The 2018 CMA Awards nominations were announced on Aug. 28.
Here’s a breakdown of the the artists leading the pack.
Chris Stapleton: 5 Nominations
- Entertainer of the Year
- Single of the Year (“Broken Halos”)
- Album of the Year (From A Room: Volume 2)
- Song of the Year (“Broken Halos”)
- Male Vocalist of the Year
Stapleton leads this year’s CMA Awards nominations with five, adding to his previous 11 nominations and seven wins. He lands his third consecutive nod for Entertainer of the Year in addition to nominations in the Single and Song of the Year categories for “Broken Halos,” produced by Dave Cobb and Stapleton, mixed by Vance Powell, and written by Mike Henderson and Stapleton. Stapleton earns his third nomination for Album of the Year for From A Room: Volume 2, produced by Cobb and Stapleton. He previously won Album for his first two solo albums, Traveller, awarded in 2015, and From A Room: Volume 1, awarded in 2017. Stapleton also receives his fourth consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, a category he remains undefeated in, having won the past three years.
Jason Aldean: 3 Nominations
- Entertainer of the Year
- Single of the Year (“Drowns the Whiskey”)
- Musical Event of the Year (“Drowns the Whiskey”)
Jason Aldean adds three nominations to his 14 career nominations. His Entertainer of the Year nomination is his first since 2015 and his fourth nomination in the category. This year, Aldean lands two nominations alongside Miranda Lambert for Single of the Year, along with producer Michael Knox and mix engineer Jeff Braun, and Musical Event of the Year for their collaboration “Drowns the Whiskey.” Aldean has two previous nominations for Musical Event, having won in 2011 for his song “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson, as well as two nominations for Single.
Dierks Bentley: 3 Nominations
- Album of the Year (The Mountain)
- Male Vocalist of the Year
- Musical Event of the Year (“Burning Man”)
Dierks Bentley earns his sixth career nomination for Album of the Year, alongside producers Ross Copperman, Jon Randall Stewart, and Arturo Buenahora Jr., while also marking his fifth consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year. He also lands a nod alongside Brothers Osborne for Musical Event of the Year for their collaboration “Burning Man,” Bentley’s third nomination in the category. He won Musical Event in 2016 for his song “Different For Girls” (Feat. Elle King). With this year’s nominations, Bentley collects 24 total career nominations.
Dan + Shay: 3 Nominations
- Single of the Year (“Tequila”)
- Vocal Duo of the Year
- Music Video of the Year (“Tequila”)
Adding to their four career nominations, Dan + Shay receive three nominations this year, with two first-time nominations for “Tequila” in the Single of the Year and Music Video of the Year categories. “Tequila” lands the song’s producers, Dan + Shay’s Dan Smyers along with Scott Hendricks, as well as mix engineer Jeff Juliano, nominations for Single, while director Patrick Tracy earns his first nomination for Music Video. Dan + Shay also land a nomination for Vocal Duo of the Year, their fifth consecutive nomination in the category. Smyers earns a second nomination for Song of the Year for co-writing “Tequila” alongside Nicolle Galyon and Jordan Reynolds. A win in any category this year would mark Dan + Shay’s first-ever CMA Award.
Florida Georgia Line: 3 Nominations
- Single of the Year (“Meant to Be”)
- Vocal Duo of the Year
- Musical Event of the Year (“Meant to Be”)
Florida Georgia Line becomes six-time Vocal Duo of the Year nominees this year in addition to landing nominations for Single of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for “Meant to Be,” their collaboration with Bebe Rexha. “Meant to Be” also earns Single nominations for producer Willshire and mix engineer Serban Ghenea. Florida Georgia Line previously won in the Single category in 2013 for their song “Cruise.” This year marks Rexha’s first-ever CMA Awards nominations.
Chris Janson: 3 Nominations
- Song of the Year (“Drunk Girl”)
- Music Video of the Year (“Drunk Girl”)
- New Artist of the Year
With three nominations this year, Chris Janson ties Midland for the top earning first-time nominee. His song “Drunk Girl” lands nods for Song of the Year, alongside co-writers Scooter Carusoe and Tom Douglas, and Music Video of the Year, directed by Jeff Venable. Janson is also up for New Artist of the Year.
Miranda Lambert: 3 Nominations
- Single of the Year (“Drowns the Whiskey”)
- Female Vocalist of the Year
- Musical Event of the Year (“Drowns the Whiskey”)
Not only is Miranda Lambert the most-awarded female in CMA Awards history with 13 total wins, but she’s also the reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, earning her 12th consecutive nomination in the category this year. Lambert collects two nominations with her Jason Aldean collaboration “Drowns the Whiskey” for Single of the Year, along with producer Michael Knox and mix engineer Jeff Braun, as well as for Musical Event of the Year, bringing her total career nominations to 47.
Midland: 3 Nominations
- Single of the Year (“Drinkin’ Problem”)
- Vocal Group of the Year
- New Artist of the Year
Midland ties for the top earning first-time nominees, matching Chris Janson’s three nominations this year. The trio lands a Single of the Year nomination for “Drinkin’ Problem” along with producers Huff, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne, and mix engineer Justin Niebank. Midland also receives nominations for Vocal Group of the Year and New Artist of the Year.
Thomas Rhett: 3 Nominations
- Album of the Year (Life Changes)
- Male Vocalist of the Year
- Music Video of the Year (“Marry Me”)
Thomas Rhett collects his second consecutive nomination in the Male Vocalist of the Year category this year. His album Life Changes earns his first-ever Album of the Year nomination, which he shares with producers Julian Bunetta, Jesse Frasure, Huff, and Joe London. Thomas Rhett also receives a nomination for Music Video of the Year for his song “Marry Me,” directed by TK McKamy.
Keith Urban: 3 Nominations
- Entertainer of the Year
- Album of the Year (Graffiti U)
- Male Vocalist of the Year
This year marks Keith Urban’s 14th nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, 11th nomination in the Entertainer of the Year category, and his sixth nomination in the Album of the Year category for Graffiti U, bringing his career nominations to 45 with 11 total wins. Urban shares the nomination with the album’s producers Dan McCarroll, J.R. Rotem, Josh Kerr, Jason Evigan, Greg Wells, Benny Blanco, Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid, Jesse Shatkin, Jimmy Robbins, Oscar Holter, Matt Rad, Eric Valentine, Ian Kirkpatrick, Mike Elizondo, Captain Cuts, Copperman, Huff, and Peter Karlsson. Urban is the reigning Single of the Year winner for his song “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” which he also produced.
