Everything You Wanted To Know About The 2019 CMA Awards

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2019 CMA Awards… and probably some things you didn’t. 🙂

The 2019 CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, will take place live in Nashville on November 13 at 7pm. You can watch it locally on ABC 17. 

The Clear Crew will be participating in our annual “CMA Night of Tweets” starting at 7p on Twitter. We’ll basically just be sharing our thoughts during the show so would love if you join the conversation. Follow us HERE. 

Quick Hits:

• Maren Morris’ six CMA nominations this year put her in the same category as her label mate and upcoming tour partner, Miranda Lambert: Maren’s six nods are the most for any female artist since Miranda picked up nine in 2014.
• Brothers Osborne happen to be right behind her when it comes to nominations: They have four, picking up mentions for Single and Music Video of the Year for “Burning Man” with Dierks Bentley. They also have a chance to take home their fourth Vocal Duo trophy.
• Dierks is among a long list of artists with three nods, including Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, and CMA host Carrie Underwood.
• Carrie picks up the torch for the women of country as the sole female nominee for Entertainer of the Year: She’s the first female to appear in the category since she was last nominated in 2016.
• Garth Brooks — who became the winningest Entertainer in CMA history in 2017 — returns to the category on the strength of his Stadium Tour. Noticeably absent this year: 2014 and 2015 winner Luke Bryan.
• Dan + Shay’s “Tequila” will also get another shot at winning Song of the Year: It was also nominated in 2018, but lost to Chris Stapleton’s “Broken Halos.”
• Brooks & Dunn rejoin Dan + Shay in the Vocal Duo roundup, being recognized once again in the category they practically own. They’ve won Vocal Duo fourteen times — most recently in 2006 — and were last nominated in 2010. No doubt their impending induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame and their successful REBOOT record are to thank.
• The Country Music Association rightfully recognizes Kelsea Ballerini as a contender for the genre’s best Female Vocalist once again, after she was inexplicably snubbed by the ACMs earlier this year.
• Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde, and Morgan Wallen all enjoy their first shot at a CMA Award in 2019 for New Artist.

PERFORMERS:

• Kelsea Ballerini, Brooks & Dunn with Brothers Osborne, Garth Brooks with Blake Shelton, Dan + Shay, Kacey Musgraves with Willie Nelson, Lady Antebellum and Halsey, Old Dominion, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Maren Morris, Dolly Parton with for KING & COUNTRY and Zach Williams, P!NK and Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban will take the stage during Country Music’s Biggest Night.
• 53rd Annual CMA Awards will pay tribute to the great women of country music, something hosts Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire will establish from the very first, kicking of the show with an epic all-female medley. Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Crystal Gayle, Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Tanya Tucker, and Gretchen Wilson will join the superstars for the decades-spanning opening performance, along with The Highwomen: Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires.
• Kelsea Ballerini will lead another huge moment in keeping with the theme, performing an as-yet-unnamed CMA Song and Single of the Year with help from Lindsay Ell, Maddie & Tae, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce, and Runaway June, as well as a special appearance by Little Big Town.
• Parton, who is also guest-hosting, will perform a gospel medley of “God Only Knows,” “There Was Jesus” and an unreleased song called “Faith” with King & Country and Williams.
• Three-time nominee this year Stapleton will perform with pop icon P!nk on their duet “Love Me Anyway.”
• Eric Church singing his latest No.1 “Some Of It”
• Luke Combs performing “Beer Never Broke My Heart”
• Reba McEntire singing “Fancy”
• Miranda Lambert performing “It All Comes Out In The Wash”
• Maren Morris singing “GIRL”
• Carrie Underwood performing “Drinking Alone”
• Keith Urban singing “We Were.” (Wouldn’t be shocked to see Eric Church on this one too).
• Brooks & Dunn will perform their hit “Hard Workin’ Man” with Brothers Osborne.
• Garth Brooks is slated to perform his hit “Dive Bar” with Blake Shelton.
• Kacey Musgraves and Willie Nelson will team up, marking Nelson’s first time on the CMA stage since 2012.
• Lady Antebellum will partner with pop sensation Halsey for an epic mashup of songs.
• Kelsea Ballerini will take the stage for a heartwarming performance of her latest hit “homecoming queen?”
• Dan + Shay hit the stage with “Speechless.”
• Old Dominion will perform their latest to radio “One Man Band.”
• Thomas Rhett will sing “Remember You Young”
• Shelton will perform “God’s Country.”

PRESENTERS:

Blanco Brown, ABC’s Dancing With The Stars’ Hannah Brown, Deana Carter, Kristin Chenoweth, Janie Fricke, actor/comedian Jim Gaffigan, Vince Gill, Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride, Midland, Craig Morgan, Jennifer Nettles, Riverdale’s Madelaine Petsch, actor, comedian and writer J.B. Smoove, Pam Tillis, Morgan Wallen and Trisha Yearwood.

Kris Kristofferson will be the 5th recipient of the CMA’s 2019 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. Kristofferson will be honored during the 2019 CMA Awards with a performance of his classic hit “Me and Bobby McGee,” performed by Dierks Bentley, Sheryl Crow, Chris Janson and John Osborne of Brothers Osborne. Kristofferson himself will not be in attendance.

And the nominees are…

 

Entertainer of the Year

Last year’s winner: KEITH URBAN: 2nd time to win.

Garth Brooks
Eric Church
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban

Album of the Year (Awarded to Artist and Producers)

Last year’s winner: KACEY MUSGRAVES – Golden Hour

Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett
Cry Pretty – Carrie Underwood
Dan + Shay – Dan + Shay
Desperate Man – Eric Church
GIRL – Maren Morris

Female Vocalist of the Year

Last year’s winner: CARRIE UNDERWOOD: 5th win as Female Vocalist.

Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year

Last year’s winner: CHRIS STAPLETON: 4- time consecutive winner (Has never lost).

Dierks Bentley

Luke Combs

Thomas Rhett

Chris Stapleton

Keith Urban

Vocal Group of the Year

Last year’s winner: OLD DOMINION: First CMA Win last year.

Lady Antebellum

Little Big Town

Midland

Old Dominion

Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo of the Year

Last year’s winner: BROTHERS OSBORNE: 3-time consecutive winners.

Brooks & Dunn

Dan + Shay

Brothers Osborne
Florida Georgia Line

Maddie & Tae

Song of the Year (Awarded to Songwriters)

Last year’s winner: CHRIS STAPLETON: Broken Halos.

“Beautiful Crazy” – Luke Combs

“GIRL” – Maren Morris

“God’s Country” – “Blake Shelton

“Rainbow” – Kacey Musgraves

“Tequila” – Dan + Shay

New Artist of the Year

Last year’s winner: LUKE COMBS

Cody Johnson

Ashley McBryde

Midland

Carly Pearce

Morgan Wallen

Single Record of the Year (Awarded to Artist and Producer)

Last year’s winner: CHRIS STAPLETON: Broken Halos.

Burning Man – Dierks Bentley ft. Brothers Osborne

“GIRL” – Maren Morris

“God’s Country” – Blake Sheltion

“Millionaire” – Chris Stapleton

“Speechless” – Dan + Shay

Musical Event of the Year

Last year’s winner: DAVID LEE MURPHY ft. KENNY CHESNEY – “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”.

“All My Favorite People” – Maren Morris ft. Brothers Osborne

“Brand New Man” – Brooks & Dunn ft. Luke Combs

“Dive Bar” – Garth Brooks ft. Blake Shelton

“Old Town Road (Remix)” – Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus

“What Happens In A Small Town” – Brantley Gilbert ft. Lindsay Ell

Music Video of the Year (Awarded to Artist and Director)

Last year’s winner: THOMAS RHETT: Marry Me.

“Burning Man” – Dierks Bentley ft. Brothers Osborne

“GIRL” – Maren Morris

“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton

“Rainbow” – Kacey Musgraves

“Some Of It” – Eric Church

Musician of the Year

Jenee Fleenor – Fiddle

Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar

Mac McAnally – Guitar

Ilya Toshinski – Banjo/Guitar

Derek Wells – Guitar

 

ABOUT THE TROPHY:

At its inception in 1967, the CMA Award trophy was designed to resemble a chart bullet.

Constructed of a rich walnut and a sturdy marble, the trophy signified the strength, durability and warmth of the genre. A brass music note adorning the center read “Best Liked World Wide.”

The limited supply of walnut wood in 1983 encouraged a transition to crystal, a material still used today. With the update arrived a new CMA emblem.

Today’s trophy is a stylish, high-value adornment made of hand-blown crystal in Florence, Italy, with final assembly by Francis & Lusky in Nashville, Tenn.

At 15 inches tall and 7.5 pounds, the CMA Award is a fine Italian crystal obelisk. The Country Music Association logo appears on a tri-level, die-struck medallion in polished bronze. A satin brass nameplate featuring the winner’s name and CMA Awards category completes the trophy once winners have been announced.

Dan Van Social Media/Phone Topic: I have always felt the award should have a catchy & cool name. What would you call the award?

 

Some top winners of the “Country Torpedo:”

Who has won the most CMA Awards?

Top 3: George Strait (22), Brooks & Dunn (19), Vince Gill (18)

Who won the first Entertainer of the Year trophy?

Eddy Arnold in 1967

Who has won Entertainer of the Year most often?

Garth Brooks (6)

Other Notes:

The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association.

The first CMA awards were presented at an un-televised ceremony in Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium in 1967. (The Entertainer of the Year award that night went to Eddy Arnold.) The second annual CMA awards were presented in October 1968; NBC taped the ceremony and broadcast it a few weeks later).

Beginning in 1969, the awards were televised live, usually during October or November of each year. They continued to be broadcast on NBC until switching to CBS in 1972, where they remained until 2005. Starting in November 2006, the Annual CMA Awards are televised on ABC.

The CMA Awards, for many years, were held at the home of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry; initially at the Ryman Auditorium, and from 1974 to 2004 at the Grand Ole Opry House.

The 2005 ceremonies took place in New York City at Madison Square Garden. The awards show has been held at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena since 2006.