2019 CMA Awards Snubs and Surprises

The nominations for the 2019 CMA Awards were announced on Wednesday, Aug. 28, and like any awards show, there were a few snubs and surprises, so let’s get right to them:

SNUB: Luke Bryan

This is the first time in six years that Bryan was not nominated for Entertainer of the Year and this is the first year since 2010 that he has not received a nomination in any category. The Georgia native, who has been crowned EOTY twice, has recently had a series of radio hits, traveled the country on his What Makes You Country Tour and his current Sunset Repeat Tour and is also reprising his role as a judge on American Idol.

SURPRISE: “Old Town Road”

The collaboration between Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus recently broke the record for the longest-running No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, notching a whopping 19 weeks at the top of the chart. While the track achieved massive success, its original version sans Cyrus initially wasn’t played on country radio, so it’s a bit of a surprise to see it recognized by the CMA and earn a nod for Musical Event of the Year.

SNUB: Kacey Musgraves

Though she was nominated for three CMAs this year, with a year like the one Musgraves has had, an additional nomination for Entertainer of the Year should have been a lock. The Texas native swept the Grammys this year, recently opened her own exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and is two months away from completing her Oh, What a World Tour, which has been running since January and consistently sells out shows.

SNUB: Jason Aldean

Like Bryan, Aldean has been a fairly consistent CMA nominee, though he has never taken home the trophy for EOTY. He’s currently on the road on his headlining Ride All Night Tour and just earned his 23rd No. 1 song and fourth in a row with “Rearview Town,” making it a bit of a surprise that one of the biggest names in the genre didn’t score a single nod across the board.

SURPRISE: “Dive Bar”

The collaboration between Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton is undeniably catchy, and is simply a surprise addition to the Musical Event of the Year category due to the recent nature of its release, with the song having come out in late June and was initially available only on country radio.

SNUB: Runaway June

The all-female trio’s career has exploded in the last year, with the group securing an opening spot on Carrie Underwood‘s Cry Pretty Tour 360 and releasing their first album, Blue Roses, in June. Their most recent single, “Buy My Own Drinks,” cracked the Top 15, earning them the first Top 20 hit for a female group since 2005.

SURPRISE: Brooks & Dunn

The iconic duo’s last nomination came in 2010, and while they’ve been steadily performing in Las Vegas since 2015, they re-entered country music’s consciousness this year with their album Reboot, which featured the pair collaborating with younger artists on their classic hits. They also recently opened their own exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

SNUB: Brett Young

Young released his sophomore album, Ticket to L.A., in December, and earned his fourth consecutive No. 1 one song with lead single “Here Tonight,” touring extensively in 2019 to support the project. He’s previously been nominated for New Artist of the Year, but failed to appear on the ballot this time around.

The 2019 CMA Awards air live from Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo Credit: Getty / Jason Kempin