Chris Stapleton wins song, single of the year at CMA Awards

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Chris Stapleton was the large victor with 3 aboriginal trophies and the Brothers Osborne and Jimmie Allen brought large emotion to their victories astatine the 55th yearly Country Music Association Awards connected Wednesday night.

Stapleton won the night's archetypal grant for opus of the twelvemonth past won arsenic some shaper and creator connected azygous of the year, each for “Starting Over.”

That made him dominant, truthful far, implicit chap apical nominee Eric Church, who is up for awards successful the aforesaid 5 categories. Both are nominated for entertainer of the twelvemonth on with Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, who opened the ABC telecast with a medley of her hits, including “Kerosene,” “Mama’s Broken Heart” and “Gunpowder & Lead.”

The Brothers Osborne won vocal duo of the twelvemonth for the 4th time. Lead vocalist T.J. Osborne, who came retired arsenic cheery this year, appeared to beryllium holding backmost tears arsenic helium accepted.

“It’s been a roller coaster of a year, particularly for maine emotionally, and for you each to enactment me, it’s been incredible,” helium said from the stage.

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Allen was openly tearful arsenic helium became the 2nd Black performer to triumph caller creator of the year.

“I privation to convey my begetter who’s nary longer with america for introducing maine to state music,” Allen said.

He recalled spending the past of his wealth to beryllium capable to spot pioneering Black state creator Charley Pride astatine the CMAs successful 2016, past getting to execute with Pride connected past year’s show. Pride died of COVID-19 a period later.

Darius Rucker successful 2009 was the archetypal Black creator to triumph the award.

The ceremonial represents a instrumentality to mean for the show. It's backmost successful beforehand of an assemblage astatine its accustomed location aft past year's ceremonial was held astatine a crowd-free Music City Center due to the fact that of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re pursuing each the wellness protocols to support everyone safe,” Bryan said during his opening. “And we’re each vaccinated,” helium said, “or not,” asking the awkwardly laughing audience, “anyone?”

In awards announced earlier the amusement Wednesday, “half of my hometown” by Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kenny Chesney won philharmonic lawsuit of the twelvemonth and euphony video of the year.

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In a twelvemonth erstwhile the large categories are dominated by antheral nominees, Gabby Barrett was the night's astir nominated pistillate with 4 nods, but the “American Idol” alum had yet to instrumentality a trophy aft 3 of her categories were handed out.

If Underwood oregon Lambert triumph entertainer of the year, they would beryllium the archetypal pistillate creator since Taylor Swift successful 2011 to instrumentality the apical prize.

The CMAs are ever dense connected performances and this twelvemonth was nary exception, with much songs than awards.

Church was surrounded by flames connected the signifier arsenic helium belted retired “Heart connected Fire” aboriginal successful the show. Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde past took the signifier for a duet of “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.”

Underwood and Jason Aldean dueted connected their existent deed “If I Didn't Love You" and real-life friends Kane Brown and Chris Young volition sang their deed duet “Famous Friends," which was nominated successful 3 categories but failed to instrumentality an award.

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Morgan Wallen, who was caught earlier this twelvemonth yelling a radical slur, is disqualified from galore large awards and wasn't successful attendance, but could inactive extremity up with 1 of the night's biggest prizes aft an album-of-the-year information for “Dangerous: The Double Album,” which was among the year's champion selling records.

The CMA Board of Directors said that Wallen, who successful 2020 won caller creator of the year, would not beryllium eligible for awards that grant the individual, lone those that grant the work.

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Dalton reported from Los Angeles.

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