Even if you’re not a big fan of country music, the Country Music Association Awards (CMAs) was a must-see on Thursday, November 4! Whether you chose not to watch because you don’t like country, you totally forgot when the awards were or you just want a recap, here are some of the most important events from the CMAs.
The night kicked off when Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley were introduced as the hosts. The two country superstars have hosted together for the last eight years. Underwood and Paisley cracked many jokes and covered everything from the new Star Wars movie to Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert’s divorce and of course Donald Trump.
Even some non-country singers made guest appearances at the awards show; Justin Timberlake sang one of his most famous songs, “Drink You Away,” with Chris Stapleton giving the song a bit of a country twist to show off Timberlake’s Memphis roots. This song blew the whole crowd away and even caused country legend Keith Urban to record the performance on his phone. Who knows, maybe Timberlake will revert from pop and become a country singer.
Entertainer of the Year- Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan, by far one of the biggest names in country music, won Entertainer of the Year for the second year in a row. Known for his unbelievable performances, Bryan will truly be the highlight of any show with his hits like “That’s My Kinda Night,” “Kick the Dust” and “Drunk On You.”
Female Vocalist of the Year – Miranda Lambert
From the moment she was nominated for this award, every country music fan knew she was going to win. This will be Miranda Lambert’s sixth time winning Female Vocalist of the Year, the most wins in this category. As most of us know, Lambert recently had a hard year with her divorce, so winning this really made the year better for her. She even thanked her fans by saying, “I needed a bright spot this year.”
Male Vocalist of the Year – Chris Stapleton
Truly a surprise to most viewers and Chris Stapleton himself, Stapleton won Male Vocalist of the Year. Not only was this his first nomination and win at the CMAs, but this wasn’t his only victory of the night. Stapleton also won awards for New Artist and Album of the Year, for his first album ever, Traveller. “About two years ago I lost my dad and I made this record thinking about the music he would have liked,” Stapleton said at the beginning of his emotional acceptance speech. Now, Stapleton has three CMA wins under his belt, but this surely won’t be the last we see of him.
