Country music singer Morgan Wallen was nominated for seven Country Music Association Awards for 2024, and even won the night's biggest prize of "Entertainer of the Year."
But Wallen — the most nominated singer of the night — wasn't in attendance.
“Morgan couldn’t make it tonight, so I’m going to accept this award on his behalf," said Jeff Bridges, who presented the big award at the end of the night, and mispronounced the singer's last name as "Waylon."
But why wasn't Wallen at the event?
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It wasn't immediately clear where Wallen was, and the singer hadn't released a statement. But it's not the first time the singer wasn't at the big ceremony.
In 2021, the singer was banned from attending the CMA Awards after video surfaced of him using a racial slur.
“This is the first time in the history of the CMA, to my knowledge, anyone has ever been disqualified for conduct, Sarah Trahern, CEO of the Country Music Association told the Los Angeles Times in 2021. "Honoring him as an individual this year is not right, and he will not be allowed on the red carpet, on our stage, or be celebrated in any way.”
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Wallen in 2019 won the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year. Since then, the music star, who has skyrocketed in popularity, has been nominated each year but hadn't taken home a prize until Wednesday's ceremony.
It even seemed he'd be shut out until his big win at the end of the evening.
Who else won CMAs?
Chris Stapleton took home four CMA Awards -- one for song of the year and single of the year for “White Horse,” and he took the stage at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, three times to perform during the ABC telecast, including a show-opening duet with Post Malone.
“I’m really honored for this, thank you very much,” the always subdued country traditionalist Stapleton said as he accepted the male vocalist of the year award for a record-extending eighth time.
Four of Wallen’s nominations came for his hit collaboration with Malone, “I Had Some Help,” though the song, and the first-time nominee Malone, went winless.
But the rapper-singer Malone was all smiles all night at the CMAs after releasing his first country album earlier in the year. With Stapleton, he sang his song “California Sober” in full cowboy regalia, including a bolo tie as big as a belt buckle. He later took the stage solo to sing the emotional “Yours,” which he dedicated to his young daughter.
Stapleton later performed his own “What Am I Gonna Do” with his wife Morgane, and performed yet again as part of an all-star tribute to George Strait, who received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
Last year’s entertainer of the year, Lainey Wilson, hosted the show along with Luke Bryan and NFL great Peyton Manning, and won two CMAs — female vocalist of the year, and best music video for “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.”
For a while it seemed Stapleton would get a sweep, but he lost out on album of the year to a surprised Cody Johnson, who took the trophy for “Leather.”
“I thought Chris Stapleton or Jelly Roll was going to win,” Johnson said.
Old Dominion won vocal group of the year for a record seventh straight time, surpassing the six won by Little Big Town.
The Stapleton-Malone opening and much of the night were a celebration of a time of crossover and collaboration in Country.
Megan Moroney, Shaboozey, Lainey Wilson and more
The telecast, available on Hulu for streaming Thursday, featured performances from artist combos including Brooks & Dunn, representing the 1990s and 2000s, with Jelly Roll, representing country’s current moment. They gave an emotional gospel-style performance of Brooks & Dunn’s 2005 song “Believe.”
Brooks & Dunn followed it up by winning vocal duo of the year for the 15th time and the first time since 2006.
Shaboozey brought the crowd to its feet with a solo performance that began with a bit of his more sober single “Highway” before launching into one of the year’s defining hits, “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”
But he lost out on best new artist to Megan Moroney, who won minutes after her own performance.
“Thank you Jesus for putting this dream on my heart,” Moroney, a 27-year-old from Georgia, said with misty eyes as she accepted the award. The up-and-coming country artist is set to perform at the Illinois State Fair in 2025.
Wilson opened the tribute to Strait by singing part of his best remembered hit, “Amarillo by Morning.”
She was followed by Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum, Stapleton and Strait contemporary Clint Black, who performed pieces of Strait hits including “Troubadour” and “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame”
Stapleton handed the 72-year-old Strait the award previously won by Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Charley Pride and Nelson himself, calling Strait “true country music royalty, the king of country.”
A smiling Strait thanked everyone for the strong renditions of his songs.
“I’m glad I got ‘em first,” he said.
The CMA Awards are nominated and voted on by members of the Country Music Association, which includes music executives, artists, publicists, songwriters and other industry professionals.
Full List of 2024 CMA nominees, winners
Entertainer of the Year
- Luke Combs
- Jelly Roll
- Chris Stapleton
- WINNER: Morgan Wallen
- Lainey Wilson
Album of the Year
- Deeper Well - Kacey Mugraves
- Fathers & Sons - Luke Combs
- Higher - Chris Stapleton
- WINNER: Leather - Cody Johnson
- Whitsitt Chapel - Jelly Roll
Female Vocalist of the Year
- Kelsea Ballerini
- Ashley McBryde
- Megan Moroney
- Kacey Musgraves
- WINNER: Lainey Wilson
Male Vocalist of the Year
- Luke Combs
- Jelly Roll
- Cody Johnson
- WINNER: Chris Stapleton
- Morgan Wallen
Vocal Group of the Year
- Lady A
- Little Big Town
- WINNER: Old Dominion
- The Red Clay Strays
- Zac Brown Ban
Vocal Duo of the Year
- WINNER: Brooks & Dunn
- Brothers Osborne
- Dan + Shay
- Maddie & Tae
- The War and Treaty
New Artist of the Year
- WINNER: Megan Moroney
- Shaboozey
- Nate Smith
- Mitchell Tenpenny
- Zach Top
- Bailey Zimmerman
Single of the Year
- "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" - Shaboozey
- "Dirt Cheap" - Cody Johnson
- "I Had Some Help" - Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen
- "Watermelon Moonshine" - Lainey Wilson
- WINNER: "White Horse" - Chis Stapleton
Song of the Year
- "Burn It Down" - Hillary Lindsey, Parker McCollum, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose
- "Dirt Cheap" - Josh Phillips
- "I Had Some Help" -Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith, Morgan Wallen, Chandler Paul Walters
- "The Painter" - Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins, Ryan Larkins
- WINNER: "White Horse" - Chris Stapleton, Dan Wilson
Musical Event of the Year
- "Cowboys Cry Too" - Kelsea Ballerini with Noah Kahan
- "I Had Some Help" - Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen
- "I Remember Everything" - Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves
- "Man Made a Bar" - Morgan Wallen feat. Eric Church
- WINNER: "You Look Like You Love Me" - Ella Langley feat. Riley Green
Music Video of the Year
- "Dirt Cheap" - Cody Johnson
- "I Had Some Help" - Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen
- "I'm Not Pretty" - Megan Moroney
- "The Painter" - Cody Johnson
- WINNER: "Wildflowers and Wild Horses" - Lainey Wilson
Musician of the Year
- Tom Bukovac, guitar
- Jenee Fleenor, fiddle
- Paul Franklin, steel guitar
- Rob McNelley, guitar
- WINNER: Charlie Worsham, guitar
