2023 CMA Awards nominees announced: Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll top list

The rise of Lainey Wilson from camper trailer-dwelling, small-town Louisiana native to Nashville-based, nine-time Country Music Association award-nominated artist is complete.

That was one of many takeaways as the nominees for the 57th annual CMA Awards were revealed Thursday morning. The awards ceremony will be hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning and broadcast live from Lower Broadway's Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 8 from 7-10 p.m. central on ABC.

Wilson tops the list with nine nominations, while first-time nominee Jelly Roll has five nominations.

Luke Combs and HARDY each have four nominations, while Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde, producer/mix engineer Joey Moi, songwriter/producer Jordan Schmidt, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and musician/producer Derek Wells have three nominations apiece.

The night's pinnacle prize, Entertainer of the Year, will see Combs, Stapleton, Wallen and Wilson in competition against Carrie Underwood.

Wilson, the CMA's reigning Female Vocalist and New Artist of the Year, has become the only artist to top the nominations list in her first two appearances on the ballot. Those nine nominations tie her with Merle Haggard and Miranda Lambert behind Alan Jackson's 10 nominations in 2002 on the all-time list.

Wilson's nominations showcase the success of her 2022 album "Bell Bottom Country," plus the 31-year-old artist's three top-10-selling singles in the past year. In addition to Entertainer of the Year, she is nominated for Single (for HARDY duet "wait in the truck" and her own "Heart Like a Truck"), Album, Song, Female Vocalist, Musical Event (for "wait in the truck" and Jelly Roll collaboration "Save Me") and Music Video.

Back-to-back reigning Entertainer of the Year Combs is now a four-time Entertainer of the Year nominee in a year when worldwide touring coupled with his unlikely crossover chart-topping success with a cover of Tracy Chapman's 1989 classic "Fast Car." Overall, Combs has received 22 nominations since 2017.

Nashville native Jelly Roll, who merges country, pop, rap and rock, walked the red carpet as a first-time invitee in 2022. Now he's joined the likes of Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Maren Morris, Willie Nelson and Gretchen Wilson as a five-time nominee in his first year of consideration. Jelly Roll is up for Single, Male Vocalist, Musical Event, Music Video and New Artist.

Artists including Zach Bryan, Megan Moroney, The War And Treaty and Hailey Whitters nabbed their first CMA Award nominations.

CMA Awards nominees in all announced categories are as follows:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

• Luke Combs

• Chris Stapleton

• Carrie Underwood

• Morgan Wallen

• Lainey Wilson

SINGLE OF THE YEARAward goes to artist(s), producer(s) and mix engineer(s)

• “Fast Car” – Luke CombsProducers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan SingletonMix Engineer: Chip Matthews

• “Heart Like A Truck” – Lainey WilsonProducer: Jay JoyceMix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce

• “Need A Favor” – Jelly RollProducer: Austin NivarelMix Engineer: Jeff Braun

• “Next Thing You Know” – Jordan DavisProducer: Paul DiGiovanniMix Engineer: Jim Cooley

• “wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson)Producers: HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek WellsMix Engineer: Joey Moi

ALBUM OF THE YEAR  Award goes to artist, producer(s) and mix engineer(s)

• Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville – Ashley McBrydeProducers: John Osborne, John PeetsMix Engineers: Gena Johnson, John Osborne

• Bell Bottom Country – Lainey WilsonProducer: Jay JoyceMix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce

• Gettin' Old – Luke CombsProducers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan SingletonMix Engineers: Michael H. Brauer, Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews

• One Thing At A Time – Morgan WallenProducers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi, Cameron MontgomeryMix Engineers: Josh Ditty, Joey Moi, Eivind Nordland

• Rolling Up the Welcome Mat – Kelsea BalleriniProducers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa VanderheymMix Engineers: Dan Grech-Marguerat, Alysa Vanderheym

SONG OF THE YEAR Award goes to songwriter(s)

• “Fast Car”Songwriter: Tracy Chapman

• “Heart Like A Truck”Songwriters: Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Lainey Wilson

• “Next Thing You Know”Songwriters: Jordan Davis, Greylan James, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne

• “Tennessee Orange”Songwriters: David Fanning, Paul Jenkins, Megan Moroney, Ben Williams

• “wait in the truck”Songwriters: Renee Blair, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

• Kelsea Ballerini

• Miranda Lambert

• Ashley McBryde

• Carly Pearce

• Lainey Wilson

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

• Luke Combs

• Jelly Roll

• Cody Johnson

• Chris Stapleton

• Morgan Wallen

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

• Lady A

• Little Big Town

• Midland

• Old Dominion

• Zac Brown Band

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

• Brooks & Dunn

• Brothers Osborne

• Dan + Shay

• Maddie & Tae

• The War And Treaty

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR  Award goes to artists and producer(s)

• “Save Me” – Jelly Roll (with Lainey Wilson)Producers: Zach Crowell, David Ray Stevens

• “She Had Me At Heads Carolina (Remix)” – Cole Swindell & Jo Dee MessinaProducer: Zach Crowell

• “Thank God” – Kane Brown (with Katelyn Brown)Producer: Dann Huff

• “wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson)Producers: HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells

• “We Don't Fight Anymore” – Carly Pearce (featuring Chris Stapleton)Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

• Jenee Fleenor

• Paul Franklin

• Rob McNelley

• Derek Wells

• Charlie Worsham

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR  Award goes to artist(s) and director(s)

• “Light On In The Kitchen” – Ashley McBrydeDirector: Reid Long

• “Memory Lane” – Old DominionDirectors: Mason Allen, Nicki Fletcher

• “Need A Favor” – Jelly RollDirector: Patrick Tohill

• “Next Thing You Know” – Jordan DavisDirector: Running Bear

• “wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson)Director: Justin Clough

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

• Zach Bryan

• Jelly Roll

• Parker McCollum

• Megan Moroney

• Hailey Whitters

2023 CMA BROADCAST AWARDS – FINALISTS FOR BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR (by market size):  

Weekly National

• “American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Cumulus/Westwood One

• “Country Countdown USA” (Lon Helton) – Compass Media Networks

• “Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence” (Tracy Lawrence and Patrick Thomas) – Silverfish Media

• “On The Horizon with Buzz Brainard” (Buzz Brainard) – SiriusXM

• “Y’all Access with Kelly Sutton” (Kelly Sutton) – Firefly Media/Silverfish Media

Daily National

• “Angie Ward” – iHeartMedia

• “The Big D and Bubba Show” (Derek “Big D” Haskins, Sean “Bubba” Powell, Patrick Thomas, and Carsen Humphreville) – Silverfish Media

• “Katie & Company” (Katie Neal) - Audacy

• “Nights with Elaina” (Elaina Smith) – Westwood One

• “The Sam Alex Show” (Sam Alex) – Sam Alex Productions, LLC

Major Market

• “Chris Carr & Company” (Chris Carr, Kia Becht, and Sam Sansevere) – KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.

• “Frito & Katy” (Tucker “Frito” Young and Katy Dempsey) – KCYY, San Antonio, Texas

• “Hawkeye in the Morning with Hawkeye and Michelle” (“Hawkeye” Mark Louis Rybczyk and Michelle Rodriguez) – KSCS, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

• “Josh, Rachael & Grunwald” (Josh Holleman, Rachael Hunter, and Steve Grunwald) – WYCD, Detroit, Mich.

• “Scotty Kay” (Scotty Kay) – WUSN, Chicago, Ill.

Large Market

• “The Big Dave Show” (“Big Dave” Chandler, Ashley Heiert, and Jason “Stattman” Statt) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio

• “The Morning Drive with Mike Kellar and Jenny Matthews” (Mike Kellar and Jenny Matthews) – KBEQ, Kansas City, Mo.

• “Scott and Shannen” (Scott Dolphin and “Shannen O” Oesterreich) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.

• “Tim & Chelsea In The Morning” (Tim Leary and Chelsea Taylor) – WIRK, West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.

• “The Wayne D Show” (“Wayne D” Danielson and Tay Hamilton) – WSIX, Nashville, Tenn.

Medium Market

• “Cait & Bradley Morning Show” (Cait Fisher and Matt Bradley) – KWEN, Tulsa, Okla.

• “Clay & Company” (Clay Moden, Rob Banks, and Kadie Daye) – WYRK, Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.

• “Ellis and Bradley Show” (Bill Ellis and Beth Bradley) – WSSL, Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.

• “Mo & StyckMan” (Melissa “Mo” Wagner and Greg “StyckMan” Owens) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.

• “Steve & Gina In The Morning” (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa

Small Market

• “The B100 Morning Show with Brittney Baily” (Brittney Baily) – WBYT, South Bend, Ind.

• “The Eddie Foxx Show” (Eddie Foxx and Amanda Foxx) – WKSF, Asheville, N.C.

• “Officer Don & DeAnn” (“Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Ky.

• “Steve & Tiffany in the Morning” (Steve Waters and Tiffany Kay) – WFLS, Fredericksburg, Va.

• “Steve, Ben and Nikki” (Steve Stroud, Ben Walker, and Nikki Thomas) – WXBQ, Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.

2023 CMA BROADCAST AWARDS – FINALISTS FOR RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (by market size):

Major Market

• KCYY – San Antonio, Texas

• KEEY – Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minn.

• KKBQ – Houston, Texas

• KSCS – Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

• WXTU – Philadelphia, Pa.

Large Market

• WIRK – West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.

• WKDF – Nashville, Tenn.

• WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.

• WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio

• WWKA – Orlando, Fla.

Medium Market

• KUZZ – Bakersfield, Calif.

• KXKT – Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa

• WGGY – Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa.

• WPCV – Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.

• WQMX – Akron, Ohio

Small Market

• KCLR – Columbia, Mo.

• WBYT – South Bend, Ind.

• WKML – Fayetteville, N.C.

• WXBQ – Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.

• WYCT – Pensacola, Fla.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 2023 CMA Awards nominees: Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll top list