Australians Keith Urban (pictured) and Sarah Aarons have been announced as nominees for the upcoming 53rd Annual CMA Awards – Country Music’s Biggest Night!
The event, to be hosted by Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire, will air live in Australia at lunchtime on November 14 on 9GEM, with a repeat on the network’s primary channel the following weekend.
Urban has been nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year plus the night’s biggest award, Entertainer of the Year.
He’s nominated alongside Garth Brooks, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton and Carrie Underwood for the gong he won last year.
While Aarons, a co-writer of the Maren Morris hit single ‘GIRL’ and first time nominee, is nominated for Song of the Year.
Morris topped the final list of finalists with six nominations.
Check out ‘GIRL’ by Maren Morris
Brothers Osborne received four nominations, the second most nominations this year, while 11 other artists scored three nominations each – Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Scott Hendricks, Dann Huff, Greg Kurstin, Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton and Carrie Underwood.
Despite being booted off the US country radio charts earlier this year, Lil Nas X received a nomination in Musical Event of the Year with Billy Ray Cyrus.
The full list of nominees are as follows:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Garth Brooks
Eric Church
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
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
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett
Cry Pretty – Carrie Underwood
Dan + Shay – Dan + Shay
Desperate Man – Eric Church
GIRL – Maren Morris
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
MUSICAL 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 & Blake Shelton
‘Old Town Road (Remix)’ – Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
‘What Happens In A Small Town’ – Brantley Gilbert & Lindsay Ell
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
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Cody Johnson
Ashley McBryde
Midland
Carly Pearce
Morgan Wallen
