Month: September 2020

ABC/Image Group LADan + Shay had a refreshing start to the day when they woke up to the announcement that they’re nominated for four CMA Awards. 

The hitmaking duo of Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney are nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year, which they were awarded in 2019, while their hit collaboration with Justin Bieber on “10,000 Hours” scored a trio of nods for Single of the Year, Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year.  This marks the first time pop star Bieber has been nominated for a CMA Award.  

“Waking up to 4 @cma nominations this morning felt better than ever,” the duo expressed on Twitter. “Thank you so much to our fans and the country music family for continuing to believe in our dreams. we will always be grateful.” 

The news of the nominations comes as Dan + Shay’s current single, “I Should Probably Go to Bed,” is climbing the charts, currently in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

waking up to 4 @cma nominations this morning felt better than ever. thank you so much to our fans and the country music family for continuing to believe in our dreams. we will always be grateful. ?? pic.twitter.com/MRkochstZJ

— Dan + Shay (@DanAndShay) September 1, 2020

John Russell/CMAGabby Barrett, Ingrid Andress and more are sharing heartfelt reactions to earning their first CMA Awards nominations. 

Gabby and Ingrid were both on the Grand Ole Opry stage when they announced the nominations for several categories, including Single of the Year, in which Gabby is nominated for “I Hope”; Song of the Year, which boasts Ingrid’s “More Hearts Than Mine”; and New Artist of the Year, in which they’re both nominated. 

After expressing enthusiasm during the live announcement, both elaborated on their excitement via social media.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!!!  2 CMA NOMINATIONS!!!!!!  What a DREAM. Seriously,” Gabby writes. “I can’t put words to it. Thank YOU!!! Congrats to everyone else nominated, see you in November.”  

Ingrid also stated disbelief over her two nominations, responding with her signature sense of humor. 

“un FREAKING real. thank you #cmaawards. i was not prepared to be emotional on a Tuesday. New Artist of the year is INSANE, and Song of the Year?! R U SERIOUS. I’m shooketh. thank u thank u,” shesays. 

Meanwhile, fellow newcomers Tenille Townes and Caylee Hammack, who are both featured on Miranda Lambert‘s all-star collaboration “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” that’s up for Musical Event of the Year, were thrilled not only with the nomination, but to be nominated amongst friends.  

“This is WILD! Was an honour to sing beside these voices I look up to so darn much and what a dream to be nominated beside friends. Thank you @mirandalambert for bringing us together,” Tenille praised, with Caylee referring to it as the “cherry on top” of being part of Miranda’s 2019 Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour with her fellow collaborators. 

The full list of nominees was unveiled this morning on ABC’s Good Morning America.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

ABC/Image Group LACarly Pearce is overwhelmed with joy following the announcement of her 2020 CMA Awards nominations. 

The “Every Little Thing” singer scored four nominations, including one in the coveted Song of the Year category for “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” her chart-topping duet with Lee Brice.

The hit song is also up for Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year. This is the first time Carly has been nominated in these three categories.  

She’s also up for New Artist of the Year for the second time, following a nomination in 2019. 

“YALL. I am ugly crying. These are the moments I’ve dreamt about since I was a little girl. Thank you @CountryMusic — I am humbled & I am honored,” she shares in a Twitter post.

Carly joined forces with Luke Combs to announce select award nominees this morning, live from the Grand Ole Opry.

The CMA Awards will air on November 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.  

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

YALL. I am ugly crying. These are the moments I've dreamt about since I was a little girl. Thank you @CountryMusic – I am humbled & I am honored. ???????? #cmaawards pic.twitter.com/wPWDV8vamm

— Carly Pearce (@carlypearce) September 1, 2020

ABC/Image Group LALuke Combs is offering a humble thank you to his fans for his six nominations at the 2020 CMA Awards.

The singer pulled double duty today, announcing some of the nominations with Carly Pearce live from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. 

Luke is a first-time nominee for Single of the Year with “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” Album of the Year for his wildly successful What You See is What You Get, and the night’s top prize, Entertainer of the Year.

He’s also up for Male Vocalist of the Year, which he won in 2019, and scored two nods for Song of the Year with “Even Though I’m Leaving,” and Carly’s duet with Lee Brice on “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” which he co-wrote.   

In the wake of the news, Luke turned to Instagram to share his gratitude for those closest to him, along with his loyal fanbase, which he credits for the accolades. 

“Wow. What a morning. Thank you to the @cma for the consideration. Thank you to my team, my band and crew, my family, my beautiful wife @nicohocking, and to the fans, we miss you,” he professes. “None of this is possible without any of you. WE did this. THANK YOU!” 

Both “Beer” and “Even Though I’m Leaving” are consecutive number-one hits featured on What You See.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

ABC/image Group LAMaren Morris is celebrating the women of country music following the announcement of the 2020 CMA Awards nominations. 

Maren is the third most-nominated act at the awards show, pulling in five nominations in top categories including Female Vocalist of the Year, while her multi-week number-one hit “The Bones” earned nods for Single of the Year and Song of the Year.

Her collaborative performance of “The Bones,” with soulful pop singer Hozier is also nominated for Musical Event of the Year.

Following the announcement of the nominations on Tuesday morning, Maren took to Twitter to reflect on what the awards mean in a year when live music was shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In the year that paused for many of us, we turned to country music. Thank you to my peers for these nominations,” Maren writes, also thanking Hozier for “amplifying” the song. 

Maren concluded her post with words of praise for her fellow female artists. She gave a shout-out to Miranda Lambert — who is now the most-nominated female act in CMA Awards history — for their Musical Event of the Year nominated collaboration on Miranda’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” that also features Ashley McBryde, Elle King, Caylee Hammack and Tenille Townes. 

Additionally, the top category of Entertainer of the Year includes two women, with Miranda and Carrie Underwood nominated alongside Eric Church, Luke Combs and Keith Urban. 

“WOMEN CLEANED UP THIS YEAR!” Maren cheers. 

The 2020 CMA Awards will air live on ABC on November 11.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

In the year that paused for many of us, we turned to country music. Thank you to my peers for these nominations. To @hozier for amplifying this song even higher with your otherworldly talent & to @mirandalambert for having me on this stellar lineup. WOMEN CLEANED UP THIS YEAR!?? pic.twitter.com/UPn4CpYMUJ

— MAREN MORRIS (@MarenMorris) September 1, 2020

Ryman Auditorium The Ryman Auditorium is allowing a limited capacity audience for its Live at the Ryman series.

The historic Nashville venue announced today that its Friday night livestream show will now admit an in-person audience, beginning with a show headlined by Scotty McCreery on September 4.

The Ryman will comply with specific health guidelines created in partnership with Nashville Public Health Department and Vanderbilt Health, which include safety precautions such as social distancing and enhanced cleaning protocols. 

The more than 2,000-person seating capacity venue will only allow 125 ticketed guests in, which equates to roughly five-percent capacity. The venue will set up POD seating that caps at two to six people per POD.

Masks are a mandatory requirement for all guests and staff, with staff also receiving temperature checks. The food and beverage service will not be in use and there will be designated bathroom and entrance and exit points. 

Live at the Ryman launched in August with weekly virtual performances by For King & Country, Cam and Chris Janson. 

Fans will still be able to watch the show virtually on the Mandolin streaming platform. Brett Young and Old Crowe Medicine Show will also perform in the coming weeks.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

ABC/Image Group LAIt’s lucky number seven for Miranda Lambert.

The “Bluebird” singer picked up seven nominations at the 2020 CMA Awards, and set a record in the process. Miranda now has a total of 55 nominations, making her the most-nominated female act in the history of the show, breaking the record previously held by Reba McEntire‘s 51 nods. 

Miranda appears in the night’s top categories, including Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year, for Wildcard.  Her latest chart-topper, “Bluebird,” scored Song of the Year and Single of the Year nods.

Meanwhile, Luke Combs makes his first appearance in the elite Entertainer of the Year category, one of his six nominations. He’s also up for Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for What You See Is What You Get, and a double-nod in Song of the Year for “Even Though I’m Leaving” and the Carly Pearce and Lee Brice duet he co-penned, “I Hope You’re Happy Now.” 

Maren Morris is not far behind, earning five nominations. Like Miranda, she’s vying for Female Vocalist of the Year and Single and Song of the Year. The two unite in the Musical Event of the Year category with “Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” Miranda’s collaborative song featuring Maren, three-time nominee Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack and Elle King.  

Pop fans will recognize one of the many first-time nominees, with superstar Justin Bieber scoring three nods for his collaboration with Dan + Shay on “10,000 Hours,” which is nominated for Single of the Year, Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year.

Gabby Barrett, Ingrid Andress and Jimmie Allen are also first-time nominees. 

The 2020 CMA Awards will broadcast live on November 11 on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Comstock/ThinkstockTwenty years ago today, this trailblazing trio became the first group in country music history to sell 10 million copies of an album, with 1998’s Wide Open Spaces. Can you name them? ANSWER: The Chicks.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Country Music AssociationLuke Combs and Carly Pearce revealed the first contenders for the 2020 Country Music Association Awards this morning on ABC’s Good Morning America, live from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House, with newcomers Gabby Barrett and Ingrid Andress continuing the unveiling online.

Here are the nominees for the 54th CMA Awards, in the order they were announced: 

New Artist of the Year
Jimmie Allen
Ingrid Andress
Gabby Barrett
Carly Pearce
Morgan Wallen 

Album of the Year
Heartache Medication — Jon Pardi
Never Will — Ashley McBryde
Old Dominion — Old Dominion
What You See Is What You Get — Luke Combs
Wildcard — Miranda Lambert

Musical Event of the Year
“10,000 Hours” — Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
“Be a Light” — Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban
“The Bones” — Maren Morris with Hozier
“Fooled Around and Fell in Love” — Miranda Lambert (featuring Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes & Caylee Hammack”
“I Hope You’re Happy Now” — Carly Pearce and Lee Brice 

Entertainer of the Year
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Miranda Lambert
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

Song of the Year
“Bluebird” — Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert
“The Bones” — Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz
“Even Though I’m Leaving” — Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III
“I Hope You’re Happy Now” — Luke Combs, Randy Montana, Carly Pearce, Jonathan Singleton
“More Hearts Than Mine” — Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland

Single of the Year
“10,000 Hours” — Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
“Beer Never Broke My Heart” — Luke Combs
“Bluebird” — Miranda Lambert
“The Bones” — Maren Morris
“I Hope” — Gabby Barrett

Vocal Group of the Year
Lady A
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Midland
Rascal Flatts

Vocal Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie and Tae 

Musician of the Year
Jenee Fleenor
Paul Franklin
Rob McNelley
Ilya Toshinskiy
Derek Wells

Music Video of the Year
“10,000 Hours” — Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
“Bluebird” — Miranda Lambert
“Homemade” — Jake Owen
“I Hope You’re Happy Now” — Carly Pearce & Lee Brice
“Second One to Know” — Chris Stapleton

By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.