50th CMA Awards - November 2, 2016

[bjer127]

Date: November 2nd, 2016
Hosts: Carrie Underwood & Brad Paisley



NOMINEES

Entertainer of the Year
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban

Male Vocalist
Dierks Bentley
Eric Church
Tim McGraw
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

Female Vocalist
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

Album
Black, Dierks Bentley
Hero, Maren Morris
Mr. Misunderstood, Eric Church
Ripcord, Keith Urban
Storyteller, Carrie Underwood

Single
"Die A Happy Man", Thomas Rhett
"Humble and Kind", Tim McGraw
"My Church", Maren Morris
"Nobody To Blame", Chris Stapleton
"Record Year", Eric Church

Song
"Burning House", Cam
"Die A Happy Man", Thomas Rhett
"Humble and Kind", Tim McGraw
"My Church", Maren Morris
"Record Year", Eric Church

Vocal Group
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Joey + Rory
Maddie & Tae

New Artist
Kelsea Ballerini
Brothers Osborne
Maren Morris
Old Dominion
Cole Swindell

Musical Event
"Different For Girls", Dierks Bentley/Elle King
"Home Alone Tonight", Luke Bryan/Karen Fairchild
"The Fighter", Keith Urban/Carrie Underwood
"Think of You", Chris Young/Cassadee Pope
"You Are My Sunshine", Chris Stapleton/Morgane Stapleton

Music Video
"Burning House", Cam
"Fire Away", Chris Stapleton
"Humble and Kind", Tim McGraw
"Record Year", Eric Church
"Somewhere On A Beach", Dierks Bentley

Musician
Jerry Douglas
Paul Franklin
Dan Huff
Brett Mason
Derek Wells

---

Completely understand if you great folks think this is too early, LOL, but given the eligibility period just passed (June 30), I figure we could give this thread a start. I actually think this year unlike some others in recent memory, has some really clear cut, obvious nominations. Check out my list below, I am going to try to not alter this until the awards. I believe nominations are announced sometime in late-September. I'll put a * next to the one I think WILL win (not necessarily my preference though)

Song of the Year
"Burning House" Cam ( I know these go to songwriters, but I am too lazy to look them up)
"Humble & Kind" Tim McGraw *
"Die A Happy Man" Thomas Rhett
"Record Year" Eric Church
"My Church" Maren Morris

Dark Horse: Maybe in lieu of My Church we get "Parachute", or possibly "Church Bells" sneaks in

Single of the Year
"Die A Happy Man" Thomas Rhett *
"Stay A Little Longer" Brothers Osborne (hometown boys this would be so awesome)
"You Should Be Here" Cole Swindell
"H.O.L.Y." by Florida Georgia Line
"My Church" Maren Morris

Dark Horse: You could swap in any of the other Song candidates, but I was thinking mainly sales and how well some of these songs are doing on recurrent airplay
This might actually go to Maren Morris. Wouldn't be surprised to see Buy Me A Boat nominated either

Album of the Year
Chris Young "I'm Coming Over"
Eric Church "Mr. Misunderstood" *
Carrie Underwood "Storyteller"
Keith Urban "Ripcord"
Luke Bryan "Kill The Lights"

Dark Horse: Kacey Musgraves, Brandy Clark, Thomas Rhett, Brothers Osborne, Tim McGraw could all be considered here. I personally think some of our Pulse favorites (Brandy, Ashley, Bros, Southern Family, Sturgill) will fare very well come Grammy time

Vocal Event of the Year
"Think Of You" Chris Young feat. Cassadee Pope *
"Different For Girls" Dierks Bentley feat. Elle King (maybe too new???)
"Home Alone Tonight" Luke Bryan feat. Karen Fairchild (blah, but it will get nominated)
"Without A Fight" Brad Paisley feat. Demi Lovato
"The Fighter" Keith Urban feat. Carrie Underwood (correct me if I am wrong, can't album tracks get nominated here??)

Kenny/Pink collab is too new, Lee Brice/Jerrod Niemann collab is not connecting very well, if they allow album tracks maybe we get something ridiculous like Thomas Rhett/Jordan Sparks

Male Vocalist of the Year
Chris Stapleton *
Eric Church
Keith Urban
Chris Young
Blake Shelton

Female Vocalist of the Year
Carrie Underwood *
Maren Morris
Miranda Lambert (NO WAY she wins this, she's been hibernating!)
Kelsea Ballerini
Cam

I think this is the easiest category to guess, maybe Kacey or Brandy sneak a nomination.

Group of the Year
Rascal Flatts
Little Big Town (their multi-year reign will end since they have been silent)
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band *
Parmalee

Award goes to ZBB, but wouldn't be shocked if Old Dominion gets some votes

Duo of the Year

The Wreckers
Thompson Square
Montgomery Gentry.....JUST KIDDING


FLorida Georgia Line
Brothers Osborne *
Dan & Shay
Locash
Maddie & Tae

Dark Horse: c'mon Bros, even though I am beginning to NOT hate FGL (what's wrong with me)


Entertainer of the Year
Luke Bryan *
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Blake Shelton
Garth Brooks

This category is always a toss up, who knows who they will nominate. I took a wild guess


New Artist
Maren Morris *
Granger Smith (LOL if he does, his first album came out in 1999!)
Jon Pardi

Dark Horse: Brothers Osborne, Drake White, William Michael Morgan, Old Dominion, or the dreadful Chris Lane

[.indulgecountry]

I hope that this year Carrie Underwood can finally take another Female Vocalist award seeing as Miranda Lambert didn't even have a single released during the eligibility period for this year.

Jul 29, 2016 15:20:44 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

Duo will be Maddie & Tae because they're the only duo that's had a hit in the past two years. The CMAs will be so desperate to fill out the category that they will nominate Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan just because those two still happen to be married.

Except for Florida Georgia Line, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, LoCash, and Big & Rich... There's literally no shortage of duos to nominate who have actually had a hit in the eligibility period.

[Ten Pound Hammer]

Jul 29, 2016 15:35:13 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

I hope that this year Carrie Underwood can finally take another Female Vocalist award seeing as Miranda Lambert didn't even have a single released during the eligibility period for this year.

Jul 29, 2016 15:20:44 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

Duo will be Maddie & Tae because they're the only duo that's had a hit in the past two years. The CMAs will be so desperate to fill out the category that they will nominate Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan just because those two still happen to be married.

Except for Florida Georgia Line, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, LoCash, and Big & Rich... There's literally no shortage of duos to nominate who have actually had a hit in the eligibility period.

Wow, how tired to I have to be to forget freaking FGL?!

[sabre14]

Jul 29, 2016 15:38:50 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

Jul 29, 2016 15:35:13 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

I hope that this year Carrie Underwood can finally take another Female Vocalist award seeing as Miranda Lambert didn't even have a single released during the eligibility period for this year.

Except for Florida Georgia Line, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, LoCash, and Big & Rich... There's literally no shortage of duos to nominate who have actually had a hit in the eligibility period.

Wow, how tired to I have to be to forget freaking FGL?!

Can you tell me how to get that tired?

[CoJoFan]

These are just my early nomination picks for the artist categories. WMy pick for the winner are marked with a *

Entertainer
Luke Bryan
Jason Aldean *
Eric Church
Kenny Chesney
Garth Brooks

Other contenders: Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban

Male Vocalist
Chris Stapleton*
Jason Aldean
Blake Shelton
Eric Church
Luke Bryan

Other contenders: Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Chris Young, Kenny Chesney

Female Vocalist
Carrie Underwood*
Miranda Lambert
Kelsea Ballerini (Can she pull a Gretchen Wilson and win this?)
Maren Morris (The Chris Stapleton of the females.)
Jennifer Nettles

Other contenders: Cam, Reba, Brandy Clark, Martina McBride

Vocal Group
Little Big Town
Zac Brown Band*
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
Eli Young Band

Vocal Duo
Florida Georgia Line*
Dan & Shay
Brothers Osborne
Big & Rich
LoCash

Other contenders: Maddie & Tae

New Artist
Kelsea Ballerini
Old Dominion
Maren Morris
Dan & Shay
Dustin Lynch

Other contenders: Brothers Osborne, Maddie & Tae, Jon Pardi, LoCash

I will update this with my album and song nomination picks in a few days.

[Ten Pound Hammer]

Jul 29, 2016 15:40:21 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Jul 29, 2016 15:38:50 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

Wow, how tired to I have to be to forget freaking FGL?!

Can you tell me how to get that tired?

Work three 10 hour closing shifts at a McDonald's during a weekend in July in a tourist town, then spend most of the following week nauseated, exhausted, and dehydrated. At least that's how I did it.

[sabre14]

Jul 29, 2016 15:45:51 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

Jul 29, 2016 15:40:21 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Can you tell me how to get that tired?

Work three 10 hour closing shifts at a McDonald's during a weekend in July in a tourist town, then spend most of the following week nauseated, exhausted, and dehydrated. At least that's how I did it.

God Bless you. I used to work 2:00 pm to close shifts at Wendy's, which would've been around 12:30-1:00 am...not fun. Friday's in the summer where the absolute worst.

[tim]

Glad this got started up! I had been compiling a list of potential nominees, so here goes...

Entertainer of the Year:
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

(Jason Aldean is always questionable in this category; Dierks Bentley or Kenny Chesney are also in the running)

Male Vocalist of the Year:
Dierks Bentley
Eric Church
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
Chris Young

(Blake Shelton could easily be nominated, although I'm going to say Chris Young sneaks in past him; Thomas Rhett could also get a nomination)

Female Vocalist of the Year:
Kelsea Ballerini
Brandy Clark
Miranda Lambert
Carrie Underwood
Maren Morris

(Cam or Martina McBride are other possible contenders; I think Kacey Musgraves is al long shot nomination this year)

Album of the Year:
I'm Comin' Over - Chris Young
Kill the Lights - Luke Bryan
Mr. Misunderstood - Eric Church
Storyteller - Carrie Underwood

the last spot is up in the air with the following in contention:
A Sailor's Guide To Earth - Sturgill Simpson (on many top of the year lists; recent performance on Jimmy Fallon + discounted price on iTunes might indicate a push behind the scenes to get him nominated?; if not CMA's for sure Grammy's)
Big Day In A Small Town - Brandy Clark
Black - Dierks Bentley
Hero - Maren Morris
Pawn Shop - Brothers Osborne
Ripcord - Keith Urban

and can't leave out other long shot possibilities:
Cold Beer Conversation - George Strait
Damn Country Music - Tim McGraw
Full Circle - Loretta Lynn
Southern Family - Various Artists

Single of the Year:
"Burning House," Cam
"Humble and Kind," Tim McGraw
"Die A Happy Man," Thomas Rhett
"Nobody To Blame," Chris Stapleton
"John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16," Keith Urban (this is last year's "American Kids" nominee and yes it would be eligible)

(other nominees could be "You Should Be Here," "Record Year," "Backroad Song," "My Church," or "I'm Comin' Over")

Song of the Year:
"Burning House" - Cam, Jeff Bhasker, Tyler Johnson
"Humble and Kind" - Lori McKenna
"John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16" - Shane McAnally, Ross Copperman, Josh Osborne
"Nobody to Blame" - Chris Stapleton, Barry Bales, Ronnie Bowman
"Record Year" - Eric Church and Jeff Hyde

Vocal Duo of the Year:
Big & Rich
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae

(can't rule out a Joey + Rory nomination)

Vocal Group of the Year (*yawn*):
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band (I guess it might be their turn this year)

and...I can't really think of a fifth nominee other than say Parmalee.

Haven't really put much thought into Musical Event/Video/New Artist.

[Deleted]

I actually believe vocal group is between Rascal Flatts and Old Dominion. I think the award shows have essentially shunned ZBB as he did kind of call out award shows if I recall. Old Dominion had 2 hits on their hands during the eligibility year and released an album. However they are such a new act that I doubt they'd get Vocal Group just yet. Rascal Flatts is still a decent touring prescence and had a pretty decent sized hit in "I Like The Sound Of That". So I see it as a tossup between them.

As for vocal duo, obviously FGL will win. But I do think the other noms will be LoCash, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, and Maddie & Tae. LoCash and Brothers Osborne had a breakout hit that went Top 5, Dan + Shay have a good amount of buzz and Maddie & Tae have Scott Borchetta backing them, which is why Big & Rich will probably be left out.

Female Vocalist. Carrie, Miranda, Kelesa all for obvious reasons. Carrie and Kelsea both had a strong radio prescence. Miranda is a marketable name. Maren Morris is the 4th as "My Church" was such a breakout hit and sold remarkably well. I also feel like Maren is a darkhorse canidate to win this award as Carrie has been all but shunned, Miranda Lambert had literally nothing to show for and Kelsea Ballerini is one I don't see given "Dibs" total lack of impact (yes it went Gold, but it tested poorly and sold rather poorly as well as evident by its Hot 100 peak) compared to "My Church". As for the 5th nominee, it's so totally going to be Jennifer Nettles or Cam. In Jennifer's case "Unlove You" while not a total hit, still has sold decently through its run, Jennifer released an album that was pretty well received. Cam also released an album and "Burning House" was a huge hit, however "Mayday" flopping as bad as it did, makes me hesitant.

The other categories I'll post thoughts on later.

[someguy]

Entertainer

Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Blake Shelton
Carrie Underwood

Outside picks:

Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Keith Urban

Male Vocalist

Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Blake Shelton
Chris Stapleton

Outside picks:

Dierks Bentley
Sam Hunt
Tim McGraw
Keith Urban

Female Vocalist

Brandy Clark
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
Jennifer Nettles
Carrie Underwood

Outside picks:

Kelsea Ballerini
Cam

Vocal Group

Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band

Outside picks:

The Band Perry
Eli Young Band

Vocal Duo

Big & Rich
Brothers Osborne
Florida Georgia Line
Joey & Rory
Maddie & Tae

Outside picks:

Love & Theft
Thompson Square

[Deleted]

My predictions, with winners in bold:

Entertainer

• Jason Aldean
• Luke Bryan
• Kenny Chesney
• Blake Shelton

I think the last spot will be a toss-up between Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Eric Church. Garth no longer has the support of a major label (which will no doubt hurt him), BUT he did recently sign with WME, so that's a huge plus. Carrie can't ever seem to get nominated here but she's certainly deserving after the huge year she's had. Keith and Eric have had great years as well. 

Male Vocalist

• Dierks Bentley
• Luke Bryan
• Eric Church
• Blake Shelton
• Chris Stapleton

I'm pretty set on those 5. I've got Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Chris Young, Brett Eldredge, Thomas Rhett, and Sam Hunt in the "just missing out" group.

Female Vocalist

• Kelsea Ballerini
• Miranda Lambert
• Maren Morris
• Kacey Musgraves
• Carrie Underwood

Finally, we have more than 4-5 names that could potentially fill these spots! Kacey's had a pretty quiet year so I'm not totally convinced she'll be there, but I'm pretty confident on the other 4. Just missing out: Cam and Brandy Clark, with Jana Kramer, Jennifer Nettles, and Martina McBride as "dark horse" candidates.

Duo

• Brothers Osborne
• Dan + Shay
• Florida Georgia Line
• Maddie & Tae

And I think the last spot will be a toss-up between Joey + Rory, Big & Rich, and Thompson Square, with LoCash as a "dark horse" candidate. It will really depend on if the voters want to recognize Joey + Rory. I think my 4 predictions above are pretty much locks as all 4 of them had at least one huge hit in the last calendar year. Thompson Square had a very quiet year but they were nominated in each of the last 3 years so we can't completely rule them out.

Group

• Lady Antebellum
• Little Big Town
• Old Dominion
• Rascal Flatts
• Zac Brown Band

Wow, talk about a soft year for groups. I'm not even sure if Lady A will get nominated, but if they aren't one of the 5, who would possibly replace them? Parmalee is about the only one that I think even has a chance. This is probably ZBB's best chance to win, but I still don't know if I see it happening, mainly because their management and the talent agencies representing them don't really play the "politics" game that these award shows are known for. They've got strong label support but I just don't think they have the voter connections within the CMA (and ACM as well, for that matter). I give Rascal Flatts only a slight chance to win here, so I think it'll be between Little Big Town and Old Dominion. Little Big Town had a quiet year but they've been a favorite in this category, and "Girl Crush" was still #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart on the August 1, 2015 chart. Old Dominion has the momentum though and might be the trendy pick, especially since, again, this was a very soft year for groups. But maybe it will be ZBB..?

New Artist

• Kelsea Ballerini
• Brandy Clark
• Sam Hunt
• Maren Morris
• Old Dominion

Just missing out, in no particular order: Cole Swindell, Brothers Osborne, Cam, Maddie & Tae, Dan + Shay, and Jon Pardi

Album

• Big Day In A Small Town - Brandy Clark
• Black - Dierks Bentley
• Kill The Lights - Luke Bryan
• Mr. Misunderstood - Eric Church
• Storyteller - Carrie Underwood

Just missing out, in no particular order: Chris Young's I'm Comin' Over, Maren Morris' Hero, Keith Urban's Ripcord, Thomas Rhett's Tangled Up, Brett Eldredge's Illinois, Brothers Osborne's Pawn Shop, Cam's Untamed, and Maddie & Tae's Start Here. I don't think Sturgill Simpson has the Nashville connections to get nominated here, but I definitely expect him to get nominated at the Grammys. Brandy is the one I'm least sure about; if it's not her, I could see Chris Young, Maren Morris, or Keith Urban getting that spot.

Single

• "Burning House" - Cam
• "Die A Happy Man" - Thomas Rhett
• "H.O.L.Y." - Florida Georgia Line
• "Humble and Kind" - Tim McGraw
• "Nobody To Blame" - Chris Stapleton

Just Missing Out: Maren Morris' "My Church", Dierks Bentley's "Somewhere On A Beach", Eric Church's "Record Year", and Cole Swindell's "You Should Be Here"
"Dark Horse" Candidates: Brothers Osborne's "Stay A Little Longer" and Jon Pardi's "Head Over Boots"

Song

• "Burning House" - Cam
• "Humble and Kind" - Tim McGraw
• "My Church" - Maren Morris
• "Nobody To Blame" - Chris Stapleton
• "Record Year" - Eric Church

Just Missing Out: Thomas Rhett's "Die A Happy Man", Dierks Bentley's "Riser", Cole Swindell's "You Should Be Here", Florida Georgia Line's "H.O.L.Y.", and Dan + Shay's "From The Ground Up"

Vocal Event

• "A Little More Love" - Jerrod Niemann and Lee Brice
• "Different For Girls" - Dierks Bentley featuring Elle King
• "Home Alone Tonight" - Luke Bryan featuring Karen Fairchild
• "Think Of You" - Chris Young featuring Cassadee Pope
• "Without A Fight" - Brad Paisley featuring Demi Lovato

I think they'll save "The Fighter", "Sober Saturday Night", and some potential album tracks for next year. "Southern Boy", "Wasn't That Drunk", and "Lovin' Lately" could be possibilities as well but I don't see any of them getting nominated. "A Little More Love" doesn't look like much of a hit but Curb and WME always seem to get Lee Brice at least one big nomination per year...this year was a quieter year for Lee as he was near the end of his album cycle, and this wouldn't be a big nomination, but it's probably Lee's only shot at a nomination this year and so I can definitely see them picking up a nomination in this category. They'll probably push pretty hard since Jerrod is also with Curb and WME now as well.

[carrieidol1]

Entertainer of the Year:
Jason Aldean
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan*
Kenny Chesney
Carrie Underwood*

... I realize Carrie has never been nominated *scratches head*, but I think if there's ever a year in her career she finally gets a nomination, it's 2016. Behind Garth, she has the biggest country tour of the year. Her stats are as good as ever in terms of sales and chart success, relatively. She absolutely deserves a nomination here. She deserves the win, too, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up. I'll be happy with a nomination, and devastated if she's snubbed. I know I shouldn't be upset over it, and I should be used to it - but this year has been huge for her AND Miranda can't possibly be considered a threat for the token female slot. Honestly, I think the rightful winner this year would be either Carrie or Luke, but Jason won the at the ACMs so lord only know how it'll go. All I really care about is seeing Carrie get a nomination here, and I pray she does. If she doesn't, I apologize for my rants in advance.

Male Vocalist of the Year:
Jason Aldean
Dierks Bentley
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Chris Stapleton*

There are literally dozens of men who could contend for a spot. I wouldn't be shocked to see Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Garth Brooks, Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, Eric Church, Tim McGraw, etc... The list goes on, but it doesn't matter, Chris Stapleton is taking it.

Female Vocalist of the Year:
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Marren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood*

Carrie should have this one in the bag. I cannot fathom Miranda winning - but she cannot be counted out. I'm fairly confident in predicting Carrie wins this one. After the year she's had, she deserves to walk away with at least one trophy in her hands after NINE YEARS going home empty-handed. Please, CMA voters, give this to CARRIE UNDERWOOD!

I'll post the rest of my predictions later on...

[Kanenrá:ke]

Just a heads up on the Carrie vs. Miranda thing, I regularly talk with someone who is a voting member of the CMA and he's voting Miranda, he recently told me who he voted for in the categories.

With another round of votes coming up soon I've been working on him to change his vote to either Carrie or Kelsea as they are the two who I feel deserve the win this year but he's been stubborn on Miranda getting the win again.

[sabre14]

Aug 2, 2016 20:13:17 GMT -5 Kanenrá:ke said:

Just a heads up on the Carrie vs. Miranda thing, I regularly talk with someone who is a voting member of the CMA and he's voting Miranda, he recently told me who he voted for in the categories.

With another round of votes coming up soon I've been working on him to change his vote to either Carrie or Kelsea as they are the two who I feel deserve the win this year but he's been stubborn on Miranda getting the win again.

Did he give a reason?

[carrieidol1]

How anyone could possibly vote for Miranda this year is mind boggling, but I definitely won't be shocked if her name's called.

[slowmo]

I am far from a fan of Carrie's, but you have to be kidding me that people would be voting for Miranda over her based on this last year. I know, I know, there are lots that don't vote based on merit for the given time period like they should and some have their own reasons… just UGH. What a joke.

[Kanenrá:ke]

He didn't look at the time period basically, when I told him that in the eligible time Miranda hasn't done well anything he tried to mention "Little Red Wagon" and "Somethin' Bad" as being recent. He did seem open to changing his vote in the final ballot though but if he does he said it'll be for Kelsea.

[sabre14]

Aug 2, 2016 23:05:26 GMT -5 Kanenrá:ke said:

He didn't look at the time period basically, when I told him that in the eligible time Miranda hasn't done well anything he tried to mention "Little Red Wagon" and "Somethin' Bad" as being recent. He did seem open to changing his vote in the final ballot though but if he does he said it'll be for Kelsea.

He sounds on top of things.

[someguy]

For the most part, the CMA seems to have a "move on when your time is done" mentality for major awards, especially Female Vocalist. I know Martina won in 1999, and then again 2002-2004, but she's the only example of this in modern history.

Not saying it's right at all, but I wonder if some people keep voting for Miranda because they don't think anyone else is 'ready' yet, and Carrie's already had her time. Not that I agree with that at all, but it could to some extent explain what's been happening the last couple of years.

[carrieidol1]

Aug 3, 2016 22:19:40 GMT -5 someguy said:

For the most part, the CMA seems to have a "move on when your time is done" mentality for major awards, especially Female Vocalist. I know Martina won in 1999, and then again 2002-2004, but she's the only example of this in modern history.

Not saying it's right at all, but I wonder if some people keep voting for Miranda because they don't think anyone else is 'ready' yet, and Carrie's already had her time. Not that I agree with that at all, but it could to some extent explain what's been happening the last couple of years.

I think it's purely political. I don't think anyone goes through that kind of thought process while voting. I think it all has to do with whomever has the most connections and/or can profit and benefit the most people. In other words, Miranda is associated with the most powerful talent agency there is right now. So many CMA members are associated with/employees of/members of WME, so they'd likely vote for Miranda over anyone because of that affiliation. Miranda obviously still has that advantage, but having had no music out during the eligibility period, it's hard to fathom enough people will vote her in to win AGAIN. I think that thought process may have been a thing in the past, and in certain categories that may be the case. However, when it comes to Female Vocalist, it has clearly been political for a few years now. This became clear when Carrie lost Female Vocalist in 2013 after the Blown Away era.

[.indulgecountry]

Someone voting for Miranda because of a couple singles (one of which was a Carrie Underwood duet, lmao) that were over and done with long before the eligibility period started puts it into focus why she keeps winning those awards. Obviously a good chunk of the people voting for the awards probably shouldn't be. There's a lot of uneducated voters out there... I mean, just look at who is representing the Republican party for President this year, lol.

There's just no logical reason why Miranda should win. Carrie and Kelsea have had great years and either of them deserve the award way more. Hell, Miranda's literally done so little in the eligibility period that someone like Cam or Jana Kramer would probably be even a more believable choice, lol.

It's frustrating to see other ladies get snubbed (well, Carrie mainly) some of these years (this would be the worst example yet if Miranda takes FVOTY again this fall), especially since I feel like it creates animosity between the two artists and some people take it out on Miranda like it's her doing, which I hate to see. A lot of her acceptance speeches have even stopped just short of "Really guys you can give this to someone else for a change but hey, thanks I guess xoxo," lol.

It'd be pretty awesome to see Kelsea win the award, but I definitely think it's still a little soon for her and I think Carrie is indisputably still the logical choice for this year.

[Markus Meyer]

I'll be livid if Miranda wins this year... Undoubtedly she's about the 5th or 6th most deserving candidate, and it's ridiculous that we're discussing her as a possibility, let alone as the favorite. I'm not even a big of either Kelsea and Carrie, but they deserve FVOTY about 100000x more than Miranda does.

[justme60]

Puts me in mind of Kenny Chesney winning Entertainer so many more times than he should have, IMO! Don't they have the same record label?

[M&TSwiftie]

Nomination Predictions
Part 1
Male Vocalist
Jason Aldean
Dierks Bentley
Eric Church
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Chris Young
Why? Yes I know it's a long shot but with Chris young and Thomas Rhett's both having huge songs this year, I think they moved up and it's time to nominate them.
Female Vocalist
Kelsea Ballerini
Cam- even though mayday sunk like a ship, damn it :(
Jana Kramer(idc if she's struggling at radio)
Maren Morris
Miranda Lambert
Carrie Underwood
I say Carrie and Kelsea are the front runners with maren and Jana as the dark horses.
Vocal Group
Eli Young Band
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Paramalee
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band
Will Zac brown band ever win?
Vocal Duo
Big & Rich
Brothers Osbourne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Locash Cowboys
Maddie & Tae
This one's again between FGL & M&T
New Artist
Cam
Maren Morris
Old Dominion
Brothers Osbourne
Kelsea Ballerini
Yea I'm lost on this category

[avalyn]

Entertainer:
Dierks Bentley
Keith Urban
Luke Bryan
Carrie Underwood
Eric Church

* Other options: Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert



Female:
Carrie Underwood
Maren Morris
Jennifer Nettles
Miranda Lambert
Kelsea Ballerini

* Other options: Cam, Brandy Clark, Reba and Jana Kramer

Male:
Dierks Bentley
Keith Urban
Chris Stapleton
Luke Bryan
Tim McGraw

* Other options: Blake Shelton, Garth Brooks, Sam Hunt and Jason Aldean

Group:
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Rascal Flatts
Eli Young Band

Other Options: Parmalee

Duo:
Maddie & Tae
Dan + Shay
Brothers Osborne
Florida Georgia Line
Joey & Rory

Other Options: LoCash and Big & Rich


New Artist:
Maren Morris
Kelsea Ballerini
Brothers Osborne
Maddie & Tae
Cam

* Other options: Old Dominion, Sam Hunt, Jon Pardi, Chris Lane and William Michael Morgan

Album:
Misunderstood - Eric Church
Ripcord - Keith Urban
Black - Dierks Bentley
Big Day in a Small Town - Brandy Clark
Storyteller - Carrie Underwood

Other options: (I'm simply naming artists) Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Jennifer Nettles and Maren Morris


Video:

** I'll come back to this one.


Collaboration:
Home Alone Tonight - Luke Bryan / Karen Fairchild
Thinking of You - Chris Young / Cassadee Pope
Different for Girls - Dierks Bentley / Elle King
Without a Fight - Brad Paisley / Demi Lovato
** I'll come back for #5

Single:
Humble & Kind
Record Year
Die a Happy Man
My Church
Nobody to Blame


Song:
Humble & Kind
Die a Happy Man
My Church
Nobody to Blame
Buy Me A Boat

[zaclord 🌈]

Lol at anyone thinking Carrie has a chance to be nominated for Entertainer or win Female. I'd bet my life that Miranda wins despite doing literally nothing in the past year. If for some crazy reason Miranda doesn't win, it'll be Kelsea to win it, but there's no way in hell that the same voters that have shunned Carrie for almost a decade are going to change their minds and vote for her now.

[Deleted]

Aug 13, 2016 18:56:54 GMT -5 zaclord 🌈 said:

Lol at anyone thinking Carrie has a chance to be nominated for Entertainer or win Female. I'd bet my life that Miranda wins despite doing literally nothing in the past year. If for some crazy reason Miranda doesn't win, it'll be Kelsea to win it, but there's no way in hell that the same voters that have shunned Carrie for almost a decade are going to change their minds and vote for her now.

Sad, but oh so true.

[carrieidol1]

My only issue with that is that Carrie wasn't necessarily shunned, she was just overshadowed politically. She just didn't/doesn't have the political clout. So I don't think many (if any) were/are voting against Carrie, per say, they've just been voting for Miranda. I don't know if that makes sense, but my point is that I don't think Carrie has ever been purposefully left out. Rather, she has just been on the shit-end of the CMA/ACM political spectrum. Therefore, I don't think it's necessarily a long shot for Carrie to be nominated for Entertainer or win Female - based only on Miranda's inactivity.

[Deleted]

Just my predictions for the nominees, since I don't believe I posted them yet.

MusicVOTY
-Crash and Burn (Thomas Rhett)
-H.O.L.Y (FGL)
-Humble and Kind (Tim McGraw)
-Burning House (Cam)
-Fire Away (Chris Stapleton)

VocalCollabOTY
-Home Alone Tonight (Luke Bryan and Karen Fairchild)
-Think of You (Chris Young and Cassaddee Pope)
-Different for Girls (Dierks Bentley and Elle King)
-Without A Fight (Brad Paisley and Demi Lovato)
-I have no idea what else.

SingleOTY
-Die a Happy Man (Thomas Rhett)
-I'm Comin' Over (Chris Young)
-Humble and Kind (Tim McGraw)
-Burning House (Cam)
-H.O.L.Y. (FGL)

SongOTY
-Humble and Kind (Tim McGraw)
-Die a Happy Man (Thomas Rhett)
-Burning House (Cam)
-My Church (Maren Morris)
-Record Year (Eric Church)

AOTY
-If I'm Honest (Blake Shelton)
-Storyteller (Carrie Underwood)
-Damn Country Music (Tim McGraw)
-Kill the Lights (Luke Bryan)
-Mr. Misunderstood (Eric Church)

VocalDuoOTY
-FGL
-Maddie and Tae
-Joey and Rory
-Brothers Osborne
-Dan and Shay

VocalGroupOTY
-Old Dominion
-Little Big Town
-Rascal Flatts
-ZBB
-I don't know.

FVOTY
-Carrie Underwood
-Miranda Lambert
-Cam
-Kelsea Ballerini
-Maren Morris

MVOTY
-Luke Bryan
-Blake Shelton
-Dierks Bentley
-Thomas Rhett
-Eric Church

EOTY
-Luke Bryan
-Keith Urban
-Jason Aldean
-FGL
-Eric Church

And yes of course Carrie is not only a clear nominee for EOTY this year, but in my opinion the clear winner, but...

[Deleted]

Carrie and Miranda are the only reason I still follow Country music, so it pains me every year to see Carrie shunned while Miranda takes the fall from Country music fans or Carrie's fans.

That said, if Miranda wins over ANYONE in the female vocalist category this year, they might as well just rename it "The Miranda Lambert Award." It's absolutely absurd Miranda has won so many times, especially considering her vocal chops aren't her main strength.

Furthermore, the backlash against Miranda winning so many times seems to have caught the attention of media outlets in the last few years, so it's even more incredible to me that even when the media calls out the CMA's it's STILL not enough to swing the voter's opinions.

Really incredible how the backlash has gotten so huge, yet it appears to fall on deaf ears every year. I love Miranda, but there's not a single thing that could convince me that voters are still choosing Miranda because she's the most deserving every year.

It's just laughable at this point, and it HAS to be bad when Miranda herself has basically admitted that for several years now.