CMA Awards: Morgan Wallen, Post Malone, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton Lead Nominations; Beyoncé Snubbed

Denise Petski
·4 min read

The Country Music Association has unveiled the nominees for the 58th Annual CMA Awards, with Morgan Wallen topping the list with seven nominations, four for his collaboration “I Had Some Help” with Post Malone.

Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton each landed five nominations. Lainey Wilson tied Malone with four nominations and Louis Bell, Luke Combs, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney and Kacey Musgraves followed with three nominations.

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Nominees for the night’s highest honor, CMA Entertainer of the Year, are Combs, Jelly Roll, Stapleton,Wallen and Wilson.

First-time CMA Awards nominees include Andrew Baylis, Louis Bell, Brock Berryhill, Tom Bukovac, Will Bundy, Sean Cook, Benjy Davis, Shawn Everett, Riley Green, Kevin “Thrasher” Gruft, Kat Higgins, Hoskins, Jeff Johnson, Noah Kahan, Ella Langley, Ryan Larkins, Raul Lopez, Josh Phillips, Post Malone, Nevin Sastry, Shaboozey, Ernest Keith Smith, Nate Smith, Konrad Snyder, Mitchell Tenpenny, The Red Clay Strays, Zach Top, Chris Villa, Chandler Paul Walters and Bailey Zimmerman.

Not among the nominees is Beyoncé, whose “Cowboy Carter” sat atop Billboard’s Top country albums chart for four weeks. She also hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot country songs chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em”. Shaboozey, who was a guest on Beyoncé’s album, did earn two nominations.

The 58th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, Nov. 20 (8-11PM/EST) on ABC and next day on Hulu.

Here are the nominees:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Luke Combs  Jelly Roll  Chris Stapleton  Morgan Wallen  Lainey Wilson

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s) 

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey 
Producers: Sean Cook, Nevin Sastry 
Mix Engineer: Raul Lopez  “Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson 
Producer: Trent Willmon 
Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke  “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone (Feat. Morgan Wallen) 
Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins 
Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore  “Watermelon Moonshine” – Lainey Wilson 
Producer: Jay Joyce 
Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce  “White Horse” – Chris Stapleton 
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton 
Mix Engineer: Vance Powell

ALBUM OF THE YEAR    
Award goes to Artist, Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s) 

Deeper Well – Kacey Musgraves 
Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Tashian 
Mix Engineers: Shawn Everett, Konrad Snyder  Fathers & Sons – Luke Combs  
Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton 
Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews  Higher – Chris Stapleton 
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton 
Mix Engineer: Vance Powell  Leather – Cody Johnson 
Producer: Trent Willmon 
Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke  Whitsitt Chapel – Jelly Roll 
Producers: Andrew Baylis, Brock Berryhill, Zach Crowell, Jesse Frasure, David Garcia, Kevin “Thrasher” Gruft, Austin Nivarel, David Ray Stevens 
Mix Engineers: Jeff Braun, Jim Cooley

SONG OF THE YEAR   
Award goes to Songwriter(s) 

“Burn It Down” 
Songwriters: Hillary Lindsey, Parker McCollum, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose  “Dirt Cheap” 
Songwriter: Josh Phillips  “I Had Some Help” 
Songwriters: Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith, Morgan Wallen, Chandler Paul Walters  “The Painter” 
Songwriters: Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins, Ryan Larkins  “White Horse” 
Songwriters: Chris Stapleton, Dan Wilson

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Kelsea Ballerini  Ashley McBryde  Megan Moroney  Kacey Musgraves  Lainey Wilson

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Luke Combs  Jelly Roll  Cody Johnson  Chris Stapleton  Morgan Wallen

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Lady A  Little Big Town  Old Dominion  The Red Clay Strays  Zac Brown Band

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

Brooks & Dunn  Brothers Osborne  Dan + Shay  Maddie & Tae  The War And Treaty

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR   
Award goes to Artists and Producer(s)

“Cowboys Cry Too” – Kelsea Ballerini (with Noah Kahan) 
Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym  “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone (Feat. Morgan Wallen) 
Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins  “I Remember Everything” – Zach Bryan (ft. Kacey Musgraves) 
Producer: Zach Bryan  “Man Made A Bar” – Morgan Wallen (feat. Eric Church) 
Producer: Joey Moi  “you look like you love me” – Ella Langley (feat. Riley Green) 
Producer: Will Bundy

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

Tom Bukovac – Guitar  Jenee Fleenor – Fiddle  Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar  Rob McNelley – Guitar  Charlie Worsham – Guitar

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR  
Award goes to Artist(s) and Director(s) 

“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson 
Director: Dustin Haney  “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone (Feat. Morgan Wallen) 
Director: Chris Villa  “I’m Not Pretty” – Megan Moroney 
Directors: Jeff Johnson, Megan Moroney  “The Painter” – Cody Johnson 
Director: Dustin Haney  “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” – Lainey Wilson 
Director: Patrick Tracy

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Megan Moroney  Shaboozey  Nate Smith  Mitchell Tenpenny  Zach Top  Bailey Zimmerman


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