Lauren Alaina, Brothers Osborne and Dustin Lynch announced the final nominees for “The 51st Annual CMA Awards” Monday morning live from ABC’s “Good Morning America” studio in New York’s Times Square.
Alaina emerged as a first-time nominee, making her debut in the New Artist of the Year category. Brothers Osborne will once again vie for Vocal Duo of the Year and also received a first-time nomination for Music Video with their anthemic “It Ain’t My Fault.”
The artists revealed six categories live on-air, then announced the remaining six categories, along with finalists for the CMA Broadcast Awards, on GoodMorningAmerica.com as well as via âGood Morning Americaâsâ Facebook page through Facebook Live and simulcast on âGood Morning Americaâsâ YouTube channel.
Little Big Town and Keith Urban each garner four nominations, tying for the second most nominations this year.
Little Big Townâs nominations include Single, produced by Jay Joyce and mix engineered by Jason Hall and Joyce; Music Video of the Year directed by Becky Fluke and Reid Long for âBetter Manâ; Album of the Year for The Breaker, also produced by Joyce; and Vocal Group of the Year. This is Little Big Townâs fourth nomination for Music Video. They have been nominated in past years for âPontoonâ (2012), âTornadoâ (2013), and âGirl Crushâ (2015). They are seven-time CMA Awards winners and this yearâs nods bring their career total to 26 nominations. Taylor Swift received her 23rd nomination for writing âBetter Man,â marking her second nomination for Song of the Year and first CMA Awards nod since 2014.
Urban tallied up nominations for Entertainer of the Year, Single and Music Video of the Year for âBlue Ainât Your Colorâ and Male Vocalist. This is his thirteenth nomination for Male Vocalist and he is a three-time consecutive winner in this category (2004-2006). Urban is a 10-time CMA Awards winner. Songwriters for âBlue Ainât Your Color,â Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey, and Steven Lee Olsen earned a nod for Song of the Year. âBlue Ainât Your Colorâ Music Video Director Carter Smith is a first-time nominee. âBlue Ainât Your Colorâ producer Dann Huff and mix engineer Chris Lord-Alge also earned nods. Urban received one nomination for Single of the Year, but can receive an additional trophy as producer.
Eric Church and Chris Stapleton each earned three nominations.
Church scored recognition in the Entertainer of the Year category, as well as Male Vocalist, his sixth consecutive nomination, and Musical Event of the Year for âKill A Wordâ featuring first-time nominee Rhiannon Giddens. He is a three-time CMA Award winner with 25 total career nominations.
Five-time CMA Awards winner Stapleton is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist and Album for From A Room: Volume 1, which was produced by Dave Cobb and Stapleton. He receives one nomination for album, but can receive an additional trophy as producer. This is Stapletonâs third consecutive nomination for Male, which heâs won the past two years. He was also nominated for Entertainer last year and won Album for Traveller in 2015. He is an 11-time CMA Awards nominee.
Brothers Osborne, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum and Jon Pardi garnered two nominations.
Reigning CMA Vocal Duo of the Year Brothers Osborne earns their third nomination in this category. They also received their first Music Video nod for âIt Ainât My Fault,â directed by Wes Edwards and Ryan Silver. Theyâve earned five career nominations.
Hunt was recognized in the Single and Song categories for the record-setting âBody Like A Back Road,â produced and mix engineered by Zach Crowell, and written by Crowell, Hunt, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne. In 2015, Hunt received the same nods for âTake Your Time.â He is a five-time CMA Awards nominee.
Lady Antebellum is nominated for Vocal Group of the Year and Album for their latest effort Heart Break, produced by busbee. Their previous records Need You Now (2010) and Own The Night (2012) both received Album nods. They are a 10-time consecutive (2008-2017) Vocal Group nominee and have won the category three years back to back (2009-2011).
Newcomer Pardi burst onto the Awards scene with his first two CMA nominations this year. âDirt On My Boots,â which he co-produced with Bart Butler, earned him a nod in the Single of the Year category. He receives one nomination as the artist, but can receive an additional trophy as producer. The song was mix engineered by Ryan Gore. âDirt On My Bootsâ songwriters Rhett Akins, Jesse Frasure, and Ashley Gorley are also nominees. Additionally, Pardi received a New Artist of the Year nomination.
Other first time CMA Awards nominees include Alaina, Combs, and Young in the New Artist of the Year category, and LOCASH in Duo. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit debuted in Album of the Year with The Nashville Sound, produced by Cobb.
The 51st Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, will be broadcast live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, November 8th at 8pm ET on ABC.
For more information and a full list of nominees, visit CMAawards.com.
The Final Nominees for âThe 51st Annual CMA Awardsâ (by ballot category order):
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Artist, Producer(s), and Mix Engineer(s))
âBetter Manâ – Little Big Town
Producer: Jay Joyce
Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
                                                               Â
âBlue Ainât Your Colorâ â Keith Urban
Producers: Dann Huff, Keith Urban
Mix Engineer: Chris Lord-Alge
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âBody Like A Back Roadâ â Sam Hunt
Producer: Zach Crowell
Mix Engineer: Zach Crowell
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âDirt On My Bootsâ â Jon Pardi
Producers: Bart Butler, Jon Pardi
Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore
âTin Manâ â Miranda Lambert
Producers: Frank Liddell, Eric Masse, Glenn Worf
Mix Engineer: Eric Masse
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))
The Breaker â Little Big Town
Producer: Jay Joyce
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From A Room: Volume 1 â Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
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Heart Break â Lady Antebellum
Producer: busbee
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The Nashville Sound – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Producer: Dave Cobb
The Weight of These Wings â Miranda Lambert
Producers: Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf, Eric Masse
SONG OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Songwriter(s))
âBetter Manâ
Songwriter: Taylor Swift
âBlue Ainât Your Colorâ
Songwriters: Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey, Steven Lee Olsen
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âBody Like A Back Roadâ
Songwriters: Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
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âDirt On My Bootsâ
Songwriters: Rhett Akins, Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley
âTin Manâ
Songwriters: Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Dierks Bentley
Eric Church
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
LOCASH
Maddie & Tae
MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to each Artist)
âCraving Youâ – Thomas Rhett featuring Maren Morris
âFunny How Time Slips Awayâ – Glen Campbell with Willie Nelson
âKill A Wordâ – Eric Church featuring Rhiannon Giddens
âSetting the World on Fireâ – Kenny Chesney with P!nk
âSpeak to a Girlâ – Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Artist and Director(s))
âBetter Manâ â Little Big Town
Directors: Becky Fluke and Reid Long
âBlue Ainât Your Colorâ â Keith Urban
Director: Carter Smith
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âCraving Youâ â Thomas Rhett featuring Maren Morris
Director: TK McKamy
âIt Ainât My Faultâ â Brothers Osborne
Directors: Wes Edwards and Ryan Silver
âViceâ â Miranda Lambert
Director: Trey Fanjoy
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Lauren Alaina
Luke Combs
Old Dominion
Jon Pardi
Brett Young