CMA win for album of the year. After
beating out pop hitmakers including
Drake, Post Malone and Cardi B for the
top prize at the Grammys in Febru-
ary, Musgraves received nominations
for music video and song of the year
for “Rainbow,” which she co-wrote
alongside Shane McAnally and Natalie
Hemby. The singer, who made her
Coachella debut in April, also earned
her sixth female vocalist of the year
nod out of the past seven years.
BLAKE SHELTON
“God’s Country,” “Dive Bar”
Three nominations including single,
musical event of the year
Shelton received three nominations,
including music video and single of
the year (both for “God’s Country”).
He also received a nod for musi-
cal event for “Dive Bar,” a top 20
Country Airplay hit alongside Garth
Brooks, which will compete against
Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old
Town Road (Remix),” among others.
Shelton previously won in that cate-
gory in 2010 for “Hillbilly Bone.”
CHRIS STAPLETON
“Millionaire”
Three nominations including male
vocalist, entertainer of the year
A 10-time CMA winner, Stapleton is
vying for his fifth consecutive male
vocalist of the year trophy. The feat
would make him only the third man,
following Shelton and Vince Gill, to
win the category five years in a row.
Stapleton also secured his fourth
consecutive entertainer of the year
nod as well as his third single of the
year listing with “Millionaire.” He
won in that category last year with
“Broken Halos.”
CARRIE UNDERWOOD
Cry Pretty
Three nominations including
entertainer of the year
Underwood holds the distinction of
being the first female in three years
to receive an entertainer of the year
nomination. The onetime American
Idol winner also will defend her 2018
title as female vocalist, a category she
has won five times — a total surpassed
only by seven-time winner Lambert.
Underwood is also nominated for
album of the year for her sixth studio
title, Cry Pretty, which spent its first
two weeks at No. 1 on Top Country Al-
bums. It’s her fifth consecutive record
to be nominated for album of the year
and her first-ever as a co-producer.
UNDERWOOD, STAPLETON: ERIKA GOLDRING/WIREIMAGE. SHELTON: RICK DIAMOND/SHUTTERSTOCK. BALLERINI: FREDERICK BREEDON/PICTUREGROUP/SHUTTERSTOCK. URBAN:
IMAGESPACE/SHUTTERSTOCK. LITTLE BIG TOWN: MIKE COPPOLA/GETTY IMAGES. MADDIE & TAE: SHUTTERSTOCK. WALLEN: ED RODE/GETTY IMAGES.Clockwise from top: Underwood, Shelton and Stapleton
at the 2018 CMA Awards in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Cody Johnson
Ashley McBryde
Midland
Carly Pearce
Morgan Wallen
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae
FEMALE VOCALIST
OF THE YEAR
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
MALE VOCALIST
OF THE YEAR
Dierks Bentley
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
74 BILLBOARD • SEPTEMBER 28, 2019