After dominating the pop and country charts since 2019, Morgan Wallen picked up his first entertainer of the year honor at the 2024 CMA Awards, though he wasn’t there to accept it.
The country star beat out last year’s winner, Lainey Wilson, as well as Luke Combs, Jelly Roll and Chris Stapleton, who won multiple honors Wednesday. Jeff Bridges presented the final award of the night, which comes weeks after Wallen earned his first pair of Grammy nominations.
Though Wallen missed the show, Stapleton was the big winner: He took home single, song and male vocalist of the year. He also opened the three-hour event alongside Post Malone with their collaboration, “California Sober,” sang “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame” with George Strait — who earned the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award — and strummed his guitar while staring at his wife, Morgane Stapleton, as they performed “What Am I Gonna Do.”
Together, the Stapletons won single of the year for “White Horse” (Morgane co-produced it). “I am taken aback,” Stapleton said as he won song of the year, dedicating the award to Morgane.
Brooks & Dunn also shined onstage, earning the performance of the night alongside Jelly Roll for an updated rendition of their 2005 hit “Believe.” It brought several audience members to tears, including Keith Urban and Little Big Town’s Jimi Westbrook and Philip Sweet. The icons also won vocal duo of the year.
“There’s a famous quote that says, ‘Time is undefeated.’ I just say, ‘Not yet I guess,’” Kix Brooks said.
The performance was one of many winning moments for Jelly Roll. He made the heart symbol with his hands as Malone sang his touching song about his daughter, “Yours”; he cheered Cody Johnson on as he won album of the year (Jelly Roll was also nominated in the category); and he brought the house down with a rousing, soulful performance of “Liar,” which included a winning assist from Urban on guitar.
Eric Church honored storm victims with his performance; Combs sang his Grammy-nominated hit “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” from the Twisters soundtrack; Ashley McBryde paid tribute to Kris Kristofferson with “Help Me Make It Through the Night”; and Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum and Jamey Johnson honored Strait, who earned a standing ovation from the audience at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. “I want to thank the CMAs for adding my name to the incredible artists on this small list of recipients, carrying the name of the icon Willie Nelson,” Strait said.
Other performers include Kacey Musgraves, Thomas Rhett with Teddy Swims, Dierks Bentley, Bailey Zimmerman, Kelsea Ballerini with Noah Kahan, and Shaboozey, who sang “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” The track recently logged its 18th week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 and is one week shy of tying the record set by another country-rap mashup: “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus.
Shaboozey lost new artist of the year to Megan Moroney, while Old Dominion were named vocal group of the year and Ella Langley and Riley Green won musical event of the year for “You Look Like You Love Me.”
Wilson won female vocalist of the year and co-hosted the show with Peyton Manning and Luke Bryan.
“There’s one thing I want to say to everybody here about the recent results — whether the candidate you voted for won or lost, we all need to get together behind the winner,” Wilson said as Manning quickly chimed in with: “Lainey, we talked about this now, let’s not get into politics tonight.”
She replied: “I’m talking about the vote for People’s Sexiest Man Alive.”
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