2015 CMA Awards Nominees, Picks & Prognostications
On Wednesday morning (9-9), the nominees for the 49th Annual Country Music Association Awards were announced on ABC’s Good Morning America, with the decidedly non-country personalities of Steven Tyler and Kelsea Ballerini helping to make the announcements. The 2014 CMA Awards will happen on Wednesday November 4th on ABC, and will be hosted once again by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.
Leading all nominees is Eric Church and Little Big Town with five nominations each. Eric’s heavy load of nominations is not unusual since the rock-oriented country star likes to paint himself as a critical favorite. Little Big Town’s rise continues what is one of the most surprising and well-orchestrated retoolings of a country franchise the genre has ever seen. From their induction to the Grand Ole Opry, to the faux controversy over “Girl Crush” (which is at the heart of the band’s strong nomination showing), the fix is in, and it is in favor of Little Big Town.
Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert both received four nominations. Miranda regularly leads the pack as virtually the only commercially-viable female left in the mainstream aside from Carrie Underwood (who is historically undervalued come awards season), but since it is an off-album year for her, four is still a strong showing. The most surprising name in the nominee ranks might be Chris Stapleton. He comes in with a whopping three nominations, tying with Maddie & Tae, Sam Hunt, and Kacey Musgraves. Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton receive only two noms (again, off album year), and Kelsea Ballerini somehow squeezes out two nominations.
PLEASE NOTE: Just because I predict someone to win does not mean Saving Country Music is rooting for them.
Entertainer of the Year
Two horse race. Once again we find an older act toe to toe with Luke Bryan, with the massive touring appeal of Garth Brooks (previously George Strait) giving voters a tough decision to decide if today’s biggest star is worthy of this distinction. Slight edge to Luke. Also interesting to see Florida Georgia Line is not here. This shows that the Bro-Country backlash is real, and Anything Goes went too far with the band’s singular approach.
Garth Brooks – Possible Winner
Luke Bryan – Probable Winner
Kenny Chesney
Eric Church
Miranda Lambert
Male Vocalist of the Year
I predict this is the year the five-year reign of Blake Shelton is broken. How he made it this long is curious since his albums don’t sell compared to his level of stardom, but the split with Miranda will do him in. This is Luke’s to lose, but Dierks or Eric could also make a strong push.
Dierks Bentley
Luke Bryan – Winner
Eric Church
Blake Shelton
Chris Stapleton
Female Vocalist of the Year
Ha, Kelsea. Yay, Lee Ann. This is always the most fun category see announced since the CMA’s have no clue what’s happening with females in the genre these days. It’s an insult to the distinction to see Kelsea’s name there. In the end though, the nominations for this are a formality. There’s only one with a chance.
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert – Winner
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
Lee Ann Womack
Album of the Year
Yes it’s fun to see Chris Stapleton’s name here, but that’s to stamp down dissent by throwing traditional country fans some red meat. Also cool to see producer Dave Cobb get a nod. Stapleton has absolutely no chance though. With the huge political behind-the-scenes push for Little Big Town, they can’t be counted out of anything, but Kacey Musgraves is also a critical favorite and has to be considered a strong contender here. Outside chance for Aldean.
Old Boots, New Dirt
Jason Aldean
Produced by Michael Knox
Broken Bow
Pageant Material – Potential Winner
Kacey Musgraves
Produced by Kacey Musgraves, Luke Laird, and Shane McAnally
Mercury Nashville
Pain Killer – Potential Winner
Little Big Town
Produced by Jay Joyce
Capitol Records Nashville
The Big Revival
Kenny Chesney
Produced by Buddy Cannon and Kenny Chesney
Blue Chair Records/Columbia Nashville
Traveller
Chris Stapleton
Produced by Dave Cobb and Chris Stapleton
Mercury Nashville
Song of the Year
“Girl Crush” WILL win either Song of the Year or Single of the Year, and it sucks that it got nominated for both, along with Sam Hunt’s “Take Your Time” and Chesney’s “American Kids” (really?). Come on CMA’s, leave the delineation between Song of the Year as being something special, and Single of the Year being something commercially successful. These song categories just go to show how far we’ve slipped in quality. None of these songs carry any historical meaning, except for I guess “Girl Crush” if you want to count the manufactured controversy behind it. Musgraves’ “Fine” deserved to be here. Blah.
“American Kids”
Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird, and Shane McAnally
“Girl Crush” – Winner, I guess
Liz Rose, Lori McKenna, and Hillary Lindsey
“Like a Cowboy”
Randy Houser and Brice Long
“Like a Wrecking Ball”
Eric Church and Casey Beathard
“Take Your Time”
Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne
Single of the Year
Horrible list. Always love to see Curb Records assert the last of their influence for Lee Brice in these matters. Also funny, “I Don’t Dance” was nominated for Song of the Year last year too. Really any of these could win. It’s an open field here, but none of them deserve it.
“American Kids”
Kenny Chesney
Produced by Buddy Cannon and Kenny Chesney
Blue Chair Records/Columbia Nashville
“Girl Crush”
Little Big Town
Produced by Jay Joyce
Capitol Records Nashville
“I Don’t Dance”
Lee Brice
Produced by Lee Brice
Curb Records
“Take Your Time”
Sam Hunt
Produced Zach Crowell and Shane McAnally
MCA Nashville
“Talladega”
Eric Church
Produced by Jay Joyce and Arturo Buenahora, Jr.
EMI Records Nashville
New Artist of the Year
Sam Hunt, hands down.Chris Stapleton or Maddie & Tae deserve it.
Kelsea Ballerini
Sam Hunt – Winner
Maddie & Tae
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Vocal Duo of the Year
Not even close, especially since Florida Georgia Line got snubbed everywhere else.
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line – Winner
Maddie & Tae
Thompson Square
Vocal Group of the Year
Duh. The curious coronation of Little Big Town continues.
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town – Winner
Rascal Flatts
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band
Event of the Year
Cool to see Willie & Merle here. Hell, they may even win it, it’s a pretty open field. I have no clue where this might go. Frankly, even though there’s a lot of great names on this list, excluding Django and Jimmie (which note, is for the album, not the song), these songs are just completely unimpressive.
Django and Jimmie
Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard
Legacy Recordings
“Lonely Tonight”
Blake Shelton featuring Ashley Monroe
Warner Bros./Warner Music Nashville
“Raise ‘Em Up”
Keith Urban featuring Eric Church
Hit Red Records/Capitol Records Nashville
“Smokin’ and Drinkin’”
Miranda Lambert featuring Little Big Town
RCA Nashville
“Wild Child”
Kenny Chesney with Grace Potter
Blue Chair Records/Columbia Nashville
Music Video of the Year
Understand this really is more of just another song category. Any could win except for “Little Red Wagon.” Going out on a limb to say “Something in the Water,” but it really could go to anybody. Interesting to note this is all females.
“Biscuits”
Kacey Musgraves
Directed by Marc Klasfeld
“Girl Crush”
Little Big Town
Directed by Karla Welch and Matthew Welch
“Girl in a Country Song”
Maddie & Tae
Directed by TK McKamy
“Little Red Wagon”
Miranda Lambert
Directed by Trey Fanjoy
“Something in the Water” – Potential winner
Carrie Underwood
Directed by Raj Kapoor
Musician of the Year
Mac McAnally has won this seven years in a row, so either it’s time for him to get bumped, or go with the proven winner.
Sam Bush (Mandolin)
Jerry Douglas (Dobro)
Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar)
Dann Huff (Guitar)
Mac McAnally (Guitar)
September 9, 2015 @ 8:10 am
It would never happen even if the guy sold 5 million records, but would Jason Isbell be eligible for album of the year for this round of bullshit awards?
September 9, 2015 @ 8:16 am
I think Isbell and his record label pretty much market him as an Americana/Alt-Country artist more than anything resembling a Country artist.
I think more than anything though what would hold Isbell back is the fact he is on an indie label and not on one of the traditional power labels on Music Row.
September 9, 2015 @ 8:23 am
Basically, you will never see an independent artist up for one of these awards, unless something so exceptional happens they have no other choice but to recognize them. However, you could see an artist such as Sturgill Simpson be nominated in the future, since he’s now on a major label, just like we’ve now seen Chris Stapleton and Brandy Clark nominated.
The other thing that could happen is Thirty Tiger (Isbell’s “label”) could grow to the point where they could have some CMA sway, especially if they join up to the organization. That’s not completely out of the picture since they are growing probably faster than anyone on Music Row save for Big Machine, and they now have artists like Clint Black on their roster. Independent music (even if it is on mainstream labels) is only going to continue to gain market share, and organizations like the CMA are going to have to recognize it more and more as it rises in the marketplace.
September 9, 2015 @ 5:27 pm
I agree that there are actually a few signs of progress here. The inclusion of Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, and even Maddie & Tae for multiple awards can only be a positive thing. I can’t say what Stapleton’s chances are at actually winning any of these categories, but at the very least, he’ll get some screen time out of this. And while it might be that his inclusion is partly a way for the CMA to throw traditional country fans a bone, from what I can tell, a lot of mainstream country artists and industry people in Nashville legitimately are big fans of his. Also, like Brandy Clark, his songwriting makes money for the industry.
Nice to see Willie & Merle get nominated too. If the CMA voters were smart, they’d vote for them just to try and get them to show up. The entire CMA proceedings would be granted a greater sense of credibility merely due to the proximity of two artists with such integrity as those old codgers.
Edit: Somehow my comment ended up in the wrong spot. Whoops.
September 10, 2015 @ 4:26 am
“Basically, you will never see an independent artist up for one of these awards, unless something so exceptional happens they have no other choice but to recognize them.”
How are you defining “independent artist?” At this point in her career, wouldn’t Lee Ann Womack, whose album is produced by Sugar Hill, qualify? She’ll never win– Miranda Lambert is probably a lock– but her most recent album, which was produced by Buddy Miller, was marketed as “Americana,” whatever that means and however broad that term is.
September 10, 2015 @ 5:04 am
Sorry. Buddy Miller did NOT produce LAW’s most recent album; I’d read an article about his involvement but he wasn’t the producer. My bad.
September 10, 2015 @ 9:42 am
Frank Liddell who has been a big producer for Miranda Lambert over the years produced “The Way I’m Livin'” and that connection might have been key to Womack’s nomination. I would not consider Sugar Hill a major label, but I would not consider them indie in the traditional sense either.
I actually wrote an in-depth article about how many indie labels and organizations are being bought up by bigger companies and corporations, and it includes a discussion about Sugar Hill, which was bought by Concord earlier this year along with Vanguard, basically making one huge indie major. The clout Concord has within the CMA may not be equal to the majors, but it’s enough to get their artists nominations.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/how-independent-ownership-of-music-is-slowly-being-acquiesced-to-larger-corporations
Also, Lee Ann was also nominated for Americana Awards, which are usually reserved for artists that the mainstream industry ignores. She is definitely an interesting case study.
September 11, 2015 @ 6:01 pm
I like a lot of Eric Church’s stuff but “Like A Wrecking Ball” for Song of the Year? I don’t get it. “Talladega” is a better song. I know Sam Hunt is considered the Antichrist here but I actually like his album. There’s actually some melodies there. Of course, he has no business competing for country awards but I’d rather listen to him than Cole Swindell, Thomas Rhett or Chase Rice (not high praise, I know). So happy that Lee Ann Womack got nominated. She may have no chance but it’s great to see.
September 9, 2015 @ 8:18 am
I wonder if Jason Aldean is going to have another hissy fit for his lack of recognition. Personally I’m not sure how he even got an album of the year nomination.
September 9, 2015 @ 9:32 am
I need this to happen so I can get a laugh out of it! 🙂
September 9, 2015 @ 10:19 am
They’re “Gonna Know He Was Here”! 😉
September 9, 2015 @ 8:18 am
It’s encouraging that the Album of the Year category has two pretty good albums in it with Stapleton and Musgraves being included. Granted the other three albums range from terrible to mediocre…but progress?
I’m just trying desperately to look at what little bright side remains to mainstream Country music.
September 9, 2015 @ 8:31 am
Love seeing Sam bush, paul franklin and jerry Douglas in the musician category.
Any reason no Lour Jomets (sp)? besides label?
September 9, 2015 @ 9:09 am
Nobody within 100 miles of the CMA nominating community has any clue who Lour Jomets is. Yes it’s cool to see worthy names considered in the Musicians category, but it’s basically been the same names for the last 7 years, with the same winner every one of those years because these are simply the names people remember from back when musicians actually played on records. None of these folks actually play on any of the music considered in the other categories, except for maybe Chris Stapleton’s record, and maybe Miranda Lambert. My guess in the future we’re going to see a “producer” category of some sort to give more emphasis to all the EDM types infiltrating the genre. I hate to say it, but with the lack of musicianship in mainstream country, musicians just aren’t relevant anymore.
September 9, 2015 @ 2:10 pm
I was going to mention that it’s strange that mandolin, steel guitar and dobro musicians are nominated for musician of the year considering we don’t hear much of those instruments in mainstream “country” music nowadays, but now I understand why this is based on your explanation.
September 9, 2015 @ 2:40 pm
I’m assuming you are talking about Sturgill Simpson’s guitar player. Musician of the year is for studio musicians. People that record on TONS of records. Most of them also produce, write, play in house bands for things like the CMA show. I’m not putting Jomets down but he is not even in the same league as these guys. Google their names and check out their credits. It will blow your mind.
September 9, 2015 @ 2:44 pm
I am very formular with that group. Most of those guys do a good bit of gigs as well. Shoot Jerry Douglas is on the marque with who ever he plays with.
I wish the award would show case other talent. Obviously Paul Franklin will always be a master. Why keep handing the award to the same group?
September 9, 2015 @ 8:41 am
Carrie’s singles usually do better than Miranda, so why doesn’t she ever win? Look at Something in the Water. What has Miranda done? Carrie should be up for Entertainer.
September 9, 2015 @ 10:00 am
Carrie doesn’t belong to the WME and Live Nation voting blocks. She is with CAA and AEG Live. Unless that changes, she will continue to win Grammy’s while being ignored at the country award shows.
September 14, 2015 @ 8:32 am
Carrie is beautiful but she needs to go with Taylor to pop radio. I will not listen to her songs what so ever.
September 30, 2015 @ 6:51 am
lol…i will listen to Carrie and never Taylor what so ever…and i’m from Malaysia.
September 9, 2015 @ 9:16 am
To me, this actually seems like a slightly better line-up than the last couple of years, even though the traditionalists are only window dressing. At least Steven Tyler isn’t up for anything.
September 9, 2015 @ 9:39 am
I would agree it is slightly better, up from very very bad.
September 9, 2015 @ 9:18 am
Well this is exciting, although I bet FGL gets snubbed for vocal duo with all the Maddie and Tae hullaballoo.
I stopped today on Planet Namek, I was going to use the Dragon Balls there to bring back George Jones, but when we arrived there was a fight going on between a white monkey thing and some dude with blonde hair that looked like it would tear the planet apart. We should reach our destination before too much longer.
September 9, 2015 @ 12:19 pm
Super Saiyan Goku vs Frieza? See, I know DBZ.
September 9, 2015 @ 9:22 am
If Sam Hunt wins new artist or anything at all were all in big trouble.
September 9, 2015 @ 9:38 am
The story will be if Sam Hunt DOESN’T win New Artist of the Year, unfortunately.
September 9, 2015 @ 10:45 am
Yeah, I agree. Sadly
September 14, 2015 @ 8:28 am
Sam Hunt makes me wanna poke my eardrums with ice picks.
September 9, 2015 @ 9:31 am
I sure as heck won’t be watching. All it does is make me mad, my blood pressure goes up, and I burn through all of my deodorant. Other than Simpson and Whitey, I really can’t even get into the newer artists on this site that many enjoy. Thank God we had so many years of great country music to where I could rack up 2,000 songs on my iPod. For the most part, I’ll just keep to my 70’s, 80’s, and early 90’s country. They never get old for me and I never burn out.
September 9, 2015 @ 11:04 am
Amen Brother! Chris Stapleton is awesome too.
September 9, 2015 @ 12:07 pm
As a Stapleton myself, I am just glad to see him nominated.
September 9, 2015 @ 6:16 pm
I agree with the not getting into a lot of the artists on this website. Which that’s personal opinion so people don’t hate me for it. I do like Sturgill, Chris Stapleton, and Whitey. Haven’t gave Whitey much of a listen though and haven’t listened to a lot of artists reviewed on this site.
September 9, 2015 @ 9:39 am
I find it disgraceful that “Girl in a County Song” didn’t get nominated for single or song of the year. It was inventive, catchy and holds up well. Plus, what’s the saying: it’s funny because it’s true.
My gut picks
Entertainer: Lambert
Male: Dierks
Female: Miranda
Album: Pageant Material
Song: Girl Crush
Single: Talladega
New Artist: Maddie and Tae
Vocal Duo: Maddie and Tae
Group: Little Big Town/Zac Brown Band (don’t know why. I think it’s their year, but I always think that and LBT wins
Event: Church/Urban Raise Them Up.
September 9, 2015 @ 10:14 am
The Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year categories are virtually always split, so while I’m expecting Luke Bryan to run away with Entertainer of the Year (I don’t even view Garth Brooks as a close rival this time around), Eric Church will quite likely take Male Vocalist of the Year.
This was an off-album year for Carrie Underwood, and it’s for that reason alone why Miranda Lambert will have one last hurrah. But Miranda’s stock had PLUNGED these past six months, and I’m absolutely expecting Carrie Underwood to re-emerge on top from then on out until another female artist emerges in a big way onto the mainstream.
Album of the Year will probably go to “Pain Killer” even though its impressive rebound from an awful opening week is entirely shouldered on one hit. I don’t think “Pageant Material” had been out long enough to make a winning impression on the Academy from a long-term impact standpoint.
I agree the whole homogenization of the Song and Single of the Year categories is asinine. That said, these categories are known to be split as well. I fully expect “Girl Crush” to be Single of the Year seeing it is the top-selling country/”country” song of 2015 thus far, while Song of the Year will be a battle between “American Kids” and “Like A Wrecking Ball”.
The remaining categories are mostly no-brainers and are hardly worth discussing. Except……………. (groan)…………….Sam Hunt! -__-
September 9, 2015 @ 7:07 pm
I agree RCA completely destroyed this platinum era. The weakest songs on the album all were singles. LRW should never have seen the light of day…at all. In a way I am happy, hoping that her and her label see this and start releasing her good songs as singles. On Platinum IMO Another Sunday, Hard staying Sober heck even take a risk with All thats left would have been good singles.
I dont think Miranda is done though, Im going to bring up Roots & Wings again.That is a real country song. Miranda the spunky texas songwriter is still there she just needs to dump Nicolle Clawson and Luke Laird and the rest of her now go to writing crew and go back to solo writes. She got rid of that wannabe husband of hers and has been hanging back in the Texas scene…hopefully they will put her back on track.
September 9, 2015 @ 9:14 pm
I agree we must not underestimate Lambert.
I am quite confident she has peaked from a commercial standpoint. I don’t think she will ever have an album as big as “Revolution” again, or that produces as many hits as “Four The Record” again. But I’m confident she will remain one of the more influential forces in mainstream country music via her share of eclectic choice collaborators who have since become breakout names, her huge social media presence, and appeal outside of the country scene.
What remains to be seen is how damaged her relationship with radio is. In her favor, what’s important to remember is that Lambert’s singles discography has always been inconsistent. She has went Top Ten with a Double Platinum single one moment, then peaks at #37 the next. She collects the single of her career another moment, then settles for a Gold-selling single that peaked outside the Top Ten the next. She has recovered from her share of chart nadirs, and she can do it again.
But what’s working unfavorably against her is that there are several new female artists on the rise that radio may favor in place of Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift’s vacancy. Radio seems willing to try making Kelsea Ballerini a breakout household name, and Cam may follow suit. Some radio programmers may have lost confidence in Lambert through the “Platinum” era, and so she has her work cut out for her in making her case to keep having her back.
September 9, 2015 @ 10:20 am
Yay for Chris, Kacey, Lee Ann, Willie & Merle, and M&T. 🙂
September 9, 2015 @ 10:45 am
I’m pretty sure that “Girl In A Country Song” will win for Music Video, as in my neck of the woods it was just as big of a hit as the song itself; had a bunch of people sharing links to it on Facebook talking about how hilarious it was. Speaking of hilarious (if only slightly), they misspelled “Raise ‘Em Up” in the graphic.
Stapleton winning Album of the Year would be like a dream, but yes, I’m guessing he was only put there to try and satiate critics. I wonder how many bleach-blonde 17-year-olds will be asking who the hell Chris Stapleton is on Twitter on the night of the awards.
September 9, 2015 @ 10:56 am
I’m surprised Drum Loop, Syn Thesizer, Computer Programmer and Auto Tuner weren’t nominated for Musician of the Year.
September 9, 2015 @ 12:28 pm
Just throwing this out there; I don’t get why people hate Kenny Chesney so much. I looked up some old SCM articles, and Trigger bashed Kenny even worse than FGL and Sam Hunt. I hate all these bro-country and metro guys, but Kenny is FAR from that bad. Only a very small number of his songs are about the beach… but his videos seem to be set there. He had some good songs back in the day, my favorites being “The Good Stuff” and “There Goes My Life.” Keep in mind I’m only 20. People who were alive during the Garth Brooks era hated him for moving away from the country sound. I guess Kenny Chesney was the same way. Looking at it from an older traditionalist perspective, I suppose I can see why y’all dislike him. But compared to these modern abominations, Chesney’s music is golden country. Blame it on my age, but I think Chesney is a million times better than the likes of FGL, and should not be ridiculed right beside them.
September 9, 2015 @ 12:47 pm
I happen to agree with you.
That said, I think the criticism of Chesney at the time of being all image and minimal substance made sense. Chesney wasn’t producing chicken-fried Parrothead music at the start of his recording career. His first four albums were decidedly country Adult Contemporary hybridization with basic themes of simple love songs and reflective slices of life. Chesney co-opted the “island country” and “No Shoes Nation” image later on…………….and I do understand how that made him the recipient of much flak.
Even there, though, I think he still balanced those type of disposable songs with affecting, nostalgic fare well. To me anyway, Toby Keith was insufferable more often than Chesney at the heights of their careers (despite Keith having his share of sharply written and well-sung songs). Keith had more highs than Chesney, but also more terrible lows. Chesney, on contrast, has generally been more of a so-so plateau.
September 9, 2015 @ 1:30 pm
Good take, Nadia. I’m not terribly offended by Chesney, but his beach persona never connected with me. I thought he bottomed out creatively with his song about how we all need to escape reality — after he had spent a decade singing and making videos about cruising around the Caribbean on a yacht. That’s a nice reality if you can get it.
That said, I was a big fan of “You and Tequila.” And the rise of the bros certainly did much to make people say, “I guess Kenny Chesney wasn’t the worst after all.”
September 9, 2015 @ 2:10 pm
The simple fact is Kenny has had a 20-year career with a lot of highs and not too many lows and that’s pretty impressive. If we asked people to list their favorite KC song, there would probably be 20 different answers. Plus, I always give Kenny slack for the island stuff because that is who he is. He sings about his life. Luke Bryan, FGL, and to a lesser degree Blake Shelton just sing songs aimed at teens. It doesn’t give you any insight into what they are like as people. They aren’t personal like Chesney’s.
While it won’t change the world, honestly, “Save It For a Rainy Day” is one of the best songs out right now.
September 9, 2015 @ 3:00 pm
“Save It For A Rainy Day” will be mostly forgotten in no more than two years, but it definitely succeeds for what it is: enjoyable, well-written, immediate ear candy with trace amounts of meaning.
It doesn’t surprise me whatsoever that it has become the second-biggest hit of “The Big Revival” era (it hasn’t peaked yet at radio, but has already outsold its two predecessors)
September 9, 2015 @ 4:30 pm
I do like “Save it for a Rainy Day.” And Derek I think you make a good point about the diversity in people’s favorite KC songs: Mine is “What I Need to Do,” which gets no play and I figure wouldn’t be a frequent pick.
September 9, 2015 @ 6:26 pm
I’m surprised nobody’s brought up “Who You’d Be Today.” That song absolves Kenny of any guilt to me. It’s just so… gorgeous.
September 9, 2015 @ 8:57 pm
‘That’s Why I’m Here’ is also a great Chesney song. Could easily piece together 15-20 Chesney singles alone that range from good to great. Like many of the uber popular acts they have good songs with a mix of disposable crap.
September 9, 2015 @ 11:07 pm
My favorite Kenny Chesney song is “There Goes My Life”. I love how it features a highly relevant theme, heartfelt songwriting, and a beautiful melody.
September 10, 2015 @ 7:40 am
To help prove your point about different answer to favorite Kenny Chesney songs, mine is ‘I Lost It’
September 11, 2015 @ 6:09 am
Go back and listen to Kenny Chesney’s very first album “In My Wildest Dreams” from 1994 (which was not successful with radio btw). It is some great, more traditional 90’s country music. I highly recommend it! http://www.amazon.com/My-Wildest-Dreams-Kenny-Chesney/dp/B00138CTGG/ref=tmm_msc_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
September 9, 2015 @ 12:44 pm
I see “I Don’t Dance” winning Single of the Year. As Trigger wrote, Curb still has enough connections to get at least one award handed out during these shows and Lee Brice is pretty much all they have left as far as artists who get consistent radio play.
September 9, 2015 @ 1:40 pm
I actually see a path to Stapleton winning the New Artist or Album and maybe Vocalist.
He is the universally-loved guy, on vocalist, Luke Bryan’s gonna say vote for Stapleton (and it’s all UMG except for Blake anyway).
On Album, I see his being the one. It was as critically-acclaimed as Pageant Material and has sold nearly the same. That is more likely than vocalist.
As for New artist, It’s between Thomas Rhett, Sam Hunt and Stapleton and don’t count out Stapleton as the guy UMG really gets behind. Hunt is great but Stapleton has been a Mike Dungan favorite for years.
Again, I believe he’ll win something and it could be like when Alison Krauss won The Horizon Award for she was so beloved then like Stapleton is now.
September 9, 2015 @ 5:27 pm
The problem for Stapleton, is that professional critics LOVE Sam Hunt’s debut album.
So far, Hunt has been able to charm reviewers in a way Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean cannot. And when you have both the sales figures and critical acclaim backing you, it’s improbable Sam Hunt will lose Best New Artist! =/
*
I do think Album of the Year is Stapleton’s best bet for an upset.
When you get right down to it, there’s no dominant candidate here. I’d say “Pain Killer” is the favorite due to the combined critical acclaim and strong sales it has garnered over the past season, but it’s far from clinched. After all, “Pain Killer” opened up with terrible sales and looked like it was doomed at the time, before its impressive turn-around with the smash success of “Girl Crush”. Thus, some Academy members may look at the era as a whole and defer from backing “Pain Killer” because it’s appeal thus far stems from a single track.
That leaves “Pageant Material” as the only other viable contender. I’d argue it’s not a favorite to win because it was only recently released and Academy members may conclude it hasn’t yet proven itself as an impactful album.
Of course, the exact same dilemma faces “Traveller”. And if Musgraves and Stapleton split the critical darling vote, then that only boosts “Pain Killer” by default.
September 9, 2015 @ 5:33 pm
Very good point Nadia about Hunt’s favoritism among critics, and it’s the reason I think Hunt will walk away with some hardware on the night. I think Matt makes some good points as well, and hey, I’d love to see Stapleton do well. But Sam Hunt is that rare bird that offers overwhelming commercial success and still woos critics. The key has been his ability to appeal to many non-country, Northeast-based media taste makers (used that word again) who thought they would always hate country until they heard him. That’s what’s great about releasing a hip-hop/EDM album as country—you cover all of your bases.
September 10, 2015 @ 9:20 am
Nadia and Trigger,
I think there’s an over analysis of the impact of Hunt with the media meaning he’ll get all/most of the votes. By and large it’s the industry who vote (maybe 20% of the CMA voters are writers/critics) and that is where Stapleton will get the help he needs. Stapleton’s loved by all corners of the industry, from his songwriter peers to artists to producers to label staff, everyone loves this guy. I’d actually feel shocked if he didn’t win one of the three. Both will be ineligible to win the Best New Artist next year (Maddie and Tae too because of duo nomination) so it’ll be really interesting to see who the label puts more support behind. Chris Stapleton or Sam Hunt…
September 10, 2015 @ 9:25 am
True, with all the songs he’s written, he’s got the clout and name recognition needed in the industry to win. I still think it’s a long shot though, we’ll have to see. In the end it is the labels deciding what artist they think will benefit most from the exposure, and my concern is the industry sees Stapleton’s music limited in its commercial viability.
September 9, 2015 @ 11:11 pm
Stapleton already beat Hunt for Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year nominations even though Hunt has far more commercial success. Maybe that says a bunch of voters agree that he’s in the wrong genre.
September 9, 2015 @ 5:39 pm
I hope Matt B. is right about Stapleton’s chances.
And Sam Hunt’s critical acclaim is absolutely baffling to me.
September 9, 2015 @ 2:30 pm
It was sad that the Bellamy Brothers were excluded for duo of the year nomination again this year. They were a fixture for so many years.
September 9, 2015 @ 3:04 pm
LeeAnn Womack…lol! If they are just going to name-drop to fill a quota, then Ashley Monroe certainly deserves a nomination here..she deserves one anyway, but especially in this ridiculous case.
September 9, 2015 @ 3:13 pm
Really? Lee Ann Womack is just a name drop to you?
September 9, 2015 @ 6:01 pm
Well, not generally, but in this context…I think Ashley Monroe, Jana Kramer, and Reba all would be more relevant choices, especially considering the fact that Kelsea Ballerini is on the list. The female category is just ridiculous in general because Miranda Lambert always wins regardless, and it seems like they will just throw out some names to fill the quota of five. This is nothing against Womack or her music, but I’d rather have seen Monroe than either Womack or Kelsea.
September 9, 2015 @ 6:18 pm
Ashley would’ve been a great choice, but I gotta say, LAW’s ‘The Way I’m Livin” is a pretty damn fine album — even though it would shock me if the CMA voters had actually heard of it…
September 10, 2015 @ 8:28 am
Exactly. That was one of my favorite albums of 2014. I would guess that the CMA voters have heard of it, but maybe not actually heard it. So maybe she got nominated because of name recognition (a happy accident?), but still, it’s a great album.
September 9, 2015 @ 3:19 pm
Garth has to be entertainer of the year, because of the size of his tour, it just hasnt been
big, its been record breaking for any genre.
Hes on track to be the first artist in history to play to 10 million people on one tour, once the whole
thing has been completed.
September 9, 2015 @ 5:33 pm
I just can’t see it happening.
It isn’t like when George Strait was calling it a day with professional touring two years ago. There was a lot more emotional incentive to acknowledge Strait’s legacy in that context.
But with Brooks, most are viewing it as a long-awaited opportunity to see him perform again. Nothing more, nothing less. Otherwise, it has been an off-year as far as new material is concerned, and he hasn’t impacted the Social Top 50 like Luke Bryan has.
Luke Bryan is the runaway favorite in my eyes, tragically! =(
September 9, 2015 @ 5:00 pm
I quit watching these award shows years ago. Back when I was a kid and watching these shows, the only people that seem to win were The Judds, Alabama, and Reba. And, it’s not that they weren’t talented people. It just seems the people that voted these people to win continuously seemed to forget that there were other talented people in those categories who were just as talented. Now, I just keep up with the CMA’s on Twitter. Sad but true.
September 9, 2015 @ 5:30 pm
I really hope Kacey wins album of the year, I know Little Big Town are a big contender but I still hope Kacey takes it out. Also I would love for Kacey to win for vocalist but we will just have to wait and see.
September 9, 2015 @ 5:58 pm
Is this one where Entertainer is fan voted? Because if so Luke is going to run away with it. If not, Garth has a chance. He’s shown that even after 15 years away there’s still no one in country who can sell tickets like he can.
September 9, 2015 @ 6:24 pm
No fan vote for the CMA’s. Even when the ACM’s do fan vote, it usually only counts for 10% to 20% or something. It’s just a way to drive traffic to their web properties bu superfans going there to vote daily.
September 9, 2015 @ 6:05 pm
This is going to be one of of those off-topic comments, but last night I happened to flip on the TV and catch part of Stephen Colbert’s debut episode on late night TV in Letterman’s old slot. One thing I’ve been wondering about is what kind of musical direction Colbert’s show will take, especially since Letterman’s old show was such a great platform for independent country and roots music artists, and just good music in general. So, I did a little digging around online and found out that Sheryl Zelikson, the music producer for the Late Show with David Letterman has been hired to stay on in the same role on the new show, which I think is great news. I was also able to find an interview with her from a couple years back, in which she said that while Dave would occasionally suggest certain artists, most of the choices for musical bookings were hers. So, I hope she carries her taste in roots music stuff with her to the new program. And we already know that she has a working relationship with artists such as Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, and Chris Stapleton from the previous show.
My “sources”:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/stephen-colberts-late-show-include-816642
http://noisey.vice.com/blog/tonights-musical-guest-how-the-late-show-with-david-letterman-books-its-acts
September 10, 2015 @ 7:16 pm
Thanks for posting this. This is good to hear.
September 9, 2015 @ 7:08 pm
“Basically, you will never see an independent artist up for one of these awards, unless something so exceptional happens they have no other choice but to recognize them. ” An absolutely spot-on comment, Trigger. Tommy Lee of Motley Crue, in an interview from the late 80’s, commented on The Grammy’s by basically saying “I have to laugh at the nominees because there’s so many other talented artists/groups who weren’t even mentioned.” Been trying to tell folks for years that a Grammy isn’t necessarily a reflection of talent. Nice post, Trigger!!!!
September 9, 2015 @ 7:31 pm
Chris Stapleton and his beard should’ve gotten a vocal duo nomination!!
September 9, 2015 @ 8:01 pm
Musician of the year? Why is this category even necessary? Quality musicianship is about 1/10th of 1% of the equation in today’s country songs. What a joke. Shame if it is, the nominees in this category are accomplished musicians who are wasting the majority of their talents by playing on new country records.
September 9, 2015 @ 8:17 pm
I’m pretty disappointed with the Song of the Year category. A couple songs that are all easily better and did well enough on the radio:
“She Don’t Love You” by Eric Pasley
“Say You Do” by Dierks Bentley
“Diamond Rings” by Tim McGraw
“What We Ain’t Got” by Jake Owen (too old?)
even “Homegrown” is by ZBB is a better song than most of what’s on there.
September 10, 2015 @ 12:15 am
I’d rather that the nominees for music video were the ones nominated for Sing of The Year (excluding LRW)
September 9, 2015 @ 8:21 pm
WAIT WAIT, Trigger is this right?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Country_Music_Association_Awards
“I Don’t Dance” is nominated in two straight years for “Song of the Year”?!?!?!….
I was going to complain about Thomas Rhett being a new artist for the second straight year even though he’s had singles out for 3 years and is on his second album, but after the Justin Moore thing, I know not to care. (Too bad a group like Thousand Horses won’t get recognition though bc of this).
September 9, 2015 @ 8:33 pm
By the way this comment was by no means a knock on the nominees. These are talented accomplished musicians who deserve recognition in their own right
September 9, 2015 @ 11:05 pm
Is that the official picture of Kelsea Ballerini? It contrasts pretty strongly with the demeanor displayed by the other women in the Female Vocalist category.
September 10, 2015 @ 9:44 am
Well, the CMA is using it, so I’d have to say she approves. Ain’t my graphics.
September 10, 2015 @ 8:04 am
Wow, these nominations ain’t half bad this time around. Nice to see Chris Stapleton get a few nods, even if the comparisons between Jamey Johnson keep rolling in (he’s basically the replacement for Johnson’s role in the mainstream at the moment). I was genuinely shocked to see Willie and Merle, and I enjoyed the heck out of that album. I hope they win it just so the fans of these other artists are confused as to why these two geezers are on the stage. Interesting to see Garth nominated, particularly since he doesn’t seem to have a single photo that isn’t shopped to make him look thinner than he is (who does he think he’s fooling if he submits a photo and then shows up in person?).
As for Blake and Miranda, is the split only going to affect Blake? You didn’t even mention it with her.
September 10, 2015 @ 9:32 am
I think Miranda is more insulated from the split because she’s the only commercially-viable female out there for voters to get behind. Carrie could come back into full form over the next year with the release of her new album, but it’s been years since she released a new record. With country males, you have to go 10 or 12 deep before you get to Blake when it comes to sales and impact. He can only be propped up by “The Voice” for so long. His lack of touring has really put a hurting on his sales.
Willie Joins Kacey for 'Are You Sure' Video; 2015 CMA Nominees; Steve Earle Talks Sense to Mississippi | Country California
September 10, 2015 @ 10:13 am
[…] Saving Country Music”™s Trigger made some CMA predictions. […]
September 10, 2015 @ 2:22 pm
I’ve continued to discuss the CMA nominations in detail over at Country Perspective, and also want to share some of my reflections here.
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My Single of the Year roster would look like this (taking into account unmistakable commercial appeal, longevity, having an eventful quality and at least moderate critical acclaim)
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“Girl Crush”
“Dirt”
“Something In The Water”
“Talladega”
“Say You Do”
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The latter two obviously didn”™t sell as robustly as the former three, but they have (and continue to) sell steadily, as opposed to being front-loaded in their appeal. “Talladega” was consistently cited as a highlight among professional reviewers in assessing “The Outsiders” (which has a score of 82 on Metacritic), while “Say You Do” enjoys similar well-rounded appeal.
“American Kids” definitely sold better than either of those two, but it was a more polarizing release critically (color me unimpressed myself, personally). “Take Your Time” should be instantly disqualified in that it doesn”™t sound country in any way, shape or form in spite of its solid commercial success. And “I Don”™t Dance” has absolutely NO business being here in that it was already nominated last year under a different category.
There are a few tracks some would argue deserve consideration here based on combined critical and commercial appeal: Zac Brown Band”™s “Homegrown”, Blake Shelton”™s “Lonely Tonight” and Tyler Farr”™s “A Guy Walks Into A Bar” most notably.
“Homegrown” has the best case among the three, but here’s where I’d argue against that song. As successful as it was, it came across as more pleasant among listeners and what they’ve come to expect from the band, and less eventful. Really, it was largely a reprise of “Chicken Fried” lyrically with some sonic updates. I vastly prefer “Homegrown” to “Chicken Fried”, mostly because Zac Brown sings the former with some wistful, emotionally invested conviction to where the admittedly simple lyrics tend to dwell more on the human connection with family and friends, whereas the latter is more a plain rattling off of checklist cliches………………..but I’d argue “Homegrown” had a “Blink, and you’d miss it!” form of chart success anyway and was largely front-loaded in its appeal.
As with the other two tracks I cited, “Lonely Tonight”, yes: it has sold very well and also was a big hit at radio. But I personally found it a very boring and safe track, in spite of some strong vocals. And, lyrically, it”™s something that has been done time and time again significantly better, including Lady Antebellum”™s “Need You Now”. “Lonely Tonight” lacks the teeth and darker vibe of that song. I”™ve just never understood the appeal of “Lonely Tonight”. As with “A Guy Walks Into A Bar”,it”™s kind of the reversal. I still very much love that song and think it is solid all-around. However, from a commercial standpoint, it falls short in my eyes. It did go Gold, but it also had an extremely lengthy run at radio and never exactly lit up the charts. Same with “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools” and “What We Ain”™t Got”, most notably.
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As for Song of the Year, here”™s my decision if I had my way (considering a combination of cultural appeal, strong critical reception, longevity and modest commercial reach)
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“She Don”™t Love You”
“Fine”
“Standards”
“What We Ain”™t Got”
“Whiskey On My Breath”
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Some would instantly cry foul seeing no Chris Stapleton represented here, considering his nominations in many other categories. But with many considering his album all-around solid front to back, and having disagreements as to which songs stand out the most, that”™s just what happens sometimes.
In contrast, there is a near-unanimous consensus that “Fine” is one of the biggest standouts on “Pageant Material”, while “Standards” is one on “Hold My Beer, Volume 1”.
Finally, with “Whiskey On My Breath”, that is arguably the single most controversial inclusion here”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦.but I”™d argue it deserves to be there because it is self-evident, when looking at this blog and many other blogs specializing in country music discussion, that this has made measurable impact despite Love & Theft being without a major label and their limited previous commercial success.
There are obviously dozens of honorable mentions that would be worthy of consideration here as well (“24 Frames” probably the most obvious one considering its huge success at Triple A radio presently, along with “Send It On Down”, “South Dakota” (or “Long Island Sound”), “Be My Baby”, “Someday Soon”. “Speed Trap Town”, “Day & Night”, and so on.)
September 10, 2015 @ 3:00 pm
So, it’s official (actually, in my mind).
Why doesn’t Kellie Pickler deserve another shot?
September 10, 2015 @ 3:53 pm
Maybe when she returns to her “100 Proof” game, she’ll definitely deserve it.
I’ve been disappointed with Pickler’s latest. Her most recent single, “Feeling Tonight”, is a HUGE plunge in quality from “100 Proof”, but even a devolution from its follow-up “The Woman I Am” (which was uneven and too polished on some tracks, but had its moments).
That’s just me, of course. I’d still prefer Pickler’s last three singles over Lambert’s duds. But then again, Carrie Underwood’s two singles preceding “Smoke Break” have impressed me more than Pickler’s.
September 10, 2015 @ 4:51 pm
I hope Garth Brooks don’t win entertainer of the year award.
September 10, 2015 @ 8:48 pm
I would have traded Kelsey ballerini for Mickey Guyton who has been solid with good songs all year
September 10, 2015 @ 9:07 pm
I would trade Maddie & Tae over FGL but I do like their song “Dirt”.
September 12, 2015 @ 3:55 pm
Kelsea’s picture… ugh… I guess it sums up her music and schtick perfectly. Go Ms. Womack! SHow ’em how it’ done!
Sam Hunt I hope you win something just so I can hear you’re dumb mouth talk about evolution in the hope Merle Haggard will take you down a few notches.
October 4, 2015 @ 12:19 pm
To hell with the CMA’s and ACM’s! I will boycott as usual. I prefer the Americana awards, the Ameripolitan awards and the Texas music awards. Trigger your willingness to suffer for us readers through this BS is admirable!!!
November 4, 2015 @ 7:44 pm
Even Kiefer Sutherland seems more country than Rhett and especially Sam Hunt.