Predictions for the 2020 Country Music Association Awards

Written By Noah Bienek

On Tuesday Sept. 1 the Country Music Association (CMA) attracted all of the buzz on social media by announcing their nominees for their 12 most prestigious awards voted on and by other members in the country music society for the time period of July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020.

The voters are made up of some label representatives, artists, publicists, songwriters, musicians, touring professionals and other industry professionals from all around the world. This year in the Entertainer of the Year category, there are two solo woman acts in the running for the award, and it’s the first time this has occurred since 1979. The artists up for the award are Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert. For Underwood, it’s her second appearance in a row in this category, and Lambert was just voted in after she reestablished her career this year with her eighth studio album, “Wildcard,” and a #1 hit, “Bluebird.” Both women can make good cases to receive the award over their colleagues Eric Church, Luke Combs, and Keith Urban.  

 

Entertainer of the Year 

Award Description by CMA: “The Award is for the act displaying the greatest competence in all aspects of the entertainment field.  Voters should give consideration not only to recorded performance, but also to the in-person performance, staging, public acceptance, attitude, leadership, and overall contribution to the Country Music image.” 

Nominees: Eric Church, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban 

Prediction: Church, Combs, Lambert, and Underwood can all make great arguments for the award. All of them have strong fan bases.

 

New Artist of the Year 

Award Description by CMA: “The Award is to the artist, whether individual or a group, who has for the first time demonstrated the most significant creative growth and development in overall consumption or chart activity, live performance and/or national media recognition related to the launch of their career.” 

Nominees: Jimmie Allen, Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett, Carly Pearce, Morgan Wallen 

Favorites: This is Wallen’s category to lose. He should’ve been nominated (and won) last year when his career defining single “Whiskey Glasses,” blew up the charts, but nevertheless he will just have to steal it away from the impressive Gabby Barrett, who is a Pittsburgh native. 

 

Album of the Year 

Award Description by CMA: “The Award is for a Country album as a whole unit as defined by the  Billboard Album charts. At least 75% of the recordings on the album must have achieved peak national prominence during the eligibility period. The album must have charted on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart for the first time during the eligibility period. However, if the album charted on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart prior to the eligibility period, but achieved its highest chart position for the first time during the eligibility period, it is eligible.” 

Nominees: “Heartache Medication” Jon Pardi, “Never Will” Ashley McBryde, “Old Dominion” (self-titled), “What You See Is What You Get” Luke Combs, “Wildcard” Miranda Lambert 

Favorites: The two dogs in the fight for this one are Combs and Pardi. From his latest album, Combs has had five #1s within the eligibility period, which is unheard of in country music. Pardi on the other hand hasn’t had nearly the amount of chart success Combs has had, but isn’t that far away in the quality of the project. It’s saying something when he’s making it a competition against what seems to be an unstoppable force. A dark horse in this category would be Lambert as well. She didn’t get the most nominations (6) for no reason, and the voters love her. 

 

Single of the Year 

Award Description by CMA: The track must have reached the Top 10 of  Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart,  Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart, or  Country Aircheck Chart for the first time during the eligibility period. If the single charted in the Top 10 on the above charts and was released prior to the eligibility period but achieved its highest chart position during the eligibility period, it is eligible.” 

Nominees: “10,000 Hours” Dan + Shay featuring Justin Bieber, “Beer Never Broke My Heart” Luke Combs, “Bluebird” Miranda Lambert, “The Bones” Maren Morris, “I Hope” Gabby Barrett. 

Favorites: All of them belong in the category, but do the country music purists shy away from choosing the pop country hits? The artists that could most likely win this category would be Combs, Dan + Shay, and Lambert in that order. 

 

Song of the Year 

Award Description by CMA: “This Award goes to the songwriter(s) and is for artistic achievement in songwriting. Any Country Music song with original words and music is eligible based upon the song’s Country singles chart activity during the eligibility period.” 

Nominees: “Bluebird” Miranda Lambert, “The Bones” Maren Morris, “Even Though I’m Leaving” Luke Combs, “I Hope You’re Happy Now” Carly Pearce featuring Lee Brice and “More Hearts Than Mine” Ingrid Andress. 

Favorites: Again, I believe all of these songs have earned their right to be in the category, but do the country music purists shy away from choosing the pop country hits? In this category I give a slight edge to Lambert to win over Combs and Andress comes in a distant 3rd

 

Music Event of the Year 

Award Description by CMA: “An event is defined as a collaboration of two or more people either or all of whom are known primarily as a Country artist.  They must have performed together, as a unit, on a Country single or Country album initially released domestically during the eligibility period with each artist prominently featured and credited on the initial recording as a collaboration.” 

Nominees: “10,000 Hours” Dan + Shay feat. Justin Bieber, “Be a Light” Thomas Rhett feat. Reba, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, and Keith Urban, “The Bones,” Maren Morris feat. Hozier, “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” Miranda Lambert feat. Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes & Caylee Hammack and “I Hope You’re Happy Now” Carly Pearce feat. Lee Brice. 

Favorites: This is another two horse race between D+S and Rhett, voters just have to decide whether they give it to the best commercial song (D+S) or the best story (Thomas Rhett) this one will be interesting. 

 

Female Vocalist of the Year 

Award Description by CMA: “The Award is based on individual musical performance on a solo Country single or album release.” 

Nominees: Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves and Carrie Underwood 

Favorites: This one will be between Lambert for reasons already said and McBryde because she is the outlaw making great music in town. McBryde is a great writer that has built a strong audience but this one probably goes to Lambert.

 

Male Vocalist of the Year 

Award Description by CMA: “The Award is based on individual musical performance on a solo Country single or album release.” 

Nominees: Eric Church, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban 

Favorites: This is a slam dunk for Combs.

 

Vocal Duo of the Year 

Award Description by CMA: “A duo is defined as an act composed of two people, both of whom normally perform together and neither of whom is known primarily as an individual performing artist.  This Award is based on the musical performance of the duo as a unit on a Country single or album release.” 

Nominees: Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Maddie & Tae 

Prediction: Dan + Shay, Brooks & Dunn, and Maddie & Tae will all compete for this one. Brooks & Dunn put out their album “Reboot” where they took all of their classic hits and brought on today’s artists to sing parts of those classics to make a new album, many country music fans loved this project. As for Maddie & Tae they are a dark horse but have a chance with the heartfelt single “Die From a Broken Heart,” from a strong album released earlier in 2020.

 

Vocal Group of the Year 

Award Description by CMA: “A group is defined as an act, composed of three (3) or more people, all of whom normally perform together and none of whom is known primarily as an individual performing artist.  This Award is based on the musical performance of the group as a unit on a Country single or album release.” 

Nominees: Lady A, Little Big Town, Midland, Old Dominion, Rascal Flatts 

Prediction: This is a three-way battle between Lady A, Midland, and Old Dominion. My guess leans towards Old Dominion as they are also nominated for Album of the Year.

 

Music Video of the Year 

Award Description by CMA: “The video must have been first nationally broadcast in its entirety during the eligibility period.  The video should be judged on all audio and video elements including, but not limited to, the artist’s performance, video concept and production.” 

Nominees: “10,000 Hours” Dan + Shay feat. Justin Bieber, “Bluebird” Miranda Lambert, “Homemade,” Jake Owen, “Hope You’re Happy Now,” Carly Pearce feat. Lee Brice, “Second One To Know” Chris Stapleton 

Prediction: Jake Owen should win this one, you can tell this is just a step up from every other competitor. Owen said on Twitter after the nomination that the inspiration for the music video came from his grandparents’ love story. Lambert could put up a fight as well though as she is caged up in an all blue dress and blue make up portraying a bluebird inside of a café (assuming that it’s the Bluebird Café in Nashville).

 

Musician of the Year 

Award Description: “The Award is for a musician known primarily as an instrumental performer.  In order to qualify, a musician must have played on any combination of five albums or singles that have appeared in the Top 10 of the Country album or singles charts from  Billboard’s  Country Airplay Chart,  Billboard’s  Hot Country Songs Chart, or  Country Aircheck Chart, or be certified Gold by RIAA on an album or single released during the eligibility period.” 

Nominees: Jenee Fleenor (Fiddle), Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar), Rob McNelley (Guitar), Ilya Toshinskiy (Guitar), Derek Wells (Guitar) 

Prediction: With the resurgence of the fiddle and steel guitar in the last two years of country music I ultimately think it will come down to the CMA 2019 MotY Winner Fleenor and the 66-year-old Franklin. Fleenor most notably has appeared on Jon Pardi’s and Blake Shelton’s album, whereas this year Franklin’s talents have been fluent throughout projects by Brooks & Dunn, Lady A, Blake Shelton, Justin Moore, Runaway June, Lindsay Ell, and most notably he appears in Midland’s album and gets a shoutout from the singer Mark Wystrach in their radio single, “Mr. Lonely” and plays a solo. Look out for my fellow Detroiter in this category.

 

See who wins in all of these categories on Nov. 11th at 9:00 p.m. EST on ABC.