CMA AWARDS 50: Keith Urban

Artist: Keith Urban

Keith Urban is going into this year’s CMA Awards with four nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, Album of the Year (Ripcord) and Musical Event of the Year for “The Fighter” with Carrie Underwood. He could also receive an additional trophy as producer.

Keith has several CMA trophies sitting on his mantel, beginning with his 2001 Horizon Award (now New Artist of the Year). He went on to win Male Vocalist in 2004, 2005 and 2006, as well as the trophy for Entertainer of the Year in 2005. The father of two is also really good at collaborating with four wins in the Musical Event of the Year category beginning in 2009 with Brad Paisley on “Start a Band.” He also went on to win the award again in 2013, 2014 and 2015. He’s nominated this year with Carrie Underwood for “The Fighter.”

Keith, who is making his way up the country charts with “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” is set to perform on the CMA Awards and is also part of the 50th anniversary song “Forever Country.”

The 50th Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday (November 2nd) at 8pm ET on ABC.

Keith Urban (CMA Awards-surreal) OC: …It’s amazing. :41
“It was surreal because it’s the CMAs. I’d won many country awards in Australia, but everything, the CMAs are like the top of the mountain. To be on that stage was an amazing feeling, let alone to end up in a category. So, when you hear your name read out amongst the nominees, it’s quite surreal, and then when they open up the envelope and actually say your name, it’s like one of those moments when everything like is [sound efx], everything slows for a moment and it’s crazy. You could walk through raindrops at that moment. It’s amazing.”

Keith Urban (winning Horizon Award) OC: …a moment. :28
“I was so excited to be nominated for my first CMA [Award], I went out and had Manuel make me a suit for the occasion, and it was just as well, because I ended up winning, which was just an indescribable feeling. When I heard my name called amongst the nominees, it felt surreal, and then when they actually read my name out as the winner, it was literally like time slowed down for a moment.”

Keith Urban (winning 1st Male Vocalist award) OC: …my life. :27
“In 2004, I won Male Vocalist of the Year, and again it was that same feeling I had when I’d won the Horizon Award, but it was like the next level. It just felt so humbling really. Really to be in that category and then to win was again just one of those sort of moments that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Keith Urban (winning EOY in 2005) OC: …magical night. :43
“What I remember about the Entertainer of the Year category in 2005 was that first feeling when people say it’s just an honor to be nominated, and I thought, ‘I know what that means! I know what that feels like,’ because for me it was a huge honor to be nominated so soon into my recording career. To be in that category, it just felt unbelievably quick for me. And then when they read my name out as the winner, I think I actually said, ‘I thought I was just rounding out the category,’ because [laughs] I thought you’ve got to have four or five people in the category. I truly did not expect that to happen. It was just such a magical night.”

Keith Urban (collaborations) OC: …want to do. :36
“I love collaborating. I really do. I always have, and I’ve gotten to do so many of them and the fact that several of them over the years have been nominated for awards and we’ve ended up winning is all the sweeter. Getting to record with Brad Paisley and Miranda and of course Eric Church, everybody brings something different. I think that’s what I love about collaborating. It brings out something different in me. It probably stems from being a guitar player, you know? When you’re a guitar player, you collaborate. You play in a band, you play with others, so it’s such a natural thing for me to want to do.”