Shaboozey, Zach Top, Riley Green and More Snag First-Ever Nominations for CMA Awards 2024

A trove of newcomers has taken over the country music genre this year and many of those same rising stars will be infiltrating the 58th Annual CMA Awards for the first time.

The nominees for the prestigious awards ceremony were just announced and the list is pocked with first-timers, with some of country's newest stars like Shaboozey, Zach Top and Ella Langley enjoying their first-ever CMA Award nods.

The full list of first-time nominees include Andrew Baylis, Louis Bell, Brock Berryhill, Tom Bukovac, Will Bundy, Sean Cook, Benjy Davis, Shawn Everett, Riley Green, Kevin “Thrasher” Gruft, Kat Higgins, Hoskins, Jeff Johnson, Noah Kahan, Ella Langley, Ryan Larkins, Raul Lopez, Josh Phillips, Post Malone, Nevin Sastry, Shaboozey, Ernest Keith Smith (or ERNEST), Nate Smith, Konrad Snyder, Mitchell Tenpenny, The Red Clay Strays, Zach Top, Chris Villa, Chandler Paul Walters and Bailey Zimmerman. 

Among those, Riley Green and Ella Langley have both received recognition for Musical Event of the Year for their beloved duet, 'you look like you love me'. Noah Kahan is up for the same distinction for his work on Kelsea Ballerini's 'Cowboys Cry Too'.

Country's latest newcomer Post Malone has received a hefty four nods, including Single of the Year, Song of the Year, Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year, all for his Morgan Wallen-assisted hit, 'I Had Some Help'. The same song has put Ernest Keith Smith – likely better known as simply ERNEST – on the list of first-timers for his songwriting.

New Artist of the Year is, of course, heaped with first-time nominees including Nate Smith, Zach Top, Bailey Zimmerman and Shaboozey. The latter artist has also received a nod for his summer smash hit, 'A Bar Song (Tipsy)', which is up for Single of the Year.

The Red Clay Strays are also in the mix of first-timers, the well-loved band in the running for Vocal Group of the Year.

Perhaps some of these first-time nominees will soon be first-time winners. The 58th Annual CMA Awards, dubbed "Country Music’s Biggest Night", will air live on Wednesday, Nov. 20 on ABC.

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