The final nominees for the 57th annual Country Music Association Awards were revealed Thursday morning (Sept. 7), with this year’s slate of nominees reflecting the chart dominance of an array of artists, but leaning heavily on giving recognition to relative newcomers whose starpower is surging — including Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, HARDY and Jordan Davis.
Over the past year, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” Luke Combs’s rendition of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” and Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange” have been among the songs gaining traction on the Billboard Hot 100, and those artists are among those who have earned top honors heading into the CMA Awards this year.
As she did in 2022, “Heart Like a Truck” singer-songwriter Wilson again leads the pack, with nine nominations — followed by “Need a Favor” hitmaker Jelly Roll (five nominations), and both Combs and HARDY with four nominations. Meanwhile, several artists, writers and/or producers earned a trio of nods each, including Davis, Ashley McBryde, producer/mix engineer Joey Moi, “wait in the truck” songwriter/producer Jordan Schmidt, Chris Stapleton, Wallen and musician/producer Derek Wells.
The eligibility period for the 2023 show is July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023. According to CMA rules, “singles, albums, music videos and qualified music products for the annual show must have been released or reached peak national prominence during the eligibility period.”
The 57th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, broadcasts live from Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 8 (8:00 – 11:00 PM/EST) on ABC. Here are some of the biggest snubs and surprises from Thursday’s nominations.
