Country strong! The 2020 Country Music Awards honored top acts with the help of cohosts Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker at the Music City Center in Nashville on Wednesday, November 11.
Miranda Lambert earned the most nominations in seven categories, including Female Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year and Album of the Year. The “Bluebird” singer, 36, is officially the most-nominated female artist in CMA history with 55 total nominations. McEntire, 65, previously held the record and earned her 51st nod this year.
Lambert will also face off against Luke Combs, Eric Church, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban in the coveted Entertainer of the Year category.
Garth Brooks made headlines in July when he opted to withdraw himself from the category, which he has won seven times. The “Friends in Low Places” singer, 58, sparked backlash in 2019 when he won the award, beating out Underwood, 37, Church, 43, Urban, 53, and Chris Stapleton. Some fans had high hopes that Underwood would take home the award as the first woman to be nominated in the category in three years.
Brooks told the Tennessean in July that one particular tweet helped him make the decision.
“There’s one tweet in there that really stuck in my head,” he explained. “It said, ‘Why doesn’t he step down and have entertainer of the year be for the next generation.’ I 100 percent agreed. So with all the love in the world and all the gratefulness, because the last thing I want to do is seem ungrateful to the CMAs and everyone who’s voted for us, we’re officially pulling ourselves out of entertainer of the year.”
Other top nominees include Combs, 30, (with six nods), Maren Morris (five nominations), Dan + Shay, Jay Joyce and Carly Pearce (four each) and Justin Bieber, Ashley McBryde and Urban (three each).
The 2020 CMA Awards will be one of the few awards shows this year to have a live audience amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As safety is our top priority, we have worked tirelessly over the past several months to fully transform Music City Center into a breathtaking setup that resembles the very first CMA Awards Banquet and Show from 1967, and ensures our nominees, performers and their guests a fully safe and physically distant environment,” executive producer Robert Deaton said in a statement. “We are honored, in this very challenging time, to help provide an escape and deliver a live awards show experience unlike any other this year.”
Scroll down for a list of all the nominees and winners.
Entertainer of the YearWINNER: Eric Church Miranda Lambert Carrie Underwood Keith Urban Luke Combs
Female Vocalist of the Year Miranda Lambert Ashley McBrydeWINNER: Maren Morris Kacey Musgraves Carrie Underwood
Male Vocalist of the Year Eric ChurchWINNER: Luke Combs Thomas Rhett Chris Stapleton Keith Urban
Vocal Group of the Year Lady A Little Big Town MidlandWINNER: Old Dominion Rascal Flatts
Vocal Duo of the Year Brooks & Dunn Brothers OsborneWINNER: Dan + Shay Florida Georgia Line Maddie & Tae
New Artist of the Year Jimmie Allen Ingrid Andress Gabby BarrettWINNER: Morgan Wallen Carly Pearce
Album of the Year Jon Pardi – Heartache Medication Ashley McBryde – Never Will Old Dominion – Old Dominion Miranda Lambert – WildcardWINNER: Luke Combs – What You See Is What You Get
Song of the Year “Bluebird” – Miranda LambertWINNER: “The Bones” – Maren Morris “Even Though I’m Leaving” – Luke Combs “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice “More Hearts Than Mine” – Ingrid Andress
Single of the Year “I Hope” – Gabby Barrett “Beer Never Broke My Heart” – Luke Combs “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber “Bluebird” – Miranda LambertWINNER: “The Bones” – Maren Morris
Musical Event of the Year “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber “Be a Light” – Thomas Rhett with Reba McEntire, Lady A, Chris Tomlin and Keith Urban “The Bones” – Maren Morris feat. Hozier “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” – Miranda Lambert with Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack and Elle KingWINNER: “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
Music Video of the Year “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay and Justin BieberWINNER: “Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert “Homemade” – Jake Owen “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice “Second One to Know” – Chris Stapleton
Musician of the YearWINNER: Jenee Fleenor (Fiddle) Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar) Rob McNelley (Guitar) Ilya Toshinsky (Guitar) Derek Wells (Guitar)
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