2021 CMA Awards Nominations: Chris Stapleton, Eric Church Are Top Nominees
With five each, Eric Church and Chris Stapleton tied for the most nominations at the upcoming 55th annual CMA Awards, set to take place November 10th in Nashville. The full list of CMA nominees were announced Thursday morning.
Reigning Entertainer of the Year Church secured another nod this year in the event’s top category along with four other nominations including Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for Heart — one-third of his 2021 triple album Heart & Soul. His hit “Hell of a View” is also up for Single of the Year and Song of the Year.
Stapleton will compete against Church in the same five categories, with Stapleton’s 2020 album Starting Over up for Album of the Year and its title track earning dual nods for Song of the Year and Single of the Year. Both men will be pitted against Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, and Carrie Underwood for the Entertainer of the Year prize.
In the Album of the Year category, Church and Stapleton’s entries compete with Carly Pearce’s 29, Brothers Osborne’s Skeletons, and Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album — the polarizing and controversial singer’s lone mention on this year’s CMA docket. The Country Music Association previously announced in May that Wallen would not be eligible for individual awards after he was recorded using a racial slur earlier in the year. However, categories that awarded collaborators like producers and engineers would still be fair game.
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Other multiple nominees this year include Gabby Barrett, whose song “The Good Ones” is up for Song and Single of the Year; and mixing engineer Jason Hall and producer Jay Joyce for their work with Church, Brothers Osborne, and Ashley McBryde. Brothers Osborne, McBryde, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Chris Young, and Miranda Lambert (extending her lead as the most-nominated woman of all time) all picked up three nominations apiece.
The 55th CMA Awards will air live Wednesday, November 10th, on ABC. This year’s hosts and performers have not yet been announced.
Here are the nominees:
Entertainer of the Year
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Miranda Lambert
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Single of the Year
“Famous Friends,” Chris Young with Kane Brown
“The Good Ones,” Gabby Barrett
“Hell of a View,” Eric Church
“One Night Standards,” Ashley McBryde
“Starting Over,” Chris Stapleton
Album of the Year
29, Carly Pearce
Dangerous: The Double Album, Morgan Wallen
Heart, Eric Church
Skeletons, Brothers Osborne
Starting Over, Chris Stapleton
Song of the Year
“Forever After All,” recorded by Luke Combs
“The Good Ones,” recorded by Gabby Barrett
“Hell of a View,” recorded by Eric Church
“One Night Standards,” recorded by Ashley McBryde
“Starting Over,” recorded by Chris Stapleton
Female Vocalist of the Year
Gabby Barrett
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Carly Pearce
Male Vocalist of the Year
Dierks Bentley
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Vocal Group of the Year
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Vocal Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae
Musical Event of the Year
“Buy Dirt,” Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan
“Chasing After You,” Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris
“Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home),” Elle King and Miranda Lambert
“Famous Friends,” Chris Young with Kane Brown
“Half of My Hometown,” Kelsea Ballerini (featuring Kenny Chesney)
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Musician of the Year
Jenee Fleenor, fiddle
Paul Franklin, steel guitar
Aaron Sterling, drums
Ilya Toshinskiy, banjo
Derek Wells, guitar
Music Video of the Year
“Chasing After You,” Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris
“Famous Friends,” Chris Young with Kane Brown
“Gone,” Dierks Bentley
“Half of My Hometown,” Kelsea Ballerini (featuring Kenny Chesney)
“Younger Me,” Brothers Osborne
New Artist of the Year
Jimmie Allen
Ingrid Andress
Gabby Barrett
Mickey Guyton
Hardy
