Some of the biggest names in country music attended the 53rd Annual Country Music Association Awards (CMA Awards) in Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday night and highlighted the women of country music.
The show kicked off with a performance featuring female country acts across generations, included three female hosts and had Maren Morris as its top nominee.
Carrie Underwood hosted the 2019 CMA Awards alongside Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton.
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Morris, who is pregnant, also marked the big night for female country acts by taking home Album of the Year for GIRL. The award also went to her producer busbee, who died in September at age 43 from brain cancer.
“I would be really remiss if I didn’t mention a huge facet of why this album sounds the way it does, and we miss him so dearly. He texted me the morning that we got the nomination for Album of the Year this year, and we were so excited, and that’s our friend busbee,” a teary-eyed Morris said onstage.
She continued: “His wife Jess is here tonight, and she looks so beautiful. Thank you for sharing your husband with us once a month, and my heart just goes out to you and your beautiful daughters. I hope when they listen to this record or any of the songs that he made that made us all better, they know how amazing their father was.”
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Morris performed her hit song GIRL, touching her belly as she hit a high note at the end of her performance.
Kris Kristofferson was also honoured with a performance featuring Sheryl Crow, Dierks Bentley, John Osborne and Chris Janson. Other performers included Brooks & Dunn, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett and Lady Antebellum with Halsey.
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Kacey Musgraves, who won four Grammys this year, received nods for Female Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the Year for Rainbow.
“The female creative spirit, the female energy is really needed right now, it’s really important, and I feel like it’s something that Earth needs. So whether it’s me that’s up here or any of the other women in this category, I just think that it’s a beautiful thing and I’m very appreciative,” Musgraves said.
But in the final moments, Garth Brooks won Entertainer of the Year over Underwood, who many had hoped would be the first female to win the award since 2011.
During his acceptance speech, Brooks highlighted the female acts in country music.
“If they gave this award for this show tonight, I’d have to give it to Reba McEntire’s performance,” Brooks said, while also praising Kelsea Ballerini and Luke Combs, who won two honours.
The last woman to win Entertainer of the Year was Taylor Swift, and Underwood was this year’s sole female nominee.
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Check out the full list of nominees and winners from the 2019 CMA Awards.
Entertainer of the Year
Garth Brooks
Carrie Underwood
Eric Church
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
Music Event of the Year
All My Favorite People — Maren Morris feat. Brothers Osborne
Brand New Man — Brooks & Dunn (with Luke Combs)
Dive Bar — Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton
Old Town Road (Remix) — Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
What Happens in a Small Town — Brantley Gilbert and Lindsay Ell
New Artist of the Year
Cody Johnson
Ashley McBryde
Midland
Carly Pearce
Morgan Wallen
Album of the Year
Center Point Road — Thomas Rhett
Cry Pretty — Carrie Underwood
Dan + Shay — Dan + Shay
Desperate Man — Eric Church
Girl — Maren Morris
Single of the Year
Burning Man — Dierks Bentley Feat. Brothers Osborne
GIRL — Maren Morris
God’s Country — Blake Shelton
Millionaire — Chris Stapleton
Speechless — Dan + Shay
Song of the Year
Beautiful Crazy — Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Robert Williford
GIRL — Maren Morris, Sarah Aarons, Greg Kurstin
God’s Country — Devin Dawson, Jordan Schmidt, Michael Hardy
Rainbow — Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves
Tequila — Dan Smyers, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds
Female Vocalist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
Male Vocalist of the Year
Dierks Bentley
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
Vocal Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Vocal Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae
Musician of the Year
Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
Paul Franklin, steel guitar
Mac McAnally, guitar
Ilya Toshinsky, banjo/guitar
Derek Wells, guitar
Music Video of the Year
Burning Man — Dierks Bentley Feat. Brothers Osborne
GIRL — Maren Morris
God’s Country — Blake Shelton
Rainbow — Kacey Musgraves
Some of It — Eric Church
— With files from the Associated Press
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