Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Heads Up to the 54th CMA Awards!

CMA Awards
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Get your favourite cowboy boots and buckle up for the 54th CMA Awards!

It would be a night of country music festivities and a night of honor as we witness our favorite country music artists perform and get recognized for the work that they have done over the past year.

Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker are Your Hosts for the Night

With all the glitz and glamour of the country music scene, to host one of its most prestigious events in a year is no small deal. Country music legend Reba McEntire and country music star Darius Rucker were tapped to be the hosts of this year’s CMA Awards.

McEntire is thrilled for the opportunity given to be the host once again. Experience-wise, McEntire has been on the CMA Awards hosting pool since the early ‘90s as she co-hosted 5 CMA Awards which include the ones in the year 1990 (with Randy Travis), 1992 with Vince Gill, and the most recent one in 2019 with Carrie Underwood and Dolly Parton. McEntire did also hosting with the rival ACM Awards for 16 times from 1993-2019.

For Darius Rucker, he will be making history for he will be the first black to co-host the event since Charlie Pride in 1975 with Glen Campbell. Rucker added that to be invited to host this year’s awards night and to be there with Reba McEntire is truly an honor.

Sarah Trahern, the CMA CEO, is thrilled to have Rucker and McEntire share the same stage as hosts. The playful chemistry between the two is surely something we should all wait for. She added that their team is excited to bring the CMA festivities at home and to the fans. More details will be released in the coming days leading to the awards night.

Here are this year’s CMA Awards Nominees:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

  1. Eric Church
  2. Luke Combs
  3. Miranda Lambert
  4. Carrie Underwood
  5. Keith Urban

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

  1. Brooks & Dunn
  2. Brothers Osborne
  3. Dan + Shay
  4. Florida Georgia Line
  5. Maddie & Tae

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

  1. Lady A
  2. Little Big Town
  3. Midland
  4. Old Dominion
  5. Rascal Flatts

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

  1. Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
  2. Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar
  3. Rob McNelley, Guitar
  4. Ilya Toshinskiy, Guitar
  5. Derek Wells, Guitar

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

  1. Eric Church
  2. Luke Combs
  3. Thomas Rhett
  4. Chris Stapleton
  5. Keith Urban

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

  1. Miranda Lambert
  2. Ashley McBryde
  3. Maren Morris
  4. Kacey Musgraves
  5. Carrie Underwood

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

  1. Jimmie Allen
  2. Ingrid Andress
  3. Gabby Barrett
  4. Carly Pearce
  5. Morgan Wallen

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

  1. “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber) / Producer: Dan Smyers, Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano
  2. “Beer Never Broke My Heart” – Luke Combs / Producer: Scott Moffatt, Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
  3. “Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert / Producer: Jay Joyce, Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
  4. “The Bones” – Maren Morris / Producer: Greg Kurstin, Mix Engineer: Greg Kurstin
  5. “I Hope” – Gabby Barrett / Producers: Ross Copperman, Zach Kale, Mix Engineer: Buckley Miller

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

  1. Heartache Medication – Jon Pardi / Producers: Bart Butler, Ryan Gore, Jon Pardi
  2. Never Will – Ashley McBryde / Producers: Jay Joyce, John Peets
  3. Old Dominion – Old Dominion / Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion
  4. What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs / Producer: Scott Moffatt
  5. Wildcard – Miranda Lambert / Producer: Jay Joyce

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR

  1. “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber) / Producer: Dan Smyers
  2. “Be A Light” – Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban / Producer: Dann Huff
  3. “The Bones” – Maren Morris with Hozier / Producer: Greg Kurstin
  4. “Fooled Around And Fell In Love” – Miranda Lambert (feat. Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes & Caylee Hammack) / Producer: Jay Joyce
  5. “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice / Producer: Busbee

SONG OF THE YEAR

  1. “Bluebird” / Songwriters: Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert
  2. “The Bones” / Songwriters: Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz
  3. “Even Though I’m Leaving” / Songwriters: Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Ray Fulcher
  4. “I Hope You’re Happy Now” / Songwriters: Luke Combs, Randy Montana, Carly Pearce, Jonathan Singleton
  5. “More Hearts Than Mine” / Songwriters: Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

  1. “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber) / Director: Patrick Tracy
  2. “Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert / Director: Trey Fanjoy
  3. “Homemade” – Jake Owen / Director: Justin Clough
  4. “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice / Director: Sam Siske
  5. “Second One To Know” – Chris Stapleton / Director: David Coleman

Latest Stories

Toby Keith performs with his American flag guitar, the same patriotic spirit that fueled his song "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue."

The Untold Truth Behind Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)”

When Toby Keith sat down with a fantasy football stat sheet and scribbled out “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue”, he didn’t just write a song. He lit a ...

Toby Keith plays guitar with an American flag design, capturing the patriotic vibe perfect for a Fourth of July country playlist.

35 Patriotic Country Songs to Turn Your Backyard Into the Ultimate 4th of July Party

Nothing says freedom like blasting a rowdy country playlist while you torch a few burgers, keep the cooler stocked, and watch your drunk uncle light fireworks way too close to ...

Keith Urban sits next to Nicole Kidman looking serious, a moment that echoes him shutting down talk about her steamy movie scenes.

Keith Urban Shuts Down Interview When Nicole Kidman’s Scenes With Younger Men Are Mentioned

Some lines just ain’t worth crossing, especially when you’re asking Keith Urban about Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron rolling around on screen. This week, the whole thing went sideways when ...

Tim McGraw sits outdoors with Faith Hill, leaning on a cane, sparking questions about his health but showing their strong bond.

Tim McGraw Using a Cane With Faith Hill Beside Him Raises Questions About His Health

Sometimes country music’s strongest cowboys need a little help standing tall, and Tim McGraw’s latest photo has folks asking how much longer he can keep carrying that torch. It’s not ...

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood smile together at an event, standing united amid the ongoing sexual assault lawsuit drama.

Garth Brooks’ Marriage With Trisha Yearwood Reportedly Unshaken by Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Nothing tests a marriage like ugly headlines, but Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are riding out this storm shoulder to shoulder. Since last October, Garth Brooks has been staring down ...

Country legend George Jones plays guitar under spotlight, embodying the raw heartbreak behind these 12 most depressing country songs.

These 12 Depressing Country Songs Will Have You Sobbing and Hitting Repeat All Night

Straight from the depths of Reddit’s country corner, here’s a list built by real fans who know heartbreak better than any Nashville hit machine ever could. These songs weren’t picked ...

Jimmy Swaggart preaching passionately in an undated photo, remembered now after his death at 90 from a heart attack.

Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart Dies at 90 Just Weeks After Suffering a Massive Heart Attack

There’s a hush across Pentecostal churches this week as believers remember Jimmy Swaggart, the firebrand evangelist, gospel singer, and TV preacher who spent decades filling stadiums, living rooms, and airwaves ...

Gavin Adcock onstage raising a whiskey bottle while blasting Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ as “not real country music.”

Viral Country Star Gavin Adcock Slams Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Says ‘That S— Ain’t Country Music’

Some headlines feel like a parody of the country music circus these days, and this is one of them. Gavin Adcock, the beer-slinging viral star who built half his brand ...

George Strait beams onstage at Patriots Stadium, guitar in hand, as he brings Texas charm with “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”

George Strait Brings Lone Star Magic to Patriots Stadium With “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

Some legends don’t need confetti cannons or stadium-shaking pyros. They just need a guitar, a baritone voice, and a song about every ex they ever outran in a pickup truck. ...

Beyoncé points at her Buffalo Soldiers shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour, the shirt that sparked backlash for its wording.

Beyoncé Under Fire for Wearing Shirt That Calls Native Americans “Enemies of Peace”

Some controversy doesn’t fade with the stage lights. Just ask Beyoncé. The Houston-born superstar is facing backlash after wearing a T-shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour in Paris that some ...