Luke Combs won his second Entertainer of the Year honor, and Lainey Wilson and Cody Johnson were also double winners at tonight’s 56th annual Country Music Association Awards.
“I want to thank country music for making my dreams come true,” Combs said in accepting the top honors. “This is my fifth or sixth year being at this awards show, and country sounded a lot more country than it has in a long time,” he added.
The 56th annual Country Music Association Awards were presented tonight at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The telecast on ABC is tape-delayed to the West coast.
Combs also won Album of the Year for his Growin’ Up, while Jordan Davis and his songwriting team won Song of the Year for Buy Dirt.
Cody Johnson took home Single of the Year honors for ‘Til You Can’t, while Lainey Wilson was a double-winner, taking Best New Artist and Female Vocalist of the Year.
Other winners included Brothes Osborne for Vocal Duo of the Year (their fifth time hoisting that trophy) and Old Dominion getting Vocal Group of the Year for the sixth time.
Old Dominion lead singer Matthew Ramsey paid tribute to Alabama’s Jeff Cook, who died Tuesday. “There’s nobody in this category that would be here without Alabama.”
The show opened with Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert with a joint salute to the late Loretta Lynn. They performed a medley of “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” “You’re Looking at Country,” “Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
Two winners were announced prior to the telecast. Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce shared a CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year for their duet “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.” Cody Johnson’s “Til You Can’t” was awarded the prize for Music Video of the Year.
The complete winners list and nominees, with winners bolded:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
- Luke Combs
- Miranda Lambert
- Chris Stapleton
- Carrie Underwood
- Morgan Wallen
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer
- “Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan
Producer: Paul DiGiovanni
Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley - “Half of My Hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini (feat. Kenny Chesney)
Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Ross Copperman, Jimmy Robbins
Mix Engineer: Dan Grech-Marguerat - “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore - “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
Producer: Trent Willmon
Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke - “You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
Mix Engineer: Vance Powell
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
- “Growin’ Up” – Luke Combs
Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
Mix Engineers: Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews - “Humble Quest” – Maren Morris
Producer: Greg Kurstin
Mix Engineer: Serban Ghenea - “Palomino” – Miranda Lambert
Producers: Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, Mikey Reaves
Mix Engineer: Jason Lehning - “Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’” – Lainey Wilson
Producer: Jay Joyce
Mix Engineer: F. Reid Shippen - “Time, Tequila & Therapy” – Old Dominion
Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion
Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank
SONG OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Songwriters
- “Buy Dirt”
Songwriters: Jacob Davis, Jordan Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins - “Never Wanted to Be That Girl”
Songwriters: Shane McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce - “Sand in My Boots”
Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Josh Osborne - “Things a Man Oughta Know”
Songwriters: Jason Nix, Jonathan Singleton, Lainey Wilson - “You Should Probably Leave”
Songwriters: Chris DuBois, Ashley Gorley, Chris Stapleton
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
- Miranda Lambert
- Ashley McBryde
- Carly Pearce
- Carrie Underwood
- Lainey Wilson
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
- Eric Church
- Luke Combs
- Cody Johnson
- Chris Stapleton
- Morgan Wallen
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
- Lady A
- Little Big Town
- Midland
- Old Dominion
- Zac Brown Band
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
- Brooks & Dunn
- Brothers Osborne
- Dan + Shay
- Locash
- Maddie & Tae
MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s) and Producer(s)
- “Beers on Me” – Dierks Bentley with Breland & Hardy
Producers: Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman - “If I Didn’t Love You” – Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood
Producer: Michael Knox - “Longneck Way to Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi)
Producers: Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne - “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson)
Producer: Zach Crowell - WINNER: “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
- Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
- Paul Franklin, Steel guitar
- Brent Mason, Guitar
- Ilya Toshinskiy, Banjo
- Derek Wells, Guitar
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s) and Directors
- “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” – Taylor Swift (featuring Chris Stapleton)
Director: Blake Lively - “Longneck Way to Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi)
Director: Harper Smith - “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson)
Director: Michael Monaco - “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Director: Alexa Campbell - WINNER: “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
Director: Dustin Haney
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
- Hardy
- Walker Hayes
- Cody Johnson
- Parker McCollum
- Lainey Wilson
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