Nominations for the 51st Annual CMA Awards were announced live today on “Good Morning America,” with Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban and Little Big Town topping the list of nominees, with five for nods Lambert and four for Urban and Little Big Town.
Reigning CMA vocal duo of the year Brothers Osborne and rising country music stars Lauren Alaina and Dustin Lynch announced the nominees in 12 CMA Award categories live from the “GMA” studio in New York’s Times Square.
Alaina heard her name read among the nominees for new artist of the year — her first CMA nomination.
“I’m really trying not to cry, because I feel like I always cry,” she said, adding she hoped her parents were awake to hear her name. “I’m blown away. I’m really excited, and it’s an honor.”
T.J. Osborne, who, with his brother, John Osborne, received two CMA nominations, joked about what would have happened had they not been nominated for vocal duo of the year, an honor they took home at last year’s CMA Awards.
“I think just even being nominated is really cool,” he said. “I will say, being the reigning duo winner, I was hoping that we would be at least nominated this time or you would have seen a complete meltdown.”
The 51st Annual CMA Awards will be hosted for the 10th time by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The show begins at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Entertainer of the year
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Eric Church Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
Single of the year
(Award goes to the artist, producer[s] and mix engineer[s])
“Better Man” — Little Big Town; producer: Jay Joyce; mix engineers: Jason Hall and Jay Joyce
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Keith Urban; producers: Dann Huff and Keith Urban; mix engineer: Chris Lord-Alge
“Body Like a Back Road” — Sam Hunt; producer: Zach Crowell; mix engineer: Zach Crowell
“Dirt on My Boots” — Jon Pardi; producers: Bart Butler and Jon Pardi; mix engineer: Ryan Gore
“Tin Man” — Miranda Lambert; producers: Frank Liddell, Eric Masse and Glenn Worf; mix engineer: Eric Masse
Album of the year
(Award goes to the artist and producer[s])
The Breaker — Little Big Town; producer: Jay Joyce
From a Room: Volume 1 — Chris Stapleton; producers: Dave Cobb and Chris Stapleton
Heart Break — Lady Antebellum; producer: busbee
The Nashville Sound — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit; producer: Dave Cobb
The Weight of These Wings — Miranda Lambert; producers: Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf and Eric Masse
Song of the year
(Award goes to the songwriter[s])
“Better Man” — Songwriter: Taylor Swift
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Songwriters: Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey and Steven Olsen
“Body Like a Back Road” — Songwriters: Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne
“Dirt on My Boots” — Songwriters: Rhett Akins, Jesse Frasure and Ashley Gorley
“Tin Man” — Songwriters: Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall
Female vocalist of the year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood
Male vocalist of the year
Dierks Bentley
Eric Church
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
Vocal group of the year
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
Vocal duo of the year
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
LoCash
Maddie & Tae
Musical event of the year
Craving You — Thomas Rhett, featuring Maren Morris
Funny How Time Slips Away — Glen Campbell with Willie Nelson
Kill a Word — Eric Church, featuring Rhiannon Giddens
Setting the World on Fire — Kenny Chesney with Pink
Speak to a Girl - Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
Musician of the year
Jerry Douglas (Dobro)
Paul Franklin (steel guitar)
Dann Huff (guitar)
Mac McAnally (guitar)
Derek Wells (guitar)
Music video of the year
(Award goes to the artist and director[s])
“Better Man” — Little Big Town; directors: Becky Fluke and Reid Long
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Keith Urban; director: Carter Smith
“Craving You” — Thomas Rhett, featuring Maren Morris; director: TK McKamy
“It Ain’t My Fault” — Brothers Osborne; directors: Wes Edwards and Ryan Silver
“Vice” — Miranda Lambert; director: Trey Fanjoy
New artist of the year
Lauren Alaina
Luke Combs
Old Dominion
Jon Pardi
Brett Young
CMA small market broadcast personality of the year
“Barrett, Fox & Berry” with Bill Barrett, Tim Fox and Tracy Berry, KKNU, Eugene-Springfield, Oregon
“Ben and Arnie” with Arnie Andrews and Ben Butler, WCOW, La Crosse, Wisconsin
“The Cat Pak Morning Show” with Brent Lane and Candy Cullerton, WYCT, Pensacola, Florida
“Officer Don and DeAnn” with Don Evans and DeAnn Stephens, WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky
“Scotty & Cara in the Morning” with Scotty Cox and Cara Denis, KCLR, Columbia, Missouri
CMA medium market broadcast personality of the year
“Cash and Bradley” with Natalie Cash and Matt Bradley, KWEN, Tulsa, Oklahoma
“The Dex and Mo Show” with Bill “Dex” Poindexter and Melissa “Mo” Turner, WUSY, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Brent Michaels, KUZZ, Bakersfield, California
“New Country Mornings” with Nancy Wilson and James Frye, WHKO, Dayton, Ohio
“Tom & Becky” with Tom Owens and Becky Palmer, WBBS, Syracuse, New York
CMA large market broadcast personality of the year
“Amanda and Jesse” with Amanda Valentine and Jesse Tack, WUBE, Cincinnati
“The Boxer Show” with “Boxer” Brandon Nasby, WCOL, Columbus, Ohio
“Double-L” with Lois Lewis, KWNR, Las Vegas
“The Randy, Jamie and Jojo Show” with Randy Carroll, Jamie Martin and JoJo Meza, KAJA, San Antonio, Texas
“Tige and Daniel” with Tige Rodgers, Daniel Baker and Mari Mueller, WSIX, Nashville
“Woody and the Wake-Up Call” with Woody Johnson, Dan E. Zuko and Kayla Hanley, WCOL, Columbus
CMA major market broadcast personality of the year
“Bud and Broadway” with Bud Ford, Jerry Broadway and Kelly Rebal, WIL, St. Louis
“Michael J on Air” with Michael J. Stuehler, WPOC, Baltimore
“Mike & Amy” with Mike Chase and Amy Faust, KWJJ, Portland, Oregon
“Paul Schadt and Meg” with Paul Schadt, Meg Butterly and Geof Knight, WKKT, Charlotte–Gastonia–Rock Hill, North Carolina
“The Q Morning Zoo” with Tim Tuttle, Kevin Kline and Erica Rico, KKBQ, Houston-Galveston
CMA national broadcast personality of the year
“American Country Countdown” with Kix Brooks, Cumulus
“The Big D and Bubba Show” with Derek Haskins, Sean Powell, Patrick Thomas and Carsen Humphreville, Compass Media Networks
“The Blair Garner Show” with Blair Garner, Cumulus
“The Bobby Bones Show” with Bobby Bones, iHeartMedia
“Country Gold” with Terri Clark, Westwood One
CMA small market radio station of the year
KCLR, Columbia, Missouri
KKNU, Eugene-Springfield
KORA, Bryan–College Station, Texas
WCOW, La Crosse, Wisconsin
WYCT, Pensacola, Florida
CMA medium market radio station of the year
CKRY, Calgary, Canada
KXKT, Omaha, Nebraska–Council Bluffs, Iowa
WBBS, Syracuse, New York
WIVK, Knoxville, Tennessee
WYRK, Buffalo–Niagara Falls, New York
CMA large market radio station of the year
KCYY, San Antonio
WCOL, Columbus
WQDR, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
WQIK, Jacksonville, Florida
WSIX, Nashville
CMA major market radio station of the year
KPLX, Dallas–Ft. Worth
KUPL, Portland, Oregon
KWJJ, Portland, Oregon
WIL, St. Louis
WKKT, Charlotte–Gastonia–Rock Hill, North Carolina