CMA Awards 2024: Winners and Performances

On November 20, the biggest stars from across the country music landscape once again arrived at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, as the 2024 CMA Awards Ceremony took place.

Morgan Wallen lead the way in terms of nominations, picking up seven nods including another nomination for Entertainer of the Year.

Trailing behind Wallen with the most nominations were Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton, who both received five nods each, and current Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson, who notched four on her belt. Perhaps the biggest news of the announcement was that Post Malone was nominated for the first time - he also picked up four nods for the night.

What with Malone and Wallen receiving various nods for their Song of the Summer 'I Had Some Help', their songwriting partners and producers also picked up first time nominations. Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome and Hoskins all picked up their first three nominations for their hand in the massive hit.

Another big surprise in the announcement was the recognition of Kacey Musgraves' recent album, Deeper Well. Despite any question around it's classification as a country album, Musgraves received three nods, including Female Vocalist of the Year.

There are also first time nominations for Holler favourites The Red Clay Strays and Zach Top, who were given nods in the Vocal Group of the Year and New Artist of the Year categories respectively.

The ceremony wasn't only a night of big wins, but the event also played host to performances from some of the genre's biggest stars. The list of performers was flush with hitmakers and game-changers, as well as a handful of unexpected pairings.

Chris Stapleton and Post Malone joined forces to open the show with a performance of the pair's recent F-1Trillion duet 'California Sober'.

Everybody's favourite Georgia girl Megan Moroney was up next with a blistering performance of her recent album title track, 'Am I Okay?'

Followed straight away with double nominee Shaboozey performing a rousing medley of 'Highway' and 'A Bar Song (Tipsy)'.

Ella Langley and Riley Green both began their performance of 'you look like you love me' from the audience to give the CMA Awards it's most adorably delightful moment of the night, before Thomas Rhett and Teddy Swims came out dressed in matching leather to deliver a swaggering, albeit a little sweaty, rendition of 'Somethin' 'Bout A Woman' and Teddy Swims' own 'Lose Control.'

Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning introduced the night's next performer Luke Combs to the smoke filled stage for a rocked up performance of his hit from Twisters: The Movie, 'Ain't No Love in Oklahoma.'

Next up Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan took to a candlelit stage for a moving rendition of their duet 'Cowboys Cry Too' from Kelsea's recent PATTERNS album.

The duets kept coming with Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood performing a smouldering version of their hit collab 'I'm Gonna Love You' and Chris Stapleton taking to the stage with Morgane Stapleton and his band for a performance of 'What Am I Gonna Do' from his latest album, Higher.

Kacey Musgraves delivered a show stealing performance of 'The Architect' from her latest album 'Deeper Well' on a stripped back stage drawing set inspiration from her latest tour, before Vocal Duo of the Year nominees Brooks & Dunn invited Jelly Roll out to the stage and took us all to church for 'Believe' from their latest Reboot II album.

Post Malone returned to the CMA Awards stage to perform his father-daughter tribute, 'Yours,' off his latest album, F-1 Trillion telling his daughter D.D. he "loved her so much" at the song's end.

Tonight's co-host Lainey Wilson left her presenting duties for a fiery run through '4x4xU' from Whirlwind before Bailey Zimmerman swung in for a party starting version of 'Ain't A Thing Changed.'

Lainey Wilson was back to pay tribute to the King of Country, George Strait with a couple of verses of 'Amarillo by Morning' before we panned over to Jamey Johnson performing 'Give It Away' and Miranda Lambert and Parker McCollum joining forces for 'Old Troubadour'.

Finally they left it to the king himself, as George Strait was joined by Chris Stapleton for 'Honky Tonk Hall of Fame' before Chris presented him with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Only one way to follow that. With Ashley McBryde paying tribute to Kris Kristofferson with an eye watering version of 'Help Me Make it Through the Night.'

Another of tonight's presenters Luke Bryan lost his 'Luke, Pey + Lay' t-shirt and took a little break from his night job for a cheery rendition of his mega hit 'Love You, Miss You, Mean It.'

Luke Combs introduced "my friend" Eric Church to the stage for an emotional performance of 'Darkest Hour,' originally released to raise money for the victims of the hurricane that devastated North Carolina.

Following Lainey Wilson picking up the award for Female Vocalist of the Year Jelly Roll took the stage again, this time with Keith Urban, for a blazing version of 'Liar.'

Next up, Dierks Bentley performed Tom Petty's 'American Girl' alongside celebrated vocalists-instrumentalists Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes.

For the full list of 2024 CMA awards and nominees, see below:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen WINNER
Lainey Wilson

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey
Producers: Sean Cook, Nevin Sastry
Mix Engineer: Raul Lopez

“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson
Producer: Trent Willmon
Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke

“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone (Feat. Morgan Wallen)
Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins
Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore

“Watermelon Moonshine” – Lainey Wilson
Producer: Jay Joyce
Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce

“White Horse” – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton
Mix Engineer: Vance Powell WINNER

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist, Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)

Deeper Well – Kacey Musgraves
Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Tashian
Mix Engineers: Shawn Everett, Konrad Snyder

Fathers & Sons – Luke Combs
Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
Higher – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton
Mix Engineer: Vance Powell

Leather – Cody Johnson
Producer: Trent Willmon
Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke WINNER

Whitsitt Chapel – Jelly Roll
Producers: Andrew Baylis, Brock Berryhill, Zach Crowell, Jesse Frasure, David Garcia, Kevin “Thrasher” Gruft, Austin Nivarel, David Ray Stevens
Mix Engineers: Jeff Braun, Jim Cooley

SONG OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Songwriter(s)

“Burn It Down”
Songwriters: Hillary Lindsey, Parker McCollum, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose

“Dirt Cheap”
Songwriter: Josh Phillips

“I Had Some Help”
Songwriters: Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith, Morgan Wallen, Chandler Paul Walters

“The Painter”
Songwriters: Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins, Ryan Larkins

“White Horse”
Songwriters: Chris Stapleton, Dan Wilson WINNER

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Kelsea Ballerini
Ashley McBryde
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson WINNER

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton WINNER
Morgan Wallen

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady A
Little Big Town
Old Dominion WINNER
The Red Clay Strays
Zac Brown Band

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn WINNER
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Maddie & Tae
The War And Treaty

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artists and Producer(s)

“Cowboys Cry Too” – Kelsea Ballerini (with Noah Kahan)
Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym

“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone (Feat. Morgan Wallen)
Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins

“I Remember Everything” – Zach Bryan (ft. Kacey Musgraves)
Producer: Zach Bryan

“Man Made A Bar” – Morgan Wallen (feat. Eric Church)
Producer: Joey Moi

“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley (feat. Riley Green)
Producer: Will Bundy – WINNER

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Tom Bukovac – Guitar
Jenee Fleenor – Fiddle
Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar
Rob McNelley – Guitar
Charlie Worsham – Guitar WINNER

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s) and Director(s)

“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson
Director: Dustin Haney

“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone (Feat. Morgan Wallen)
Director: Chris Villa

“I’m Not Pretty” – Megan Moroney
Directors: Jeff Johnson, Megan Moroney

“The Painter” – Cody Johnson
Director: Dustin Haney

“Wildflowers and Wild Horses” – Lainey Wilson
Director: Patrick Tracy

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Megan Moroney WINNER
Shaboozey
Nate Smith
Mitchell Tenpenny
Zach Top
Bailey Zimmerman

"Country Music’s Biggest Night", the 2024 CMA Awards, Airs LIVE Wednesday, Nov. 20 on ABC. Tickets for The 58th Annual CMA Awards go on-sale Friday, Sept. 13 starting at 10:00 AM/CT.

For more on the CMA Awards, see below: