This year’s CMA nominees are the best in years, with multiple nominations for Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, and Brandy Clark. Country radio may still be shunning women, but their embrace by CMA voters suggests that the industry knows who is really leading the way in the genre these days.
Entertainer of the Year
- Luke Bryan
- Miranda Lambert
- Blake Shelton
- George Strait
- Keith Urban
Who’s In: Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban
Who’s Out: Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift
George Strait, a surprise winner last year, is nominated again in a year that includes his record-shattering final concert. Miranda Lambert’s domination of this year’s nominations extends to the big category, where she competes for the first time since 2010.
Lambert and Luke Bryan are the only nominees who haven’t won this yet. Strait has three victories to his credit (1989, 1990, 2013), while Keith Urban (2005) and Blake Shelton (2012) have one victory each.
Among total nominations in this category to date, Strait is way ahead of the pack, with nineteen total nominations since 1985. Urban enjoys his eighth nomination, and his first since 2011. Shelton has four nominations to date, while Bryan and Lambert have two each.
Male Vocalist of the Year
- Dierks Bentley
- Luke Bryan
- Eric Church
- Blake Shelton
- Keith Urban
Who’s in: Dierks Bentley
Who’s Out: Jason Aldean
Dierks Bentley returns to the race for the first time since 2010, earning his third nomination overall. He was also nominated in 2006, so the CMA seems to be including him every fourth year. Jason Aldean is out, after being nominated for three years in a row. Luke Bryan and Eric Church each earn their third consecutive nomination, giving the CMA voters a total of three male vocalists to choose from who have never won the award before.
Also included in the race are reigning champ Blake Shelton (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and previous winner Keith Urban (2004, 2005, 2006). Shelton has never lost this award, winning all four years he was nominated. Urban has been a regular in this category since 2004, and this is his eleventh nomination.
Female Vocalist of the Year
- Miranda Lambert
- Martina McBride
- Kacey Musgraves
- Taylor Swift
- Carrie Underwood
Who’s In: Martina McBride
Who’s Out: Kelly Clarkson
The Female Vocalist race is dominated by previous winners and long-time nominees. The only nominee who hasn’t won in the past is Kacey Musgraves, who joined the race for the first time last year and has now earned her second nomination.
She competes against four-time winners Miranda Lambert (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and Martina McBride (1999, 2002, 2003, 2004), three-time winner Carrie Underwood (2006, 2007, 2008) and one-time winner Taylor Swift (2009). McBride leads the pack with seventeen career nominations; since earning her first nod in 1996, she’s only been off the short list twice, in 1997 and in 2013.
The other three ladies have never left the race since joining it for the first time: Underwood in 2006, has nine total nominations. Lambert has eight noms since her first in 2007, and Swift has seven, since her first in 2008.
Vocal Group of the Year
- The Band Perry
- Eli Young Band
- Lady Antebellum
- Little Big Town
- Zac Brown Band
Who’s In: None
Who’s Out: None
Vocal Group has become the most stable category at the CMA Awards, with the lineup identical for three years running. None of the nominees have even left the race since their first nomination. The reigning champs are Little Big Town, with two consecutive wins (2012, 2013) and nine consecutive nominations since 2006. The only other previous winners are Lady Antebellum, with three victories (2009, 2010, 2011) and seven consecutive nominations since 2008.
Also in the running are Zac Brown Band, with six consecutive nominations since 2009. The Band Perry, with five consecutive nominations since 2010. And Eli Young Band, with three consecutive nominations since 2012.
Vocal Duo of the Year
- Dan + Shay
- Florida Georgia Line
- Love and Theft
- The Swon Brothers
- Thompson Square
Who’s In: Dan + Shay, The Swon Brothers
Who’s Out: Big & Rich, The Civil Wars, Sugarland
This category has become more fluid in recent years, and even with six nominees last year, this year’s list of five still has two newcomers to the race.
The reigning champs are Florida Georgia Line, who add a second nomination after winning with their first in 2013. The only other previous winners are Thompson Square, who won in 2012 and are nominated for the fourth time.
Love and Theft earn their third nomination since joining the race in 2012, while Dan +Shay and the Swon Brothers compete for the first time.
The most notable departure from the race is Sugarland, who were nominated every year from 2007-2013.
New Artist of the Year
- Brandy Clark
- Brett Eldredge
- Kip Moore
- Thomas Rhett
- Cole Swindell
Who’s In: Brandy Clark, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell
Who’s Out: Lee Brice, Florida Georgia Line, Kacey Musgraves
Two of last year’s nominees are ineligible this year: Kacey Musgraves because she won in 2013, and Lee Brice because he already received the maximum two nominations. Florida Georgia Line is the only act eligible to return that did not receive a nomination, perhaps because they won major awards in other categories last year (Single, Vocal Duo).
Brandy Clark’s nod is the most pleasant surprise, as her independent album was heralded by critics but ignored by country radio. This is her first nomination as an artist, but she has two consecutive Song of the Year nominations to her credit – 2013’s “Mama’s Broken Heart” (Miranda Lambert) and 2014’s “Follow Your Arrow” (Kacey Musgraves).
Also earning their first nominations are Thomas Rhett and Cole Swindell, while Brett Eldredge and Kip Moore earn their second consecutive nominations in this category.
Album of the Year
- Dierks Bentley, Riser
Produced by Arturo Buenhora Jr., Ross Copperman, and Jaren Johnston - Luke Bryan, Crash My Party
Produced by Jeff Stevens - Eric Church, The Outsiders
Produced by Arturo Buenhora Jr. and Jay Joyce - Miranda Lambert, Platinum
Produced by Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell and Glenn Worf - Keith Urban, Fuse
Produced by Benny Blanco, Nathan Chapman, Ross Copperman, Zach Crowell, Mike Elizondo, Dann Huff, Jay Joyce, Stargate, Keith Urban, and Butch Walker
All of this year’s nominees have been nominated for this award before. Lambert earns her third nomination, and won in 2010 for Revolution. Church won in 2012 for Church, and this is his second nomination. Bentley and Urban are nominated for the fourth time, and Bryan for the second time, but all three men have yet to win this award.
Single of the Year
- Dierks Bentley, “Drunk on a Plane”
Produced by Arturo Buenhora Jr. and Ross Copperman - Eric Church, “Give Me Back My Hometown”
Produced by Arturo Buenhora Jr. and Jay Joyce - Miranda Lambert, “Automatic”
Produced by Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell, and Glenn Worf - Tim McGraw with Faith Hill, “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s”
Produced by Byron Gallimore and Tim McGraw - Blake Shelton, “Mine Would Be You”
Produced by Scott Hendricks
All six artists nominated this year are veterans of the category. Tim McGraw earns his sixth nomination (and second consecutive nod) for his collaboration with wife, Faith Hill, who earns her fourth nomination. McGraw and Hill shared a nomination for “It’s Your Love” in 1997. McGraw’s only win in this race came in 2004 for “Live Like You Were Dying”, exactly ten years ago and exactly ten years after his first nomination in 1994 for “Don’t Take the Girl.” McGraw is the only nominee who has won before.
Lambert earns her fifth nod since 2008, with two of her previous nominations coming in 2010, when she competed with both “White Liar” and “The House That Built Me.” Shelton earns his fourth nod, while Bentley and Church are each nominated for the second time.
Song of the Year
- “Automatic”
Written by Nicolle Galyon, Natalie Hemby, and Miranda Lambert - “Follow Your Arrow”
Written by Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally and Kacey Musgraves - “Give Me Back My Hometown”
Written by Eric Church and Luke Laird - “I Don’t Dance”
Written by Lee Brice, Dallas Davidson, and Rob Hatch - “I Hold On”
Written by Dierks Bentley and Brett James
A few previous winners are nominated again. Shane McAnally and Kacey Musgraves return to the race after winning last year for co-writing “Merry Go ‘Round.” They share the nomination with Brandy Clark, and the trio was nominated last year for “Mama’s Broken Heart”, which lost to “Merry Go ‘Round.”
Miranda Lambert won in 2012 for co-writing “Over You” with Blake Shelton, and she recorded the winning song from 2010, “The House That Built Me.” All other writers nominated this year have never won this award, though Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Natalie Hemby and Luke Laird have all been nominated before.
Music Video of the Year
- Dierks Bentley, “Drunk on a Plane”
Directed by Wes Edwards - Lady Antebellum, “Bartender”
Directed by Shane Drake - Miranda Lambert, “Automatic”
Directed by Trey Fanjoy - Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood, “Somethin’ Bad”
Directed by Trey Fanjoy - Kacey Musgraves, “Follow Your Arrow”
Directed by Honey and Kacey Musgraves
Miranda Lambert is the only artist who has won this award before, taking home the trophy in 2010 for “The House That Built Me.” Trey Fanjoy, who directed both of her clips nominated this year, won for “House” in 2010 and for Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” in 2009. This year brings her thirteenth and fourteenth nominations, and remarkably is her fourth time being a double nominee in this category. In addition to her work with Lambert and Swift , she’s previously been nominated for her collaborations with Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, George Strait, and Lee Ann Womack.
Shane Drake won last year for directing the Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban collaboration, “Highway Don’t Care.” This is his second nomination. Wes Edwards, Honey, and Kacey Musgraves all earned their first nominations this year as directors. Musgraves is the first recording artist in history to be nominated for directing her own music video clip.
Musical Event of the Year
- Vince Gill and Paul Franklin, Bakersfield
- Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood, “Somethin’ Bad”
- Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban, “We were Us”
- Tim McGraw with Faith Hill, “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s”
- Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, “You Can’t Make Old Friends”
This category has changed a lot over the years, being called Vocal Event for more than two decades before it became Musical Event. Before Vocal Event was established in 1988, collaborating artists usually competed in the Vocal Duo category. Dolly Parton won that category three times with Porter Wagoner, and was nominated three times with Kenny Rogers, who won Vocal Duo one time with Dottie West.
Parton was also the first artist to win Vocal Event when the award was created in 1988, for her collaboration with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. She also won in 2006 for her work with Brad Paisley, and in 1996 for her work with fellow nominee Vince Gill. He’s another big veteran of this category, winning four times in the nineties.
McGraw and Hill are nominated together for the fifth time, and they won the first time out in 1997 for “It’s Your Love.” McGraw has won this award for the last two years, thanks to his work with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban (2013) and with Kenny Chesney (2012.) McGraw and Chesney also won in 2007, along with Tracy Lawrence, for “Find Out Who Your Friends Are.”
Urban’s win last year was his second victory, as he also won in 2009 for “Start a Band” with Paisley. Miranda Lambert receives her third and fourth nominations this year, but joins first time nominees Rogers, Paul Franklin and Carrie Underwood as the only ones who haven’t won a Vocal or Musical Event Trophy.
Fun fact: 2014 is the first time since 2009 that every nominee in this category is primarily associated with country music. No Kid Rock or Nelly this time around.
Musician of the Year
- Sam Bush (Mandolin)
- Jerry Douglas (Dobro)
- Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar)
- Dann Huff (Guitar)
- Mac McAnally (Guitar)
Who’s In: Jerry Douglas
Who’s Out: Brent Mason
The only change to the category this year is the return of Jerry Douglas, who earned his first nomination in 1988. This is his eleventh nomination, and he has three wins (2007, 2005, and 2002).
Mac McAnally has dominated this category since he earned his first nomination in 2007. He lost that year, but has won every year since, with six total trophies earned through 2013. The only other previous winner is Dann Huff, who has been nominated fifteen times since 1999 and won twice, in 2001 and 2004.
Sam Bush first joined the category in 2011, and he earns his fourth nomination this year. But the continued underdog remains Paul Franklin, who earns his 22nd nomination since 1989 but still hasn’t won this award. Maybe the collaboration with Vince Gill will put him over the top!