Just like on Nashville, the nominees for the CMA Awards were announced live on Good Morning America today, with Eric Church and Little Big Town leading the pack with five nominations each. (A quick primer: The CMAs are like the Oscars of country; the ACM Awards are the Golden Globes; and the CMT Awards are the VMAs.) Church earned nods for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year (for “Wrecking Ball”), Musical Event of the Year (for “Raise ‘Em Up” with Keith Urban), and Single of the Year (for “Talladega”). The CMAs have a way of turning Church into Katy Perry; though he’s been nominated 12 previous times, he’s only won once. (Chief won Album of the Year in 2012.)
Little Big Town, meanwhile, picked up nominations for Album of the Year (for Pain Killer), Musical Event of the Year (for “Smokin’ and Drinkin’” with Miranda Lambert), Vocal Group of the Year, Music Video of the Year, and Single of the Year (both for “Girl Crush,” which also earned a nomination for songwriting). The Alabama foursome has had 21 prior CMA noms, with four wins, including three in the Vocal Group of the Year category.
The full list of nominees is below:
Entertainer of the Year
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Eric Church
Miranda Lambert
Single of the Year
Kenny Chesney, “American Kids”
Little Big Town, “Girl Crush”
Lee Brice, “I Don’t Dance”
Sam Hunt, “Take Your Time”
Eric Church, “Talladega”
Album of the Year
Jason Aldean, Old Boots, New Dirt
Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material
Little Big Town, Pain Killer
Kenny Chesney, The Big Revival
Chris Stapleton, Traveller
Song of the Year
Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird, and Shane McAnally, “American Kids”
Liz Rose, Lori McKenna, and Hillary Lindsey, “Girl Crush”
Randy Houser and Brice Long, “Like a Cowboy”
Eric Church and Casey Beathard, “Like a Wrecking Ball”
Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne, “Take Your Time”
Female Vocalist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
Lee Ann Womack
Male Vocalist of the Year
Dierks Bentley
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Blake Shelton
Chris Stapleton
Vocal Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band
Vocal Duo of the Year
Brothers Osbourne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae
Thompson Square
Musical Event of the Year
Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, “Django and Jimmie”
Blake Shelton and Ashley Monroe, “Lonely Tonight”
Keith Urban and Eric Church, “Raise ‘Em Up”
Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town, “Smokin’ and Drinkin’”
Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter, “Wild Child”
Musician of the Year
Sam Bush
Jerry Douglas
Paul Franklin
Dan Huff
Mac McAnally
Music Video of the Year
Kacey Musgraves, “Biscuits”
Little Big Town, “Girl Crush”
Maddie & Tae, “Girl in a Country Song”
Miranda Lambert, “Little Red Wagon”
Carrie Underwood, “Something in the Water”
New Artist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Sam Hunt
Maddie & Tae
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
