” (Various Artists)
“Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga” (Various Artists)
“Frozen 2” (Various Artists)
“Jojo Rabbit” (Various Artists)*
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
“Ad Astra” — Max Richter, composer
“Becoming” — Kamasi Washington, composer
“Joker” — Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer*
“1917” — Thomas Newman, composer
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” — John Williams, composer
Best Song Written For Visual Media Category
“Beautiful Ghosts” (from “Cats”) — Andrew Lloyd Webber & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
“Carried Me With You” (from “Onward”) — Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
“Into the Unknown” (from “Frozen 2”) — Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, songwriters (Idina Menzel & Aurora)
“No Time to Die” (from “No Time to Die”) — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas Baird O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)*
“From This Place” — Alan Broadbent & Pat Metheny, arrangers (Pat Metheny Featuring Meshell Ndegeocello)
“He Won’t Hold You” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Rapsody)*
“Slow Burn” — Talia Billig, Nic Hard & Becca Stevens, arrangers (Becca Stevens Featuring Jacob Collier, Mark Lettieri, Justin Stanton, Jordan Perlson, Nic Hard, Keita Ogawa, Marcelo Woloski & Nate Werth)
Field 22 – Package
Best Recording Package
“Everyday Life” — Pilar Zeta, art director (Coldplay)
“Funeral” — Kyle Goen, art director (Lil Wayne)
“Healer” — Julian Gross & Hannah Hooper, art directors (Grouplove)
“On Circles” — Jordan Butcher, art director (Caspian)
“Vols. 11 & 12” — Doug Cunningham & Jason Noto, art directors (Desert Sessions)*
Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package
“Flaming Pie (Collector’s Edition)” — Linn Wie Andersen, Simon Earith, Paul McCartney & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney)
“Giants Stadium 1987, 1989, 1991” — Lisa Glines & Doran Tyson, art directors (Grateful Dead)
“Mode” — Jeff Schulz, art director (Depeche Mode)
“Ode to Joy” — Lawrence Azerrad & Jeff Tweedy, art directors (Wilco)*
“The Story of Ghostly International” — Michael Cina & Molly Smith, art directors (Various Artists)
Field 23 – Notes
Best Album Notes
“At the Minstrel Show: Minstrel Routines From the Studio, 1894-1926” — Tim Brooks, album notes writer (Various Artists)
“The Bakersfield Sound: Country Music Capital of the West, 1940-1974” — Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Various Artists)
“Dead Man’s Pop” — Bob Mehr, album notes writer (The Replacements)*
“The Missing Link: How Gus Haenschen Got Us From Joplin to Jazz and Shaped the Music Business” — Colin Hancock, album notes writer (Various Artists)
“Out of a Clear Blue Sky” — David Sager, album notes writer (Nat Brusiloff)
Field 24 – Historical
Best Historical Album
“Celebrated, 1895-1896” — Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilation producers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer (Unique Quartette)
“Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936 – 1943)” — Zev Feldman, Will Friedwald & George Klabin, compilation producers; Matthew Lutthans, mastering engineer (Nat King Cole)
“It’s Such a Good Feeling: The Best of Mister Rogers” — Lee Lodyga & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Mister Rogers)*
“1999 Super Deluxe Edition” — Michael Howe, compilation producer; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Prince)
“Souvenir” — Carolyn Agger, compilation producer; Miles Showell, mastering engineer (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
“Throw Down Your Heart: The Complete Africa Sessions” — Béla Fleck, compilation producer; Richard Dodd, mastering engineer (Béla Fleck)
Field 25 – Production, Non-Classical
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
“Black Hole Rainbow” — Shawn Everett & Ivan Wayman, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Devon Gilfillian)
“Expectations” — Gary Paczosa & Mike Robinson, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Katie Pruitt)
“Hyperspace” — Drew Brown, Andrew Coleman, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, Jaycen Joshua & Mike Larson, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Beck)*
“25 Trips” — Shani Gandhi & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Adam Grover, mastering engineer (Sierra Hull)
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff — “August” (Taylor Swift), “Gaslighter” (The Chicks), “Holy Terrain” (FKA Twigs Featuring Future), “Mirrorball” (Taylor Swift), “This Is Me Trying” (Taylor Swift), “Together” (Sia)
Dan Auerbach — “Cypress Grove” (Jimmy “Duck” Holmes), “El Dorado” (Marcus King), “Is Thomas Callaway” (CeeLo Green), “Singing For My Supper” (Early James), “Solid Gold Sounds” (Kendell Marvel), “Years” (John Anderson)
Dave Cobb — “Backbone” (Kaleo), “The Balladeer” (Lori McKenna), “Boneshaker” (Airbourne), “Down Home Christmas” (Oak Ridge Boys), “The Highwomen” (The Highwomen), “I Remember Everything” (John Prine), “Reunions” (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit), “The Spark” (William Prince), “You’re Still The One” (Teddy Swims)
Flying Lotus — “It Is What It Is” (Thundercat)
Andrew Watt — “Break My Heart” (Dua Lipa), “Me And My Guitar” (A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie), “Midnight Sky” (Miley Cyrus), “Old Me” (5 Seconds Of Summer), “Ordinary Man” (Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Elton John), “Take What You Want” (Post Malone Featuring Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott), “Under The Graveyard” (Ozzy Osbourne)*
Best Remixed Recording
“Do You Ever (Rac Mix)” — Rac, Remixer (Phil Good)
“Imaginary Friends (Morgan Page Remix)” — Morgan Page, Remixer (Deadmau5)
“Praying for You (Louie Vega Main Remix)” — Louie Vega, Remixer (Jasper Street Co.)
N/A: Due the COVID-19 pandemic, the Best Immersive Audio Album Craft “Committee was unable to meet. The judging of the entries in this category has been postponed until such time that we are able to meet in a way that is appropriate to judge the many formats and configurations of the entries and is safe for the committee members.”
Field 27 – Production, Classical
Best Engineered Album, Classical
“Danielpour: The Passion Of Yeshua” — Bernd Gottinger, engineer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)
“Gershwin: Porgy And Bess” — David Frost & John Kerswell, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (David Robertson, Eric Owens, Angel Blue, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)
“Hynes: Fields” — Kyle Pyke, engineer; Jesse Lewis & Kyle Pyke, mastering engineers (Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion)
“Ives: Complete Symphonies” — Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, engineers; Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineers (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
“Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, ‘Babi Yar’” — David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)*
Producer of the Year, Classical
Blanton Alspaugh
David Frost*
Jesse Lewis
Dmitriy Lipay
Elaine Martone
Field 28 – Classical
Best Orchestral Performance
“Aspects of America – Pulitzer Edition” Carlos Kalmar, conductor (Oregon Symphony)
“Copland: Symphony No. 3” — Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
“Ives: Complete Symphonies” — Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)*
“Lutosławski: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3” — Hannu Lintu, conductor (Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra)
Best Opera Recording
“Dello Joio: The Trial at Rouen” — Gil Rose, conductor; Heather Buck & Stephen Powell; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Odyssey Opera Chorus)
“Floyd, C.: Prince of Players” — William Boggs, conductor; Keith Phares & Kate Royal; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Florentine Opera Chorus)
“Gershwin: Porgy and Bess” — David Robertson, conductor; Angel Blue & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)*
“Handel: Agrippina” — Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor; Joyce DiDonato; Daniel Zalay, producer (Il Pomo D’Oro)
“Zemlinsky: Der Zwerg” — Donald Runnicles, conductor; David Butt Philip & Elena Tsallagova; Peter Ghirardini & Erwin Stürzer, producers (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin)
Best Choral Performance
“Carthage” — Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)
“Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua” — JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J’Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann & Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus & UCLA Chamber Singers)
“Kastalsky: Requiem” — Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Charles Bruffy, Steven Fox & Benedict Sheehan, chorus masters (Joseph Charles Beutel & Anna Dennis; Orchestra Of St. Luke’s; Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, Kansas City Chorale & The Saint Tikhon Choir)
“Moravec: Sanctuary Road” — Kent Tritle, conductor (Joshua Blue, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Dashon Burton, Malcolm J. Merriweather & Laquita Mitchell; Oratorio Society Of New York Orchestra; Oratorio Society Of New York Chorus)
“Once Upon a Time” — Matthew Guard, conductor (Sarah Walker; Skylark Vocal Ensemble)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
“Contemporary Voices” — Pacifica Quartet*
“Healing Modes” — Brooklyn Rider
“Hearne, T.: Place” — Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra
“Hynes: Fields” — Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion
“The Schumann Quartets” — Dover Quartet
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
“Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra” — Kirill Gerstein; Thomas Adès, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
“Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas” — Igor Levit
“Bohemian Tales” — Augustin Hadelich; Jakub Hrůša, conductor (Charles Owen; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks)
“Destination Rachmaninov – Arrival” Daniil Trifonov; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
“Theofanidis: Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra” — Richard O’Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)*
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
“American Composers at Play” — William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto Stephen Powell (Attacca Quartet, William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto, Charles Neidich & Jason Vieaux)
“Clairières – Songs by Lili & Nadia Boulanger” — Nicholas Phan; Myra Huang, accompanist
“Farinelli” — Cecilia Bartoli; Giovanni Antonini, conductor (Il Giardino Armonico) “A Lad’s Love” — Brian Giebler; Steven McGhee, accompanist (Katie Hyun, Michael Katz, Jessica Meyer, Reginald Mobley & Ben Russell)
“Smyth: The Prison” — Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra)*
Best Classical Compendium
“Adès Conducts Adès” — Mark Stone & Christianne Stotijn; Thomas Adès, conductor; Nick Squire, producer
“Saariaho: Graal Théâtre; Circle Map; Neiges; Vers Toi Qui Es Si Loin” — Clément Mao-Takacs, conductor; Hans Kipfer, producer
“Serebrier: Symphonic Bach Variations; Laments And Hallelujahs; Flute Concerto” — José Serebrier, conductor; Jens Braun, producer
“Thomas, M.T.: From The Diary of Anne Frank & Meditations on Rilke” — Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer*
“Woolf, L.P.: Fire And Flood” — Matt Haimovitz; Julian Wachner, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
“Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra” — Thomas Adès, composer (Kirill Gerstein, Thomas Adès & Boston Symphony Orchestra)
“Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua” — Richard Danielpour, composer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)
“Floyd, C.: Prince of Players” — Carlisle Floyd, composer (William Boggs, Kate Royal, Keith Phares, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
“Hearne, T.: Place” — Ted Hearne, composer (Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra)
“Brown Skin Girl” — Beyoncé, Blue Ivy & WizKid — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Jenn Nkiru, Video Directors; Lauren Baker, Astrid Edwards, Nathan Scherrer & Erinn Williams, Video Producers*
“Life Is Good” — Future Featuring Drake — Julien Christian Lutz, Video Director; Harv Glazer, Video Producer
“Lockdown” — Anderson .Paak — Dave Meyers, Video Director; Nathan Scherrer, Video Producer
“Adore You” — Harry Styles — Dave Meyers, Video Director; Nathan Scherrer, Video Producer
“Goliath” — Woodkid — Yoann Lemoine, video director
Best Music Film
“Beastie Boys Story” — Beastie Boys — Spike Jonze, video director; Amanda Adelson, Jason Baum & Spike Jonze, video producers
“Black Is King” — Beyoncé
“We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” — Freestyle Love Supreme — Andrew Fried, Video Director; Andrew Fried, Jill Furman, Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sarina Roma, Jenny Steingart & Jon Steingart, video producers
“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice” — Linda Ronstadt — Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, video directors; Michele Farinola & James Keach, video producers*
“That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” — ZZ Top — Sam Dunn, video director; Scot McFadyen, video producer
Cardi B at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 1, 2019. (Photo by Todd Williamson/NBC)
Post Malone at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on October 14, 2020. (Photo by Rich Polk/NBC)
Taylor Swift at the world premiere of “Cats” in New York City on December 16, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)
The following is a press release from CBS and the Recording Academy:
CBS and the Recording Academy(R) announced the full lineup of performers for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Hosted by Trevor Noah, CBS presents the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards live, Sunday, March 14, (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/5:00-8:00 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
The performers include Bad Bunny, Black Pumas, Cardi B, BTS, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Mickey Guyton, Haim, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Megan Thee Stallion, Maren Morris, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, Harry Styles and Taylor Swift. Artists will come together, while still safely apart, to play music for each other as a community and celebrate the music that unites us.
Additionally, Music’s Biggest Night will pay tribute to independent venues, that have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. From bartenders to box office managers, the people who work day-to-day at the Troubadour (Los Angeles), Hotel Café (Los Angeles), the Apollo Theater (New York City) and The Station Inn (Nashville) will present awards for various categories throughout the night.
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards are produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy. Ben Winston is executive producer, Jesse Collins and Raj Kapoor are co-executive producers, Fatima Robinson, Josie Cliff and David Wild are producers, Patrick Menton is talent producer, and Hamish Hamilton is director.
About the Recording Academy
The Recording Academy(R) represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music’s history while investing in its future through the Grammy Museum, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares, and celebrates artistic excellence through the Grammy Awards — music’s only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world’s leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.
The following is a press release from Dick Clark Productions and CBS:
Winners have been announced for the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards, a night of heart and hits live from Nashville. Fifteen-time ACM Award-winning artist Keith Urban hosted the show, featuring three iconic Nashville venues, including Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe. For the first time in ACM Awards history, Thomas Rhett and Carrie Underwood tied for the Academy’s highest honor Entertainer of the Year Award – the first ever tie in that category. This is Rhett’s first win in the Entertainer of the Year category, and Underwood’s third win, making her the most awarded female in the ACM Entertainer of the Year category.
Old Dominion won Group of the Year Award for the third consecutive year and won their first Song of the Year Award for “One Man Band” with Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen and Brad Tursi each receiving an additional win as songwriters. This marks two overall wins as a group, with Ramsey, Rosen and Tursi leading the night with three individual wins, each. Miranda Lambert continues her reign as most-awarded artist in ACM Awards history with 35 wins, after taking home this year’s trophy in Music Event of the Year category for “Fooled Around And Fell In Love.” Dan + Shay won Duo of the Year marking their second win in a row in the category.
The evening continued with more first-time wins including Luke Combs earning his first Male Artist of the Year Award and his first-ever win for Album of the Year for “What You See Is What You Get.” Maren Morris won her first Female Artist of the Year Award and her first Music Event of the Year for “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” alongside Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack & Elle King. Blake Shelton won Single of the Year Award for “God’s Country” making this his first-ever win in the category.
Previously announced, Riley Green won New Male Artist of the Year and Tenille Townes won New Female Artist of the Year. Townes also won her first Music Event of the Year and both performed on the telecast and are featured on the newly released “On The Road Again (ACM Lifting Lives® Edition)” single, Willie Nelson’s timeless hit, featuring the ACM New Artist Nominees Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett, Jordan Davis, Russell Dickerson, Lindsay Ell, Caylee Hammack, Cody Johnson, and Morgan Wallen, joined by Nelson. Produced by Ross Copperman and Jimmy Robbins, the single is available via Warner Music Nashville across all digital platforms and can be heard on Country radio now (LISTEN HERE). Proceeds from the single will benefit ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund to be disbursed to individuals in the Country Music community who are currently in need of pandemic relief assistance.
This year’s 55th ACM Awards featured an all-star lineup of collaborations and memorable performances featuring 24 performances, including 41 hit songs. The awards telecast kicked off with Entertainer of the Year nominees performing a medley of each of their greatest hits. Luke Bryan performed “Rain Is A Good Thing,” Eric Church performed “Drink In My Hand,” Luke Combs performed “When It Rains It Pours,” Thomas Rhett performed “It Goes Like This” and Carrie Underwood performed “Before He Cheats.”
Global superstar and two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year, Taylor Swift, returned to the ACM Awards stage for the first time in seven years with a world premiere performance of “Betty” off her record-breaking new album “Folklore. “The 55th ACM Awards host Keith Urban performed the world television premiere of his new single, “One Too Many” with international pop icon P!NK, from Urban’s new album out September 18, 2020: “Speed of Now.” Mickey Guyton made her solo ACM Award performance debut with “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” featuring surprise guest Urban on piano. Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Stefani performed their latest single “Happy Anywhere.” Eric Church opened his performance with “Ragged Old Flag” a poem read by Johnny Cash which led into his single “Stick That in Your Country Song.”
In celebration of the 95th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry, newly crowned three-time ACM Entertainer of the Year winner, Carrie Underwood, honored trailblazing female Opry members by performing a medley of songs including Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man),” Barbara Mandrell’s “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool,” Martina McBride’s “A Broken Wing,” Reba McEntire’s “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” and Dolly Parton’s “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That.”
Additional performances included first-time ACM Awards performer Jimmie Allen (“Make Me Want To”); Kelsea Ballerini (“Hole in the Bottle”), Gabby Barrett (“I Hope”); Kane Brown (“Worldwide Beautiful”); Luke Bryan (“One Margarita”); Luke Combs (“Better Together”); Dan + Shay (“I Should Probably Go To Bed”); Florida Georgia Line (“I Love My Country”); Riley Green (“I Wish Grandpas Never Died”); Miranda Lambert (“Bluebird”) featuring songwriters Natalie Hemby & Luke Dick; Tim McGraw (“I Called Mama”); Maren Morris (“To Hell & Back”); Old Dominion (Medley of “One Man Band,” “Written in the Sand,” “No Such Thing as a Broken Heart,” “Break Up With Him,” “Snapback,” “Song For Another Time,” “Hotel Key” & “Make It Sweet”); Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi (“Beer Can’t Fix”); Tenille Townes (“Somebody’s Daughter”); and Morgan Wallen (“Whiskey Glasses”). Presenters included Lauren Alaina, Lily Aldridge, Clint Black, Lisa Hartman Black, ACM National Radio Personality of the Year winner Bobby Bones, Cam, Darius Rucker, Runaway June and CeCe Winans. Rucker also gave a sneak peek of the National Museum of African American Music, scheduled to open this Fall in Downtown Nashville.
For the first time in the show’s history, the 55th ACM Awards took place in Nashville, broadcasting from three iconic Country Music venues: Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe. Artists who performed from the Ryman include Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Riley Green, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi, and Tenille Townes. Performances from the Grand Ole Opry House included Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Dan + Shay, Eric Church, Florida Georgia Line, Mickey Guyton, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Morgan Wallen. Artists at The Bluebird Cafe included Jimmie Allen, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert featuring songwriters Natalie Hemby and Luke Dick, and Tim McGraw. Fans also enjoyed a virtual collaboration by Keith Urban and P!NK as well as a virtual Bluebird Cafe performance with Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Stefani. Multi-ACM Award winning artist Trisha Yearwood delivered a special performance from the Opry House of “I’ll Carry You Home” from her critically acclaimed album “Every Girl” for the In Memoriam, paying tribute to those we have lost in the country music industry.
Following is the list of winners and nominees of the 55th ACM Awards:
*=winner
MAIN AWARDS
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR Luke Bryan Eric Church Luke Combs Thomas Rhett* (tie) Carrie Underwood* (tie)
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR Kelsea Ballerini Miranda Lambert Maren Morris* Kacey Musgraves Carrie Underwood
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR Dierks Bentley Luke Combs* Thomas Rhett Chris Stapleton Keith Urban
DUO OF THE YEAR Brooks & Dunn Brothers Osborne Dan + Shay* Florida Georgia Line Maddie & Tae
GROUP OF THE YEAR Lady Antebellum Little Big Town Midland Old Dominion* The Highwomen
NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR Ingrid Andress Gabby Barrett Lindsay Ell Caylee Hammack Tenille Townes*
NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR Jordan Davis Russell Dickerson Riley Green* Cody Johnson Morgan Wallen
ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)] Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett Producers: Julian Bunetta, Jesse Frasure, Dann Huff, Thomas Rhett, The Stereotypes, Cleve Wilson Record Label: The Valory Music Co.
Girl – Maren Morris Producers: busbee, Greg Kurstin, Maren Morris Record Label: Columbia Nashville
Heartache Medication – Jon Pardi Producers: Bart Butler, Ryan Gore, Jon Pardi Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs* Producer: Scott Moffatt* Record Label: River House Artists/Columbia Nashville*
Wildcard – Miranda Lambert Producer: Jay Joyce Record Label: Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville
SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)] God’s Country – Blake Shelton* Producer: Scott Hendricks Record Label: Warner Bros. (Nashville)
One Man Band – Old Dominion Producer: Shane McAnally Record Label: RCA Records Nashville
Rainbow – Kacey Musgraves Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Tashian Record Label: MCA Nashville
Rumor – Lee Brice Producers: Lee Brice, Dan Frizsell, Kyle Jacobs, Jon Stone Record Label: Curb Records
What If I Never Get Over You – Lady Antebellum Producer: Dann Huff Record Label: BMLG Records
SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)] 10,000 Hours – Dan + Shay Featuring Justin Bieber Songwriters: Justin Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Jessie Jo Dillon, Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers Publishers: Beats and Banjos (ASCAP), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) / Shay Mooney Music (BMI), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI) / Big Ass Pile Of Dimes Music (BMI), Big Machine Music (BMI) / Buckeye 26 (ASCAP), Jreynmusic (ASCAP), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) / Bieber Time Publishing (ASCAP), Universal Music (ASCAP) / Poo B Z Inc. (ASCAP), BMG Gold Songs (ASCAP).
Girl Goin’ Nowhere – Ashley McBryde Songwriters: Jeremy Bussey, Ashley McBryde Publishers: Songs of Song Factory (BMI) / Universal Tunes (SESAC). God’s Country – Blake Shelton Songwriters: Devin Dawson, Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt Publishers: Relative Music Group (BMI), Administered by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing (BMI) / WB Music Corp. / Georgia Song Vibez / We-volve Music (ASCAP) / Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. / Neon Cross Music (BMI).
One Man Band – Old Dominion* Songwriters: Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi Publishers: WB Music Corp/Smackville Music/Smack Songs LLC (ASCAP) adm by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing. Rezsongs/Reehits World/Smacktown Music, a division of Smack Blue, LLC/Unfair Entertainment (ASCAP) adm. by Me Gusta Music. We’re Really Doin’ It Publishing (ASCAP) adm by Words & Music. Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing/Smackville Music/Smack Songs LLC (ASCAP) adm. by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing.
Some of It – Eric Church Songwriters: Eric Church, Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde, Bobby Pinson Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing/Longer and Louder Music, admin. by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC; Mammaw’s Fried Okra Music/Little Louder Songs, admin. by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing; New Writers Of Sea Gayle Music, admin. by ClearBox Rights; New Writers Of Sea Gayle Music/Not A Track Guy Music, admin. by ClearBox Rights (BMI).
VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)] 10,000 Hours – Dan + Shay Featuring Justin Bieber Director: Patrick Tracy Producer: Christen Pinkston
God’s Country – Blake Shelton Director: Sophie Muller Producers: Jamie Amos, Patrick Kennedy
One Man Band – Old Dominion Director: Mason Allen Producer: Mason Allen
Remember You Young – Thomas Rhett* Director: TK McKamy Producer: Dan Atchison
Sugar Coat – Little Big Town Directors: Alexa Kinigopoulos, Stephen Kinigopoulos Producers: Wes Edwards, Carlo Glorioso, Angie Lorenz
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR *(Off Camera Award) Ashley Gorley Michael Hardy Hillary Lindsey* Shane McAnally Josh Osborne
MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)] 10,000 Hours – Dan + Shay Featuring Justin Bieber Producers: Dan Smyers Record Label: Warner Music Nashville
Dive Bar – Garth Brooks Featuring Blake Shelton Producers: Garth Brooks Record Label: Pearl Records, Inc.
Fooled Around and Fell in Love – Miranda Lambert Featuring Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack & Elle King* Producer: Jay Joyce Record Label: Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville
Old Town Road – Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus Producers: Michael Trent Reznor, Atticus Matthew Ross, YoungKio Record Label: Columbia Records
What Happens in a Small Town – Brantley Gilbert Featuring Lindsay Ell Producer: Dann Huff Record Label: The Valory Music Co.
INDUSTRY AWARDS
(Winners are to be announced.)
CASINO OF THE YEAR – THEATER The Colosseum at Caesars Palace – Las Vegas, NV The Joint: Tulsa – Tulsa, OK Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort – Mt. Pleasant, MI The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino – Las Vegas, NV WinStar Global Event Center – Thackerville, OK
CASINO OF THE YEAR – ARENA Mark G. Etess Arena – Atlantic City, NJ MGM Grand Garden Arena – Las Vegas, NV Sandia Amphitheater – Albuquerque, NM Stir Concert Cove – Council Bluffs, IA T Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV
FAIR/RODEO OF THE YEAR California Mid-State Fair – Paso Robles, CA Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, WY Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo – Houston, TX Minnesota State Fair – St. Paul, MN San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo – San Antonio, TX
FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR Boots and Hearts Music Festival – Oro-Medonte, OR Stagecoach – Indio, CA Tortuga Music Festival – Fort Lauderdale, FL Watershed Festival – George, WA Windy City Smokeout – Chicago, IL
CLUB OF THE YEAR Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, TX Coyote Joe’s – Charlotte, NC Grizzly Rose – Denver, CO Joe’s Live – Rosemont, IL Losers Bar & Grill – Nashville, TN
THEATER OF THE YEAR The Beacon Theatre – New York, NY The Chicago Theatre – Chicago, IL DeJoria Center – Salt Lake City, UT Rialto Square Theatre – Joliet, IL Ruth Eckerd Hall – Clearwater, FL
OUTDOOR VENUE OF THE YEAR Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NH Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA Innsbrook After Hours – Glen Allen, VA Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO Rose Music Center – Huber Heights, OH The Wharf at Orange Beach – Orange Beach, AL
ARENA OF THE YEAR Infinite Energy Center – Duluth, GA Madison Square Garden – New York, NY Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, MI VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena – Jacksonville, FL
DON ROMEO TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR Clay Campbell – Triangle Talent Gary Osier – Gary Osier Presents Gil Cunningham – Neste Live! Kell Houston – Houston Productions Nina Rojas – Neste Live! Todd Boltin – Variety Attractions
PROMOTER OF THE YEAR Adam Weiser – AEG Presents Brian O’Connell – Live Nation Jered Johnson – Pepper Productions Stacy Vee – Messina Touring Group Troy Vollhoffer – Premier Global Production
STUDIO RECORDING AWARDS
BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Eli Beaird Mike Brignardello Tim Marks Michael Rhodes Jimmie Lee Sloas
DRUMMER OF THE YEAR Fred Eltringham Miles McPherson Greg Morrow Jerry Roe Nir Zidkyahu
GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR Tom Bukovac Dann Huff Rob McNelley Adam Shoenfeld Ilya Toshinskiy
PIANO/KEYBOARDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR David Dorn Tony Harrell Charlie Judge Tim Lauer Gordon Mote Mike Rojas
SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT(S) PLAYER OF THE YEAR Stuart Duncan Jenee Fleenor Jim Hoke Danny Rader Joe Spivey Charlie Worsham
STEEL GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR Dan Dugamore Paul Franklin Josh Grange Russ Pahl Justin Schipper
AUDIO ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Chuck Ainlay Jeff Balding Tony Castle Julian King Steve Marcantonio Justin Niebank
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR busbee Buddy Cannon Dann Huff Michael Knox Joey Moi
NATIONAL ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
(Winners were announced several days before the ceremony.)
Blair Garner, “Off Eric” Garner The Blair Garner Show
Bobby Bones, Amy, Lunchbox, Eddie, Morgan, Ray* The Bobby Bones Show
Charlie Chase, Lorianne Crook The Crook & Chase Countdown
Buzz Brainard The Music Row Happy Hour
Storme Warren, Mary Carlisle Callahan, Thomas Massad The Storme Warren Show
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET
Bud and Broadway WIL-FM – St. Louis, MO
Kelly Ford in the Morning – Kelly Ford WNSH-FM – New York, NY
Mason & Remy WIL-FM – St. Louis, MO
The Morning Wolfpack with Matt McAllister – Matt McAllister, Emily Raines, Slow Joe Wallace KKWF-FM – Seattle, WA
The Rob and Holly Show* – Rob Stone, Holly Hutton WYCD-FM – Detroit, MI
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
Lexi and Banks KUBL-FM – Salt Lake City, UT
Marty McFly WSM-FM – Nashville, TN
Q Morning Crew with Mike and Janie WQDR-FM – Raleigh, NC
Robyn & Roger in the Morning CKRY-FM – Calgary, AB
The Big Dave Show – Big Dave, Chelsie, Statt, Ashley* WUBE-FM – Cincinnati, OH
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET
Brent Michaels KUZZ-AM/FM – Bakersfield, CA
Clay & Company* WYRK-FM – Buffalo, NY
Kenn McCloud KUZZ-AM/FM – Bakersfield, CA
Steve & Gina in the Morning – Steve Lundy, Gina Melton KXKT-FM – Omaha, NE
The Cowboy Kyle Show – Cowboy Kyle WUSY-FM – Chattanooga, TN
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET
Adam & Jen in the Morning KIOK-FM – Kennewick, WA
Ben & Arnie – Ben Butler, Arnie Andrews WCOW-FM – Sparta, WI
Big Rick In The Morning – “Big” Rick Daniels WGGC-FM – Bowling Green, KY
Scotty & Catryna in the Morning – Scotty Cox, Catryna Craw KCLR-FM – Columbia, MO
Steve & Jessica – Steve Waters, Jessica Cash* WFLS-FM – Fredericksburg, VA
Miranda Lambert (Photo courtesy of ABC/Image Group LA)
September 1, 2020
The following is a press release from the Country Music Association and ABC:
The Country Music Association has announced the nominees for “The 54th Annual CMA Awards,” with Miranda Lambert topping the list at seven nominations – making CMA Awards history as the first female artist to accumulate a record-breaking 55 total career nods. This record was previously held by Reba McEntire, who earned her 51st nomination this year. Other top nominees include Luke Combs with six nominations – including his first-ever nod for Entertainer of the Year; Maren Morris with five nods; Dan + Shay, producer Jay Joyce and Carly Pearce each securing four; and Justin Bieber, Ashley McBryde and Keith Urban each up for trophies in three categories during the live broadcast, Wednesday, November 11 (8:00-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC. Alongside newcomer Combs for Entertainer of the Year, Eric Church, Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Urban return with nominations for the night’s highest honor.
First-time CMA Awards nominees are Jimmie Allen, Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett, Bieber, Justin Clough, David Coleman, Jim Cooley, Luke Dick, Sam Ellis, Ray Fulcher, Caylee Hammack, Hozier, Zach Kale, Rob McNelley, Buckley Miller, Scott Moffatt, Randy Montana, Jonathan Singleton, Sam Siske, Derrick Southerland, Chris Tomlin, Tenille Townes and Laura Veltz.
Combs and Pearce revealed select nominees on ABC’s “Good Morning America” today, live from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Immediately following the live broadcast, Andress and Barrett revealed the remaining CMA Awards categories in addition to the CMA Broadcast Awards finalists via live stream hosted by Ashley Eicher, host of Apple Music Country’s “Guest List Radio with Ashley Eicher,” on CMA’s YouTube and Facebook as well as GoodMorningAmerica.com and GMA’s Facebook.
“This year’s nominees represent the passion, creativity and hope our world could use more of these days. From record-shattering milestones to reaching across genre lines, these finalists are outstanding examples of the craft and camaraderie country music holds deeply,” says CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern. “As we navigate the coming months and look to properly honor our nominees and the community, we are committed to delivering the safest and most memorable live television experience our artists, creators and fans could ask for. We cannot wait to reveal our two incredible CMA Awards hosts in just a few weeks, and we look forward to celebrating country music this November!”
MIRANDA LAMBERT – SEVEN NOMINATIONS
Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year (“Bluebird”), Album of the Year (“Wildcard”), Song of the Year (“Bluebird”), Musical Event of the Year (“Fooled Around And Fell In Love”), Music Video of the Year (“Bluebird”)
Lambert tops this year’s CMA Awards nominations with seven, adding to her previous 48 nominations and 13 wins. She is now the most nominated female artist in CMA Awards history, a record previously held by Reba McEntire. She scores her fourth nomination for Entertainer of the Year and 14th nomination for Female Vocalist of the Year, which she has won seven times. Lambert receives her fifth Album of the Year nomination for “Wildcard,” produced by Jay Joyce, as well as her fifth Song of the Year and eighth Single of the Year nomination for “Bluebird.” “Bluebird” was written by Lambert, Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby, produced by Joyce, and mixed by Joyce and Jason Hall. She also scores her seventh nomination in the Musical Event of the Year category for “Fooled Around and Fell In Love,” featuring Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes and Caylee Hammack, produced by Joyce.
LUKE COMBS – SIX NOMINATIONS
Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year (“Beer Never Broke My Heart”), Album of the Year (“What You See Is What You Get”), Song of the Year (“Even Though I’m Leaving”), Song of the Year (“I Hope You’re Happy Now”)
Combs scores six CMA Awards nominations this year, adding to his previous six nominations and three wins. Combs is a first-time nominee in three categories – Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year and Single of the Year. “What You See Is What You Get” was produced by Scott Moffatt. “Beer Never Broke My Heart” was produced by Moffatt and mixed by Jim Cooley. The reigning Song of the Year winner, Combs receives a double nomination in the Song of the Year category for “Even Though I’m Leaving,” written by Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III and Ray Fulcher; and “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” recorded by Carly Pearce and Lee Brice and written by Combs, Randy Montana, Pearce and Jonathan Singleton. Combs scores his third nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, which he won in 2019.
MAREN MORRIS – FIVE NOMINATIONS
Female Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year (“The Bones”), Song of the Year (“The Bones”), Musical Event of the Year (“The Bones”), Musical Event of the Year (“Fooled Around and Fell In Love”)
Morris receives five CMA Award nominations, adding to her previous 16 nominations and two wins. She scores her fifth nomination for Female Vocalist of the Year and third nomination for Single of the Year and Song of the Year. A double nomination this year for Musical Event of the Year earns Morris five total nominations in this category. “Bones” was written by Morris, Jimmy Robbins and Laura Veltz, and produced and mixed by Greg Kurstin. “Fooled Around and Fell In Love” was recorded by Miranda Lambert, featuring Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes and Caylee Hammack, and produced by Joyce.
JAY JOYCE – FOUR NOMINATIONS
Single of the Year (“Bluebird”), Album of the Year (“Never Will”), Album of the Year (“Wildcard”), Musical Event of the Year (“Fooled Around and Fell In Love”)
Joyce is a 20-time CMA Awards nominee this year, adding four to his previous 16 nominations. Joyce scores his eighth Single of the Year nomination for producing Miranda Lambert’s “Bluebird.” The song was mixed by both Joyce and Jason Hall. He receives his 11th Album of the Year nomination with two nods in the category this year for producing Lambert’s “Wildcard” and Ashley McBryde’s “Never Will.” Joyce is a first-time nominee for Musical Event of the Year with Lambert’s “Fooled Around and Fell In Love,” which he produced. Joyce has won four CMA Awards previously – two for both Album of the Year and Single of the Year.
DAN + SHAY – FOUR NOMINATIONS
Vocal Duo of the Year, Single of the Year (“10,000 Hours”), Musical Event of the Year (“10,000 Hours”), Music Video of the Year (“10,000 Hours”)
Dan + Shay score four nominations for this year’s CMA Awards, adding to their previous 10 nominations and one win. They receive their seventh nomination for Vocal Duo of the Year, which they won in 2019. “10,000 Hours,” featuring Justin Bieber, scores three nominations – Single of the Year, Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year. The song was produced by Dan Smyers (of Dan + Shay) and mixed by Jeff Juliano. The music video was directed by Patrick Tracy. Smyers scores two solo nominations as well for his production work on “10,000 Hours” in the Single of the Year and Musical Event of the Year categories.
CARLY PEARCE – FOUR NOMINATIONS
New Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (“I Hope You’re Happy Now”), Musical Event of the Year (“I Hope You’re Happy Now”), Music Video of the Year (“I Hope You’re Happy Now”)
Pearce receives four CMA Awards nominations this year, adding to her previous New Artist of the Year nomination in 2019. She scores her second nomination for New Artist of the Year and is a first-time nominee in three categories – Song of the Year, Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year. “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” recorded with Lee Brice, was written by Pearce, Luke Combs, Randy Montana and Jonathan Singleton and produced by busbee, who earns his eighth CMA Awards nomination posthumously. The music video was directed by Sam Siske.
ASHLEY McBRYDE – THREE NOMINATIONS
Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year (“Never Will”), Musical Event of the Year (“Fooled Around and Fell In Love”) Ashley McBryde scores three CMA Awards nominations this year, bringing her total nominations to four with one win for New Artist of the Year in 2019. McBryde is a first-time nominee in three categories – Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year and Musical Event of the Year. “Never Will” was produced by Jay Joyce and John Peets. “Fooled Around and Fell In Love” was recorded by Miranda Lambert, featuring Maren Morris, Elle King, McBryde, Tenille Townes and Caylee Hammack, and produced by Joyce.
JUSTIN BIEBER – THREE NOMINATIONS
Single of the Year (“10,000 Hours”), Musical Event of the Year (“10,000 Hours”), Music Video of the Year (“10,000 Hours”)
Bieber is a first-time CMA Awards nominee for his collaboration with Dan + Shay on their single “10,000 Hours.” He is nominated in three categories – Single of the Year, Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year. The song was produced by Dan Smyers (of Dan + Shay) and mixed by Jeff Juliano. The music video was directed by Patrick Tracy. Bieber has worked with various artists including Diplo, Ariana Grande, Halsey, Ludacris, Nicki Minaj and Ed Sheeran, however, this is his first collaboration in the Country genre.
KEITH URBAN – THREE NOMINATIONS
Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year (“Be A Light”)
Urban scores three CMA Awards nominations this year, bringing his total count to 50 nominations and 12 wins. He is now a 13-time Entertainer of the Year nominee, bringing home that trophy two times previously. He has now been nominated 16 times for Male Vocalist of the Year with three wins. Urban receives his sixth Musical Event of the Year nomination for Thomas Rhett’s “Be A Light,” which features Urban, Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin. He has previously taken home the Musical Event award four times. Media assets for all CMA Awards categories and nominees are available now at CMApress.com. Further details regarding coverage opportunities for media will be shared in the coming weeks.
Winners of “The 54th Annual CMA Awards” will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting CMA members. The third and final ballot will be emailed to CMA members Thursday, Oct. 1. Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends Tuesday, Oct. 27 (6:00 p.m. CDT).
“The 54th Annual CMA Awards” is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the executive producer; Alan Carter is the director, and David Wild is the head writer.
“THE 54th ANNUAL CMA AWARDS” – FINAL NOMINEES
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Eric Church Luke Combs Miranda Lambert Carrie Underwood Keith Urban
SINGLE OF THE YEAR Award goes to artist(s), producer(s), and mix engineer
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber) (Producer: Dan Smyers; Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano)
“Beer Never Broke My Heart” – Luke Combs (Producer: Scott Moffatt; Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley)
“Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce)
ALBUM OF THE YEAR Award goes to artist and producer(s)
“Heartache Medication” – Jon Pardi (Producers: Bart Butler, Ryan Gore, Jon Pardi)
“Never Will” – Ashley McBryde (Producers: Jay Joyce, John Peets)
“Old Dominion” – Old Dominion (Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion)
“What You See Is What You Get” – Luke Combs (Producer: Scott Moffatt)
“Wildcard” – Miranda Lambert (Producer: Jay Joyce)
SONG OF THE YEAR Award goes to songwriters
“Bluebird” (Songwriters: Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert)
“The Bones” (Songwriters: Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz)
“Even Though I’m Leaving” (Songwriters: Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Ray Fulcher)
“I Hope You’re Happy Now” (Songwriters: Luke Combs, Randy Montana, Carly Pearce, Jonathan Singleton)
“More Hearts Than Mine” (Songwriters: Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland)
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Miranda Lambert Ashley McBryde Maren Morris Kacey Musgraves Carrie Underwood
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Eric Church Luke Combs Thomas Rhett Chris Stapleton Keith Urban
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady A Little Big Town Midland Old Dominion Rascal Flatts
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn Brothers Osborne Dan + Shay Florida Georgia Line Maddie & Tae
MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR Award goes to artists and producer(s)
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber (Producer: Dan Smyers)
“Be A Light” – Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban (Producer: Dann Huff)
“The Bones” – Maren Morris with Hozier (Producer: Greg Kurstin)
“Fooled Around And Fell In Love” – Miranda Lambert feat. Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes & Caylee Hammack (Producer: Jay Joyce)
“I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice (Producer: Busbee)
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar Rob McNelley, Guitar Ilya Toshinskiy, Guitar Derek Wells, Guitar
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR Award goes to artist(s) and director
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber (Director: Patrick Tracy)
“Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert (Director: Trey Fanjoy)
“Homemade” –Jake Owen (Director: Justin Clough)
“I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice (Director: Sam Siske)
“Second One To Know” – Chris Stapleton (Director: David Coleman)
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jimmie Allen Ingrid Andress Gabby Barrett Carly Pearce Morgan Wallen
FINALISTS FOR BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR (by market size): National
“American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Westwood One “The Blair Garner Show” (Blair Garner and “Off Eric” Garner) – Westwood One “CMT After Midnite” (Cody Alan) – Premiere Networks “Country Countdown USA” (Lon Helton) – Westwood One “The Mayor of Music Row” (Charlie Monk) – Sirius XM Satellite Radio
Major Market
“Angie Ward” – WUBL, Atlanta, Ga. “Chris Carr & Company” (Chris Carr, Kia Becht, and McKaila Granning) – KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. “Double-L” (Lois Lewis) – KNIX, Phoenix, Ariz. “Fitz in the Morning” (Cory Fitzner) – KNUC, Seattle-Tacoma, Wash. “Paul Schadt & Sarah Lee in the Morning with Producer Geof” (Paul Schadt, Sarah Lee and Geof Knight) – WKKT, Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, N.C.-S.C.
Large Market
“The Big Dave Show (“Big Dave” Chandler, Chelsie Shinkle, Jason Statt and Ashley Hempfling) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio “Jim, Deb & Kevin” (Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt and Kevin Freeman) – WFMS, Indianapolis, Ind. “Lexi & Banks” (“Lexi” Elena Abatgis and “Banks” Jared Danielson) – KUBL, Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, Utah “Obie & Ashley” (“Obie” Obed Diaz and Ashley Morrison) – WWKA, Orlando, Fla. “Ridder, Scott and Shannen” (“Ridder” Shaun Ridderbush, Scott Dolphin, and Shannen Oesterreich) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
Medium Market
“Brent Michaels” – KUZZ, Bakersfield, Calif. “Clay & Company” (Clay Moden, Rob Banks, and Val Townsend) – WYRK, Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y. “Kenn McCloud” – KUZZ, Bakersfield, Calif. “Scott and Sarah in the Morning” (Scott Wynn and Sarah Kay) – WQMX, Akron, Ohio “Steve & Gina In The Morning” (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.- Iowa
Small Market
“Big Rick In The Morning” (“Big Rick” Daniels) – WGGC, Bowling Green, Ky. “Bobby & Steve (and Mandi!)” (Bobby Cook, Steve Schwetman and Mandi Turner) – WKYQ, Paducah, Ky. “Brent and Candy – The Cat Pak Morning Show” (Brent Lane and Candy Cullerton) – WYCT, Pensacola, Fla. “Officer Don & DeAnn” (“Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Ky. “Steve And Jessica Mornings” (Steve Waters and Jessica Cash) – WFLS, Fredericksburg, Va.
FINALISTS FOR RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (by market size):
KKNU – Eugene-Springfield, Ore. WBYT – South Bend, Ind. WKXC – Augusta, Ga. WXBQ – Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va. WXFL – Florence-Muscle Shoals, Ala.
About the CMA Awards
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 CMA Awards have aired on ABC since 2006. ABC is the network home of the CMA Awards and CMA’s other two television properties, “CMA Fest” and “CMA Country Christmas.”
All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization, Deloitte. As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte & Touche LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of Deloitte’s legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood (Photo courtesy of ABC/Image Group LA)
The following is a press release from the Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions:
The Academy of Country Music® and Dick Clark Productions announced today the all-star lineup of performers for ACM® Presents: Our Country, a two-hour special featuring intimate conversations and at-home acoustic performances with Country Music’s biggest stars, along with clips from the Academy of Country Music Awards’™ 55-year history. Confirmed performers include Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown & John Legend, Luke Bryan, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Old Dominion, Brad Paisley & Darius Rucker, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani, Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban. The special will be broadcast Sunday, April 5 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT and 7:00 PM CT) on the CBS Television Network and on CBS All Access.
ACM® Presents: Our Country will also honor 10-time ACM Award® winner Kenny Rogerswith performances by Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker. As previously announced, artists will appear from their homes to share heartfelt thoughts and perform acoustic versions of Country hits. Additionally, video clips from previous ACM Award broadcasts will highlight favorite ACM moments from the past. It will be a night filled with entertainment, hope and reflection, bringing the healing power of music to Americans at a time when they need it most.
The special will broadcast during the time slot previously scheduled for the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards, which will now be broadcast Wednesday, Sept. 16 (live 8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on demand on CBS All Access. The 55th ACM Awards, hosted for the first time by reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year and 15-time ACM Award winner Keith Urban, honors the biggest names and emerging talent in the Country Music industry.
For more information, visit ACMcountry.com. You can also like Academy of Country Music on Facebook or follow on Twitter at @ACMawards, follow on Instagram at @ACMawards and sign up for the FREE ACM A-List for more immediate updates.
About ACM® PRESENTS: OUR COUNTRY
ACM® Presents: Our Country invites fans to join their favorite superstars for a new kind of entertainment special featuring at-home acoustic performances with top Country artists along with clips of their favorite moments from the Academy of Country Music Awards’™ 55-year history. is produced for television by Dick Clark Productions. R.A. Clark, Barry Adelman, Mark Bracco and Amy Thurlow are executive producers. Damon Whiteside is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music®.
Miranda Lambert in Cosmopolitan’s August 2017 issue (Photo by Ben Watts)
Maren Morris at the iHeart Radio Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on March 14, 2019. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Fox/PictureGroup)
Brothers Osborne at the 51st Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, on Nov. 8, 2017. (Photo courtesy of ABC/Image Group LA)
The following is a press release from CMT:
CMT today announced the nominations for the “2019 CMT Music Awards,” airing LIVE on Wednesday, June 5 at 8:00pm ET / 7:00pm CT. Nashville’s biggest party returns to kick off the summer with a grand celebration recognizing the most beloved names in country music. Each winner is selected by the fans, with voting open now at vote.cmt.com.
Continuing the “CMT Music Awards” tradition of embracing blended-genre collaborations among all musical formats, this year’s nominations feature a wide range of talent, from rising stars to music legends, spanning the worlds of pop, soul and R&B.
Superstars Brothers Osborne, Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert and Zac Brown Band will compete for the most accolades of the evening, each with 3 nominations. Other artists with more than one nomination include Brandi Carlile, Carrie Underwood, Cole Swindell, Dan + Shay, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Julia Michaels, Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Sugarland, and Taylor Swift.
With first-time nominations, R&B legends Boyz II Men and soul singer Leon Bridges will compete for Performance of the Year. Other artists with first-time nominations this year include “Empress of Soul” Gladys Knight and pop sensation Shawn Mendes, along with Ashley McBryde, Brandi Carlile, Jimmie Allen, Jordan Davis, Julia Michaels, Mitchell Tenpenny, Morgan Wallen, Runaway June and Tenille Towns.
This year, 14 acts are in the running for the highly coveted “Video of the Year” award, including Carrie Underwood, who reigns as the most awarded artist in CMT Music Awards history with 18 wins. The top five “Video of the Year” nominees will be announced the morning of the show, and fans will be able to vote all day and throughout the show on Twitter to determine the winner.
Fan voting begins today at vote.cmt.com and continues until 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 4.
The nominees for the 2019 CMT MUSIC AWARDS are:
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director. Final nominees announced the morning of the show, with final voting held on social media during the live telecast.
● Jason Aldean featuring Miranda Lambert – “Drowns the Whiskey”
● Keith Urban featuring Julia Michaels – “Coming Home”
● Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – “Babe”
CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)
Boyz II Men and Brett Young – “Motownphilly (From CMT Crossroads)”
Luke Combs and Leon Bridges – “Beautiful Crazy (From CMT Crossroads)”
Maren Morris and Brandi Carlile – “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (From 2018 CMT Artists of the Year)”
Brett Eldredge and Meghan Trainor – “Let You Be Right (From CMT Crossroads)”
Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman and Gladys Knight – “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night” (From 2018 CMT Artists of the Year)
Zac Brown Band and Shawn Mendes – “Keep Me in Mind (From CMT Crossroads)”
Returning for the second consecutive year, award-winning musical talentLittle Big Town will serve as hosts for the evening when the “2019 CMT Music Awards” premieres LIVE from Nashville next month. The chart-topping group has graced the “CMT Music Awards” stage with multiple wins and performances under their belts and will introduce the next wave of winners in Nashville during one of the most highly-anticipated events in country music. As nominees, they’ll also vie for CMT Performance of the Year and Group Video of the Year.
For more information, follow @CMT onTwitter andInstagram, use hashtag #CMTawards and like the CMT Music Awards onFacebook.
To request media credentials for the 2019 CMT Music Awards, please visit cmtmusicawardspress.com.
About CMT Awards Host: Little Big Town
GRAMMY, ACM, CMA, and AMA Award-winning group, Little Big Town — consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook — first entered the music scene over 19 years ago with hit songs “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Good As Gone” and the GRAMMY-nominated “Little White Church.” Their breakthrough albums Tornado and Pain Killer produced multiple #1 singles, including “Pontoon,” “Tornado,” and “Day Drinking,” as well as the history-making, best-selling country single of the year (2015) “Girl Crush.” Released February 24, 2017, Little Big Town’s latest studio album, The Breaker, debuted #1 on the Billboard Country Charts and Top 10 (No.4) on the Billboard 200 to critical acclaim, marking the group’s fourth Top 10 debut on the Billboard 200 chart. The album features their GRAMMY-winning, multi-week #1 single, “Better Man,” as well as “When Someone Stops Loving You.”
Little Big Town has earned more than 40 award show nominations and in the past five years has taken home nearly 20 awards, including multiple GRAMMY, AMA, People’s Choice, CMA, ACM awards, and an Emmy award. Currently the reigning CMA and ACM Vocal Group of the Year, the Country Music Hall of Fame inductees (2014) went onto receive their star on the Nashville Walk of Fame in 2017. Also in 2017, Little Big Town hosted a sold-out, year-long artist residency at the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville — marking the venue’s first-ever, year-long residency in its 125-year history. The band also recently launched 4 Cellars wine, their first non-musical project as a band, with Browne Family Vineyards. For more information on Little Big Town visit LittleBigTown.com or follow them @littlebigtown.
About CMT
CMT is the leading authority on country music and lifestyle, offering a mix of original series, music events and specials. CMT is everywhere its fans are including two cable channels (CMT and the 24-hour music channel, CMT Music), radio (CMT Radio), digital (CMT App, CMT.com) and social (CMT on Facebook, CMT on Instagram and CMT on Twitter). CMT is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB). For more information, please visit CMT Press at cmtpress.com.
Reba McEntire attends the 11th Annual ACM Honors at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on August 23, 2017. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for ACM)
Miranda Lambert in Cosmopolitan’s August 2017 issue (Photo by Ben Watts)
Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton and George Strait are in the first group of artists announced to perform at the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards, which will take place April 7 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. CBS will have the U.S. telecast of the show, which will be hosted by McEntire. As previously announced, Jason Aldean, who will also perform on the show, will receive the ACM Awards’ first Artist of the Decade prize. Stapleton and Dan + Shay are the show’s leading nominees, with six nods each.
Tickets for the ceremony are available for purchase now at www.axs.com. Ultimate ACM Awards® VIP Experience and the Ultimate ACM Awards VIP Travel Packages are available from CID Entertainment. The Academy of Country Music’s social media can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Meanwhile, the radio winners of the 2019 ACM Awards were announced on February 28:
*=winner
NATIONAL ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR (tie within category increased nominees)
• Cody Alan – CMT After MidNite with Cody Alan
• Kix Brooks – American Country Countdown
• Darren Wilhite and Tim Wall – Wilhite & Wall
• Lon Helton – Country Countdown USA with Lon Helton*
• Tracy Lawrence – Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence
• Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase – The Crook & Chase Countdown
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET
• Chuck, Rachael & Grunwald in the Morning – WYCD-FM (Detroit, MI)
• Katie Neal – WNSH-FM (New York, NY)
• The Rob + Holly Show – WYCD-FM (Detroit, MI)
• Tanner in the Morning – Rob Tanner, Catherine Lane, Chris Allen, Captain Jim, and Mimi – WSOC-FM (Charlotte, NC)*
• Tracy Dixon, Guy David & Patrick Knight – KYGO-FM (Denver, CO)
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
• Jim, Deb & Kevin – WFMS-FM (Indianapolis, IN)*
• Lexi And Banks – KUBL-FM (Salt Lake City, UT)
• Q Morning Crew with Mike and Janie – WQDR-FM (Raleigh, NC)
• Ridder, Scott and Shannen – WMIL-FM (Milwaukee, WI)
• Tige & Daniel – Tige Rogers, Daniel Baker, Mari Mueller – WSIX-FM (Nashville, TN)
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET
• Kenn McCloud – KUZZ-AM/FM (Bakersfield, CA)
• Brent Michaels – KUZZ-AM/FM (Bakersfield, CA)
• Mo & StykMan Show – WUSY-FM (Chattanooga, TN)*
• Roger, Julie and DJ Thee Trucker in the Morning – WPCV-FM (Lakeland, FL)
• Tom & Becky – WBBS-FM (Syracuse, NY)
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET
• Adam & Jen in the Morning – KIOK-FM (Richland, WA)
• Brent Lane and Candy Cullerton – WYCT-FM (Pensacola, FL)*
• The Q Crew with Jason and Ashley on Q100.3 – KRWQ-FM (Medford, OR)
• The Roger & Corliss Morning Show – KORA-FM (Bryan, TX)
• Scotty & Catryna in the Morning – KCLR-FM (Columbia, MO)
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET
• KKBQ-FM – Houston, TX • KNIX-FM – Phoenix, AZ*
• KPLX-FM – Dallas, TX
• KSCS-FM – Dallas, TX
• WYCD-FM – Detroit, MI
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
• KAJA-FM – San Antonio, TX • KUBL-FM – Salt Lake City, UT*
• WLHK-FM – Indianapolis, IN
• WMIL-FM – Milwaukee, WI
• WWKA-FM – Orlando, FL
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET
• KATM-FM – Stockton, CA
• KUZZ-AM/FM – Bakersfield, CA
• KXKT-FM – Omaha, NE
• WHKO-FM – Dayton, OH • WIVK-FM – Knoxville, TN*
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET • KHAY-FM – Ventura, CA*
• KKNU-FM – Eugene, OR
• KORA-FM – Bryan, TX
• WGSQ-FM – Cookeville, TN
• WYCT-FM – Pensacola, FL
Carrie Underwood in Redbook’s September 2018 issue (Photo by Randee St. Nicholas)
Miranda Lambert in Cosmopolitan’s August 2017 issue (Photo by Ben Watts)
Kelsea Ballerini at the 11th Annual ACM Honors at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on August 23, 2017. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for ACM)
The following is a press release from CMT:
In recognition of the undeniable influence and impact of female artists in country music, CMT today announced that for the first-time ever the annual “CMT Artists of the Year” special is dedicated to the women of country music—past, present and future. This year’s all-female “Artists of the Year” celebration will honor CarrieUnderwood, Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman, and Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott. The 90-minute special will premiere on Wednesday, October 17 at 8:00 PM, ET/PT only on CMT.
“This year, we’re evolving the special to reflect what’s happening right now in culture and in the lives of our fans,” said Leslie Fram, Senior Vice President of Music & Talent, CMT.“In this monumental year for women, dedicating one of the biggest nights in the genre to applaud female country artists not only solidifies our commitment, but we hope will spark a much-needed change in the industry.”
As in past years, the event will feature surprise musical pairings and guests that will be announced at a later date. In addition, CMT will further its commitment to female artists through a day-long “Women of Country Music” takeover across all CMT platforms where music lives including music hours on CMT, the 24/7 digital channel CMT Music and CMT Radio’s widely-syndicated shows “CMT Radio LIVE” and “CMT After Midnite” to encourage and inspire increased female airplay on October 17.
A staunch advocate for country music’s female artists, CMT launched its dedicated “Next Women of Country” campaign in 2013 as a way to give female artists voice and airplay across all CMT platforms. The franchise has received critical acclaim, and in five years since launch CMT has expanded to include tours, digital programming and more. Ballerini and Morris are both alumnae of the “Next Women” franchise.
Last year’s special notched its highest ratings to date and ranked as the most watched in the event’s eight-year history. More than 1.1 million fans tuned in to the premiere telecast and the encore. Socially, #CMTAOTY trended nationally on Twitter during the show and the special ranked as the #1 Most Social Entertainment Program in Primetime on Cable.
Previous “CMT Artists of the Year” performances have included Adele and Darius Rucker performing Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now;” Meghan Trainor, Jill Scott and Kelsea Ballerinihonoring Shania Twain with a medley of her biggest hits; Jason Aldean, Keith Urban and Chris Stapleton in a moving Tom Petty tribute with “I Won’t Back Down;” Adam Lambert and Leona Lewis paying tribute to Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush;” and Maroon 5 covering Taylor Swift’s “Mine.” The show has featured appearances by Ellen DeGeneres, Matthew McConaughey, Selena Gomez, Billy Bob Thornton, Roger Clemens, Morgan Freeman, the cast of Nashville and more.
Former “CMT Artists of the Year” honorees include Blake Shelton (2015), Brad Paisley (2011), Carrie Underwood (2010, 2012, 2016), Cast of “Nashville” (2015), Chris Stapleton (2015, 2016, 2017), Eric Church (2012), Florida Georgia Line (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Hunter Hayes(2013), Jason Aldean (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Keith Urban (2017), Kelsea Ballerini(2016), Kenny Chesney (2011, 2012), Kenny Rogers (2015), Lady Antebellum (2010, 2011), Little Big Town (2015), Luke Bryan (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Merle Haggard (2014), Miranda Lambert (2012, 2014), Sam Hunt (2015, 2017), Shania Twain (2016), Taylor Swift (2010, 2011), Thomas Rhett (2016), Tim McGraw (2013) and Toby Keith (2012.)
CMT is the leading authority on country music and lifestyle, offering a mix of original series, music events and specials. CMT is everywhere its fans are including two cable channels (CMT and the 24-hour music channel, CMT Music), radio (CMT Radio), digital (CMT App, CMT.com) and social (CMT on Facebook, CMT on Instagram and CMT on Twitter). CMT is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
