Sophia Michaels
“Things a Man Oughta Know” singer Lainey Wilson, who scored her first Number One hit in 2021, is the leading nominee at the 2022 CMA Awards. The full list of nominees for the Country Music Association’s centerpiece show, set to take place Nov. 9 in Nashville, was announced Wednesday morning.
Wilson’s strong debut effort, Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’, and her hit collaborations earned her first-time nods in six categories, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Musical Event of the Year (for Cole Swindell’s “Never Say Never”). Wilson also scored a nomination for Female Vocalist of the Year, where she’ll compete against Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, and Miranda Lambert.
Pearce and McBryde each earned five nominations, all in the same categories, including Single of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for their collab “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.” Shane McAnally also picked up five nominations, for production work and songwriting including “Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” Midland’s “Longneck Way to Go,” and Old Dominion’s Time, Tequila & Therapy. Chris Stapleton also got five nominations, including one for Entertainer of the Year.
Taylor Swift, a two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year, picked up her first CMA nomination since 2017 with a Music Video of the Year nod for “I Bet You Think About Me.” The “From the Vault” song appears on Red (Taylor’s Version) and features vocals from Chris Stapleton. Actress Blake Lively, who directed the clip, scored her first CMA nomination.
Other multiple nominees include Cody Johnson, Josh Osborne, Luke Combs, Hardy, Lambert, and Underwood.
Along with Stapleton, the Entertainer of the Year field include Combs, who took home the night’s top prize in 2021 after Stapleton cleaned up in several other categories, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, and Morgan Wallen — whose controversies from early 2021 appear to be all but forgotten.
The 56th CMA Awards will air live Wednesday, Nov. 9, on ABC.
Entertainer of the Year
Luke Combs
Miranda Lambert
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Morgan Wallen
Single of the Year
“Buy Dirt,” Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan
“Half of My Hometown,” Kelsea Ballerini
“Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
“’Til You Can’t,” Cody Johnson
“You Should Probably Leave,” Chris Stapleton
Album of the Year
Growin’ Up, Luke Combs
Humble Quest, Maren Morris
Palomino, Miranda Lambert
Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’, Lainey Wilson
Time, Tequila & Therapy, Old Dominion
Song of the Year
“Buy Dirt,” recorded by Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan
“Never Wanted to Be that Girl,” recorded by Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
“Sand in My Boots,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
“Things a Man Oughta Know,” recorded by Lainey Wilson
“You Should Probably Leave,” recorded by Chris Stapleton
Female Vocalist of the Year
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Carly Pearce
Carrie Underwood
Lainey Wilson
Male Vocalist of the Year
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Vocal Group of the Year
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Vocal Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
LoCash
Maddie & Tae
Musical Event of the Year
“Beers on Me,” Dierks Bentley with Breland and Hardy
“If I Didn’t Love You,” Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood
“Longneck Way to Go,” Midland featuring Jon Pardi
“Never Say Never,” Cole Swindell with Lainey Wilson
“Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Musician of the Year
Jenee Fleenor, fiddle
Paul Franklin, steel guitar
Brent Mason, guitar
Ilya Toshinsky, banjo
Derek Wells, guitar
Music Video of the Year
“I Bet You Think About Me” (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault), Taylor Swift featuring Chris Stapleton
“Longneck Way to Go,” Midland featuring Jon Pardi
“Never Say Never,” Cole Swindell with Lainey Wilson
“Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
“’Til You Can’t,” Cody Johnson
New Artist of the Year
Hardy
Walker Hayes
Cody Johnson
Parker McCollum
Lainey Wilson
