Country Music Association Awards | |
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Current: 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards | |
Awarded for | Achievements in country music |
Country | United States |
Presented by | Country Music Association |
First awarded | 1967 |
Website | www.cmaawards.com |
Television/radio coverage | |
Network | NBC (1968–1971) CBS (1972–2005) ABC (2006–present) |
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The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. [1] [2] The televised annual presentation ceremony features performances and award presentations by popular country music artists, with occasional appearances from pop and rock artists. [1] The CMA Awards were first presented in 1967, and televised for the first time the following year.
The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium on October 20, 1967; the Entertainer of the Year award went to Eddy Arnold that night. The second annual CMA awards were presented in October 1968; NBC taped the ceremony and televised it a few weeks later. Since then, the awards have been televised live, usually in October or November, by NBC from 1969 through 1971, by CBS from 1972 through 2005, and by ABC beginning in 2006. Starting in 1968 they were held at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry (initially at Ryman Auditorium, and from 1974 through 2004 at the new Grand Ole Opry House).
In 2005, the awards show was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Since 2006, they have been held at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. [3] In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 54th CMA Awards were held at Nashville's Music City Center. [4]
Since 2017, the ceremony has been held on the second Wednesday of November. Prior to 2017, the awards were generally held on the first Wednesday of November. However, since then the awards have been rescheduled for later in the month to avoid conflict with a possible game seven of Major League Baseball's World Series, since the 2016 ceremony aired the same night as Fox’s eventual telecast of game seven of the 2016 Series, which beat the CMA Awards in the ratings.
In June 2021, the Country Music Association announced that they would extend its broadcast contract with ABC through 2026. [5]
Following the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Country Music Association announced that the 55th CMA Awards on November 10, 2021, would require ticketed audience members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to wear appropriate face coverings. [6]
Albums and songs released between July 1 of the previous calendar year and June 30 of the award show's year are eligible for consideration. [7] More than 7,300 individuals from the Country Music Association trade group vote for the nominees and winners through three rounds of balloting. [7]
Annual awards are given in the following twelve categories: Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Female Vocalist, New Artist (previously known as the Horizon Award until 2008), Vocal Group, Vocal Duo (introduced in 1970), Single, Album, Song, Musical Event (split off from the Vocal Duo award in 1988 as Vocal Event), Music Video (introduced in 1985), and Musician. [1] The distinction between the Duo and Event awards is that the former is presented to two artists who normally perform together, while the latter was specifically created to honor one-off collaborations. Nine awards are also given to radio broadcasters for Station of the Year and Personality of the Year (divided into four categories each, based on market size), as well as National Personality of the Year to the host of a nationally syndicated show. [1] Since 2012, the ceremony features a Lifetime Achievement Award. [8] Vince Gill, and Alan Jackson are the only individuals to win Entertainer of the Year, Male/Female Vocalist of the Year or Group/Duo of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year all in the same year.
Defunct categories
Industry Honors
Radio awards
The Country Music Association Award for International Achievement is presented to international artists and executives.
Formerly presented as the International Touring Artist Award, this award recognizes outstanding achievement by a U.S.-based artist who has demonstrated the most significant creative growth, development and promotion of the country music industry outside of the United States during the eligibility period. The Dixie Chicks were the first artists to receive the award twice. 2008 is the only year in which there were multiple winners. [9]
Named in honor of Jeff Walker, this award recognizes outstanding achievements by a country music artist signed outside of the United States. The artist must have furthered the popularity of country music as well as brought attention to the country music format in their territory. This award was first presented in 2003 and has been presented annually since, with the exception of 2015. The Global Country Achievement Award has been most frequently won by Australian artists.
This award recognizes outstanding achievement by a radio broadcaster outside the United States who has made important contributions for the development of country music in their country. Up to three recipients may be named in any year. Each recipient must represent a different territory.
The first ceremony in 1967, which was not televised, was co-hosted by Sonny James and Bobbie Gentry. Vince Gill hosted the awards from 1992 to 2003. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood have co-hosted the ceremonies from 2008 to 2018. For the 2019 ceremony, Carrie Underwood hosted alongside Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. McEntire returned to host the 2020 ceremony with Darius Rucker. Luke Bryan hosted the 2021 show solo. Bryan returned to host the 2022 ceremony with Peyton Manning. Bryan and Manning returned to host the 2024 ceremony with Lainey Wilson
Host | Times hosted/co-hosted |
---|---|
Vince Gill | 12 (1992–2003) |
Carrie Underwood | 12 (2008–2019) |
Brad Paisley | 11 (2008–2018) |
Reba McEntire | 5 (1990–1992, 2019–2020) |
Johnny Cash | 5 (1973–1974, 1976–1978) |
Kenny Rogers | 4 (1979, 1984, 1987, 1989) |
Tennessee Ernie Ford | 3 (1969–1971) |
Mac Davis | 3 (1980–1982) |
Barbara Mandrell | 3 (1980–1982) |
Anne Murray | 3 (1983, 1985, 1989) |
Brooks & Dunn | 3 (2004–2006) |
Luke Bryan | 3 (2021–2023) |
Peyton Manning | 2 (2022–2023) |
Dolly Parton | 2 (1988, 2019) |
Kris Kristofferson | 2 (1985–1986) |
Willie Nelson | 2 (1983, 1986) |
Glen Campbell | 2 (1972, 1975) |
Lainey Wilson | 1 (2024) |
Darius Rucker | 1 (2020) |
Randy Travis | 1 (1990) |
Roy Clark | 1 (1976) |
Charley Pride | 1 (1975) |
Dale Evans | 1 (1968) |
Roy Rogers | 1 (1968) |
Bobbie Gentry | 1 (1967) |
Sonny James | 1 (1967) |
Artist | Wins [30] |
---|---|
Brooks & Dunn | 18 |
Vince Gill | |
George Strait | 17 |
Alan Jackson | 16 |
Chris Stapleton | |
Garth Brooks | 14 |
Brad Paisley | |
Miranda Lambert |
Artist | Nominations [31] |
---|---|
George Strait | 83 |
Alan Jackson | 81 |
Miranda Lambert | 62 |
Brad Paisley | 58 |
Vince Gill | 54 |
Brooks & Dunn | 53 |
Reba McEntire | 52 |
Only two artists have won the top four awards in a single year: Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, Male Vocalist/Female Vocalist/Group/Duo of the Year and Song of the Year: Vince Gill, in 1993 and Alan Jackson, in 2002. [32]
Ceremony | Entertainer | Album | Vocalist/Group/Duo | Song |
---|---|---|---|---|
36th | Alan Jackson | Drive – Alan Jackson | Alan Jackson | "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" – Alan Jackson |
27th | Vince Gill | I Still Believe in You – Vince Gill | Vince Gill | "I Still Believe in You" – Vince Gill and John Barlow Jarvis |
When presenting the Entertainer of the Year award at the 1975 ceremony, Charlie Rich, who appeared to be intoxicated after drinking backstage and was allegedly taking pain medication for a broken foot, opened the envelope to reveal the winner. When he saw that John Denver had been chosen, Rich pulled out his lighter and burned the envelope, sarcastically declaring that the winner was "my friend, Mr. John Denver". Many saw Rich's actions as a protest towards pop artists crossing over into country music and it remains one of the most discussed moments in CMA history. [33]
During a time when the rest of the entertainment industry were wearing red ribbons to signify solidarity and promote awareness of the AIDS epidemic, in an attempt to steer clear of controversy, the CMA instead encouraged guests to wear green ribbons to signify environmental awareness. This did not sit well with Kathy Mattea, who had lost several friends to the disease, and she requested the CMA's help in drafting a short speech on the issue, but they ignored her request and she took matters into her own hands. At the 1992 ceremony while presenting an award, Mattea wore three red ribbons and one green ribbon and announced the names of her friends who had succumbed to AIDS and delivered an impassioned speech that created a discussion and elevated AIDS awareness among the Nashville community. Mattea went on to become a staunch advocate for the cause, releasing the album Red Hot + Country two years later to raise funds for AIDS charities. [34] [35]
On May 8, 1999, George Jones released "Choices", a song written by Mike Curtis and Billy Yates, that featured an accompanying music video which depicted his struggles with substance abuse. The song subsequently became a Top 30 hit for Jones and was nominated for Single of the Year at the 1999 CMA Awards, with the CMA inviting him to perform a shortened version at the ceremony. Jones felt insulted that the CMA requested he remove part of the song and declined the invitation. Alan Jackson, who was slated to perform his current single "Pop a Top", was offended that the CMA had denied Jones the opportunity to sing the full song, and so during his performance, he stopped his own band mid-song and proceeded to sing the chorus of "Choices", which went on to earn a standing ovation from the audience. [36]
At the 50th CMA Awards in 2016, the Chicks returned to the CMA stage for the first time since their comments about George Bush resulted in them being blacklisted from the industry. They were joined by Beyoncé to perform a medley of "Daddy Lessons" from her 2016 Lemonade album and their own 2002 hit "Long Time Gone". While many viewers and critics praised the performance, it garnered criticism from some country traditionalists, who stated that Beyoncé, a pop/R&B artist, had no place at a country music awards show. The comments polarized opinions, with some noting that they could be seen as a racist attack, as previous collaborations with non-country artists had not received the same amount of criticism and some suggesting that old grudges against the Chicks had fueled the extreme responses to their performance. Many artists including Dierks Bentley and Karen Fairchild defended the performance while others did not, including Alan Jackson who reportedly left the arena. [37] [38] [39] [40]
Over the years numerous publications, websites, and magazine on country music have accused the association of discriminating African-American country artists, and particularly black female artists in the selection of nominations and award winners. [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] Through the years US nonprofit civil rights organization Color of Change president Rashad Robinson accused the ceremony who didn't recognize African Americans country musicians and the history of the genre. [47] [48] [49] At the 58th CMA Awards the nominating committee was accused of racism and not recognizing the legacy in the country genre of black artists after snubbing Beyoncé eighth studio album Cowboy Carter , as well as the lead single "Texas Hold 'Em", classified in country music genre. [50] [51] [52]
The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The CMA is best known for its annual CMA Fest and Country Music Association Awards broadcast live on network television each fall.
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of American Idol in 2005. Underwood's single "Inside Your Heaven" (2005) made her the first country artist to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the only solo country artist in the 2000s to have a number-one song on the Hot 100. Her debut album, Some Hearts (2005), was bolstered by the successful crossover singles "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Before He Cheats", and became the best-selling debut album of all time by a solo female country artist. She won three Grammy Awards for the album, including Best New Artist. Her next studio album, Carnival Ride (2007), had one of the biggest opening weeks of all time by a female artist and won two Grammy Awards. Her third studio album, Play On (2009), produced the single "Cowboy Casanova", which had one of the biggest single-week upward movements on the Hot 100.
The Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards, were first held in 1966, honoring the industry's accomplishments during the previous year. It was the first country music awards program held by a major organization. The academy's signature "hat" trophy was first created in 1968. The awards were first televised in 1972 on ABC. In 1979, the academy joined with Dick Clark Productions to produce the show. Dick Clark and Al Schwartz served as producers while Gene Weed served as director. Under their guidance, the show moved to NBC in 1979, then to CBS in 1998, and Amazon Prime Video in 2022.
The APRA Music Awards in Australia celebrate excellence in contemporary music, honoring songwriters and publishers who have achieved artistic excellence and outstanding success in their fields.
Adam Brand is an Australian country singer-songwriter. Brand released his debut album in 1997. He has since released 14 studio albums and has won 12 Country Music Awards of Australia. Adam Brand has been voted CMC Oz Artist of the Year five consecutive years between 2007 – 2011.
"If I Were a Boy" is a song written by BC Jean and Toby Gad and originally performed by Jean in 2008. The song gained international attention the same year in a version by the American singer Beyoncé, from her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008). Jean and Gad also handled its production alongside Beyoncé. Inspired by the difficult break-up of a romantic relationship, the song was initially recorded by Jean, whose record company rejected it. Beyoncé then recorded her own version. Jean was upset when she learned that Beyoncé was releasing it as a single, but eventually, they reached an agreement. Columbia Records released "If I Were a Boy" to US radio on October 8, 2008, as a double A-side single alongside "Single Ladies " as the lead singles. The two songs showcased the contrast between Beyoncé's personality and her aggressive onstage persona, Sasha Fierce. A Spanish version of the song, titled "Si Yo Fuera un Chico", was digitally released in Mexico and Spain.
Jasmine Rae is an Australian singer and songwriter who has released five studio albums via ABC Music Australia. Rae has been nominated for four ARIA Music Awards and has won two CMC Music Awards, and received the 'Global Artist of the Year' award by the US Country Music Association in 2013. She is also an eleven-time Golden Guitar nominee.
The Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, instituted in 2012 during the 46th CMA Awards, is given by the Country Music Association. The presentation of the award is intended to "honor an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in Country Music (that) achieved both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, record sales, and public representation at the highest level", with the condition that the recipient "must have positively impacted and contributed to the growth of the genre over time".
"Daddy Lessons" is a song by American singer Beyoncé. It is the sixth track on her sixth studio album, Lemonade (2016), released through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. The song's music video is part of Beyoncé's 2016 film Lemonade, aired on HBO alongside the album's release.
The 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards, commonly known as CMA 50 or the 50th CMA Awards, were held on November 2, 2016 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The ceremony recognizes some of the best country music released during the eligibility period. It is the eleventh ceremony to be held at the Arena, the seventeenth to be held in November and the ninth night to be co-hosted by country stars Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. The ceremony was directed by Paul Miller.
The following list shows the recipients for the Country Music Association Award for Female Vocalist of the Year. The award is based on individual musical performance on a solo country single or album release, as well as the artist's overall contribution to country music during the eligibility period.
The 55th Annual Country Music Association Awards were held on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The ceremony was hosted by CMA Award winner Luke Bryan.
The 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards were held on November 20, 2024, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The ceremony was broadcast live on ABC and was available to stream the next day on Hulu.