CMA FEST Banner.jpeg

Nominees announced for 53rd CMA Awards

The Country Music Association has announced the final nominees for “The 53rd Annual CMA Awards,” as Maren Morris tops the list of finalists with six nominations.

Brothers Osborne receives four nominations, the second most nominations this year, while 11 garner three nominations each—Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Scott Hendricks, Dann Huff, Greg Kurstin, Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton and Carrie Underwood. For the night’s highest honor, reigning Entertainer of the Year Keith Urban is nominated again in the category alongside Garth Brooks, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton and Underwood.

Jimmie Allen and Ashley McBryde revealed select nominees on ABC’s “Good Morning America” today, live from their Times Square studio in New York, followed by a performance of “If I Know Me” by Morgan Wallen.

Immediately following the broadcast, Wallen and Midland visited Billboard‘s Times Square studio to reveal the remaining eight CMA Awards categories in addition to the CMA Broadcast Awards finalists on Billboard‘s Twitter and YouTube, as well as CMA’s Twitter and YouTube.

“This year, we have the privilege of honoring Country legends, new and emerging talent and even artists from outside our genre,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “The breadth of Country Music’s landscape is evident in this year’s nominations, and we can’t wait to celebrate our deserving nominees in November.”

You can see the full list of nominees here.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Large-scale land purchases signal rising competition for ranchland, reinforcing its value while reshaping long-term access and control in rural agriculture.
Brian Earnest, an animal protein economist with CoBank, shares insights into current demand trends and the challenges facing broiler production.
Jack Hubbard, with the Center for the Environment and Welfare, shares context and perspective on the controversial letter about Prop 12 circulating in Washington and how a review shows it misled the public.
AFBF Economist Faith Parum discusses the financial challenges currently facing farmers and the Farm Bureau’s 2026 outlook for the farm economy.
From tariff talks in Europe to SCOTUS uncertainty and rising farm losses, analysts say policy and global supply will shape grain markets in the year ahead.
Ethanol and corn groups are not hiding their disappointment over new reports that the bill to allow year-round E15 sales failed as Congress forges ahead on government funding, with another shutdown looming.
Rural Lifestyle & Entertainment Shows
Madison Brown grew up on the road and now invites viewers to follow along with her as she continues to indulge her love of exploring new places, including behind-the-scenes at big events and tourist attractions, and celebrity interviews with the likes of country star Toby Keith, former NBA player Karl Malone, former MLB pitcher Greg Maddux, and “Brady Bunch” star Christopher Knight (Brown’s uncle).
Filmed in front of a live audience at the historic Lyric Theatre in Lexington, Kentucky, “WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour” features an eclectic array of popular artists from genres of folk, blues, country, jazz, new-age, and rock.
When it comes to truck and tractor pulling, the National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA) is a world leader as well as the sport’s oldest and most respected entity when it comes to premier competition. They host more than 280 sessions of pulling action throughout the U.S. and Canada.
“Small Town, Big Deal” follows hosts Rodney Miller and Jann Carl across the country as they scour rural America for the best stories of faith, hope, patriotism, and good common sense that our small towns and farming communities have to offer.
Hop in and travel with J.B. Sauceda on a road trip to discover ordinary people doing extraordinary things on the back roads of Texas. TCR’s longtime hosts Bob & Kelli Phillips have passed the keys to a new storyteller, who will continue the journey to uncover uplifting stories about oddball collectors, thought-provoking artists, and everyday heroes making the world a better place.