Morgan Wallen was named Entertainer of the Year at the 2024 CMA Awards held on Wednesday (November 20) at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Wallen's coronation comes less than four years after a career hiatus in which he was caught on video using a racial slur and suggests he is now back in Nashville's good graces. (He did succeed in his other six categories this year, so maybe he's not too far behind.) Wallen didn't show up, perhaps feeling he was still persona non grata.
Wallen's win for artist of the year means that Chris Stapleton has now lost in this category eight times without winning. This is the most Entertainer of the Year nominations without a win. Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood are currently tied for second on the list of artists with the most nominations without a win (six).
But Stapleton won three awards on the night, more than any other artist. This brings his career CMA win total to 18. Only two other artists have won 18 or more CMA Awards. Brooks & Dunn, which won another award this year, leads with 19 awards. Vince Gill, like Stapleton, has won 18 awards. At this year's show, Stapleton moved ahead of George Strait (17 wins) and Alan Jackson (16).
Stapleton won Male Vocalist of the Year for a record eighth time. He is well ahead of the team in terms of most wins in the division. Runners-up, with five wins each, are Gill, Straight and Blake Shelton. (For comparison, the top female vocalist of the year winner, Lambert, has won it seven times.)
Stapleton also won single and song of the year for “White Horse.” It is the third time he has doubled up and won both awards on the same night. He also won both awards for “Broken Halos” in 2018 and “Starting Over” in 2021. Stapleton is the first artist in CMA history to win single of the year three times. Stapleton's single earned a pair of long-running No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: Shaboozey's “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and Post Malone's “I Had Some Help” featuring Wallen.
This was also Stapleton's third win for Song of the Year. Only two other songwriters have won three or more times in this category. Gill leads with four Song of the Year wins. Don Schlitz also won it three times.
Lainey Wilson won two awards, second only to Stapleton. She was awarded female singer of the year for the third year in a row. She is the sixth woman to win in this category three or more years in a row. Tammy Wynette was the first singer to achieve the feat (1968-70), followed by Reba McEntire (1984-87), Martina McBride (2002-04), Underwood (2006-08) and Lambert (2010-15). Wilson also won Music Video of the Year for “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.” This brings her CMA tally to nine wins, all in just three years.
Old Dominion won Vocal Group of the Year for the seventh consecutive year. They are the first group ever to win the division seven years in a row, though they still have a ways to go to catch The Statler Brothers for the most total wins in the division (nine).
Brooks & Dunn won vocal duo of the year for the 15th time. the first time since 2006. Everyone was wondering if Brothers Osborne or Dan + Shay would win this time, or could War and Treaty win in an upset? Few thought Brooks & Dunn would reclaim the award they won 14 times between 1992 and 2006. When Brooks & Dunn first won the award, they beat reigning champions The Judds. With this latest win, they beat champions Brothers Osborne.
Megan Moroney won New Artist of the Year in her second nomination. Lost to Jelly Roll last year. (Artists are allowed two nominations in this category.)
Cody Johnson's ninth studio album, Skinwon album of the year. His win was considered a surprise given the strong competition, including Stapleton Higher up and Jelly Roll's Whitsitt Chapel.
Guitarist Charlie Worsham won musician of the year for the first time, ending Jenee Fleenor's five-year reign on the award. With Worsham's win, steel guitarist Paul Franklin lost in the category for the 32nd time. That's not a typo – Franklin has been nominated and lost in the category 32 times.
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