The CMA Awards are known as Country Music's Biggest Night — and for good reason. The annual award ceremony is one of the most celebrated events in country music and always leaves country fans with plenty to talk about the next day. Here's everything you need to know about the 52nd annual CMA Awards.
Where to Watch:
The CMA awards will air on ABC on Wednesday, Nov. 14 beginning at 7 p.m. CT/ 8 p.m. ET.
Who's Hosting This Year?
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are hosting the CMAs for the 11th consecutive year. The duo always brings the laughs and memorable moments. In 2014, Paisley let it slip on air that Underwood, who was then pregnant with her first child, was expecting a boy. This year, Underwood has another baby on the way. So far, the country star hasn't announced whether she's having a boy or a girl so we'll have to wait and see if she makes any surprise announcements during the show.
Who's Nominated?
Chris Stapleton leads this year's CMA nominations with seven nominations. The "Tennessee Whiskey" singer is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year and Single of the Year for "Broken Halos (as both an artist and producer) and Album of the Year for From A Room: Vol 2 (as both an artist and producer).
Thomas Rhett and Keith Urban follow Stapleton with four nominations each.
Stapleton is up against Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban for Entertainer of the Year, arguably the night's biggest award. Last year's honor went to Garth Brooks, who didn't receive a nomination this year. In a pool of artists who've all brought a lot of attention to the genre, each nominee has a good chance of taking home the prize.
The Album of the Year category is shaping up to be one of the most exciting. Stapleton has become a favorite of CMA voters (he won last year for From A Room: Vol. 1), but Kacey Musgraves' critically acclaimed Golden Hour has brought new listeners to the genre and just might take home the award.
See a full list of this year's nominees here.
Who's Performing?
This year's CMA awards promise a stacked lineup of country superstars. Miranda Lambert will take the stage twice — once with Jason Aldean and again with her supergroup the Pistol Annies. Garth Brooks will debut a brand new song dedicated to his wife Trisha Yearwood. Chris Stapelton, Maren Morris and Mavis Staples will take the stage for a sure-to-be show-stopping collaboration. Luke Bryan will open the show with "What Makes You Country" along with some yet-to-be-named special guests. Other performers include Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Kacey Musgraves, Thomas Rhett, Dierks Bentley and Brothers Osborne and Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha.
Predicted Highlights:
Garth Brooks debut of his new single is sure to be a highlight of the night, especially since it's dedicated to Yearwood, who hasn't even heard the tune yet.
The night will also mark the first time the Pistol Annies have performed at the CMA awards. Though they've received little help from country radio, the trio's new album Interstate Gospel is currently No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
Kacey Musgraves, the only woman nominated in the Album of the Year category, has also received little radio play for her 2018 album Golden Hour. Musgraves won Song of the Year in 2014 for "Follow Your Arrow." This year she's up for Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year. Musgraves has released several tracks from Golden Hour this year, from the spellbinding "Space Cowboy" to the disco-country jam "High Horse," so it will be interesting to see what she performs on Country Music's Biggest Night.
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