The CMA Awards are getting even more star power with the announcement that Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Brett Young, Luke Combs and Midland have been added to the list of performers.
The singers join a previously-announced list that already includes some of country music’s biggest acts, including Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, Kelsea Ballerini, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line with Bebe Rexha, Pistol Annies, Thomas Rhett and more.
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Lambert has won a total of 13 CMA Awards, including seven for Female Vocalist of the Year, a category she is nominated in once again, along with Ballerini, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves and Underwood.
Aldean is nominated with Lambert for both Single of the Year and Musical Event of the Year, for their “Drowns the Whiskey” collaboration. The Georgia native is also nominated for Entertainer of the Year for the fourth time, a category he shares this year with Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Chris Stapleton and Urban.
Combs earned his first-ever nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, and is also nominated for New Artist of the Year.
Young is nominated for New Artist of the Year for the second year in a row. With four No. 1 hits to his credit already, including his recent “Mercy” single, Young still wasn’t counting on the nomination.
“First of all, the pool of talent right now with New Male Artist – there are a lot of new male artists right now,” Young told PopCulture.com. “And I think it kind of goes in waves like that. But everybody’s so great. I think where you get nominated by your peers; for the most part, we do this because fans will come to shows. And that’s what we always wanted, to write and perform songs and connect with fans of country music.”
“But there is a whole other level – I don’t want to say icing on the cake, but somewhat like that, feeling when it’s your peers that are recognizing that you’re here,” he continued. “And I just remember my first ever awards show that I attended feeling like, ‘Oh my God, what am I doing here? I haven’t even met any of these artists. What am I doing here?’ And to be able to come back now and actually be on a ballot for something which means, you know, that the country music community, and really family, recognize it is really special.”
Stapleton is nominated a total of five times. In addition to Entertainer of the Year, the singer is also nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, as well as Album of the Year (for From a Room: Volume 2), and both Single of the Year Song of the Year, for “Broken Halos.”
Florida Georgia Line have been nominated 11 times, winning a trophy four times. But the duo, made up of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, insist just being nominated feels like a win for them.
“We’re always honored and humbled to be a part of these awards shows, and to be nominated, especially CMAs,” Hubbard recently told PopCulture.com and other media. “We have so many memories that we’ve made there over the years. We were there before we were FGL, and watching and being a fan, so that just never gets old to be honest.”
The 2018 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Photo Credit: Getty images/Chris Polk/ACMA2017
