Inside The CMA Awards: A Recap of the 2024 Winners

November 29, 2024

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The 58th CMA Awards already started off on the wrong foot when Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER failed to receive nominations in any major categories this September. Even after the Country Music Association seemingly blackballed the “Halo” singer following her 2016 performance with the Dixie Chicks, COWBOY CARTER became an undeniable cultural reset within the genre—worth a second glance and deep consideration. Lauded as one of the best albums of 2024, it amassed over 1 billion streams across Apple Music and Spotify alone, solidifying Beyoncé’s historic domination on Billboard’s Hot 100 and country charts with hits including “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” “16 CARRIAGES,” and Miley Cyrus collaboration “II MOST WANTED.” The project even earned validation and praise from Reba McEntire, Kelsea Ballerini, Dolly Parton, and other country greats. Yet, her superstar absence loomed over the three-hour broadcast, a show that purposefully bragged about this year’s crop of 30-something first-time CMA nominees.

Going into the night, audiences were guided—loosely—by an A-list hosting trio that ultimately lacked synergy: Luke Bryan, Lainey Wilson, and American ex-footballer Peyton Manning. All eyes were on co-host Wilson, who was widely speculated to sweep the awards with her six nominations, including “Entertainer of the Year,” “Female Vocalist of the Year,” and “Single of the Year,” but only won one category. However, it was CMA favorite Chris Stapleton who was the night’s champion, winning three out of his five nominations, which left newcomer Shaboozey empty-handed despite his “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” topping the Billboard Hot 100 for its record-breaking 18th week. He even lost out on the “Best New Artist” category to country It girl Megan Moroney. Meanwhile, the night’s most anticipated showdown was between country powerhouses Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen—who was notably absent from the event—as both artists earned four nominations, with two head-to-head in the same categories. In a drawn-out evening of lackluster performances and measly pyrotechnics, Wallen narrowly claimed the coveted “Entertainer of the Year” award over Wilson, Stapleton, Luke Combs, and Jelly Roll, the latter leaving without any wins.

Luke Bryan 2024 CMA awards

“Now we’re a threesome,” Bryan awkwardly joked during one of their rare onstage appearances with his two other co-hosts. Although Bryan and Manning delivered some comedic bromance, the Bronco alum’s tongue-in-cheek plea for Human Resources intervention momentarily offset the immediate cringe. It even prompted hearty laughter from the crowd, giving Wilson—making her hosting debut—a chance to lighten up and join the joke, quipping that HR meant “Head Redneck” in her book. Sure, the trio’s unpolished chemistry culminated in them donning matching T-shirts by the night’s end, a quirky memento of their early-on red Solo cup-filled banter fail.

Hosting may be a tough gig, but the performance overload made the night drag even more, giving country attendees enough time to polish their shoes and hats before a speaker returned again. Out of the two hours’ worth of performances, there were a few bright spots: “Best New Artist” nominee Bailey Zimmerman was the designated hype boy of the night with “New to Country”; Kacey Musgraves shone in a simple white ensemble during her heartfelt performance of The Architect; Ella Langley and Riley Green’s viral honky-tonk duet of “You Look Like You Love Me” charmed the audience all over again; and Keith Urban’s wicked guitar solo alongside Jelly Roll on the explosive “Liar” was one of the evening’s few standout moments. Unfortunately, that meant by the time it came to country legend George Strait’s tribute performance for the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, its lukewarm reception was signaling the show’s slow march toward its end.

During award announcements, CMA presenters often touted themselves as a “family,” but the night’s results of a too-familiar winner’s circle suggested otherwise. Old Dominion secured their seventh consecutive win for “Group of the Year,” Brooks & Dunn extended their record with a 15th “Vocal Duo of the Year” win, and Chris Stapleton took home “Male Vocalist of the Year” for the fourth time in a row. Clearly, the CMA’s notion of southern hospitality remains exclusive. And while Beyoncé offered the awards a cultural Rosetta Stone with COWBOY CARTER, they instead acknowledged Post Malone with three nominations for his equally impactful F-1 Trillion project, filibustered by his Morgan Wallen collaboration “I Had Some Help.”

Ahead, here is the complete list of winners, in bold in their respective categories:

Entertainer of the Year: Morgan Wallen

Morgan wallen cmas 2024