Miranda Lambert Says This Year’s CMA Entertainer of the Year Lineup Is ‘Deserved’

The 2020 CMA Awards are one week away, and as always, the biggest award of the night is Entertainer of the Year. This year’s nominees include Eric Church, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, and Lambert told New York’s Country 94.7 that she thinks the lineup is solid.

“I voiced my opinion last year, and I still feel that same way but I’m glad to be in company with her and with all the entertainers,” she said. “I think the lineup actually looks really, really good… I think it looks deserved.” Lambert was referencing her 2019 Instagram post expressing her support for Underwood to win the trophy during last year’s show, though she ultimately lost to Garth Brooks, who has since removed himself for future consideration for the honor.

Lambert and Underwood have both been previously nominated for Entertainer of the Year, though never at the same time. Lambert has been nominated in 2010, 2014 and 2015 while Underwood was nominated in 2016 and 2019.

This year marks the first time in 40 years that two solo female artists are nominated for Entertainer of the Year at the CMAs — the last time was in 1979 when Crystal Gayle and Barbara Mandrell were both nominated. In the years since, multiple women have won the honor, including Reba McEntire, Shania Twain and Taylor Swift, and The Chicks became the only all-female group to take the trophy in 2000.

Lambert is nominated for a total of seven awards this year, bringing her total career nomination total to 55 and making her the most-nominated female artist in CMA Awards history. “It’s crazy, I don’t really process it sometimes,” she said. “The moments I do process it, I am just thankful and grateful, but it also makes me want to work harder… want to just stay in the game and want to be a part of this Nashville family. Because it’s important, it’s my life’s work. But music’s also my hobby and my passion. So really it’s kind of what I’ve given my whole life to, so to have it be recognized is nice and it’s validating and it’s also a fire that you need.”

The 2020 CMA Awards air Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the show will not have a live audience.