Church, Stapleton, Morris lead the field for CMA Awards Cindy Watts The Tennessean
Eric Church, Chris Stapleton and Maren Morris are locked in a three-way tie for top-nominee honors for the 50th annual CMA Awards.
With five nominations apiece, the three artists serve thoughtful lyrics instead of easy listening fare and pride themselves as songwriters able to attract wide audiences as well as appease the genre’s most loyal fans.
The trio of artists and more than a dozen other nominees will find out who will emerge with the most trophies when the 50th annual CMA Awards air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Nov. 2 on ABC.
Church and Stapleton share nominations for male vocalist of the year, single of the year and video of the year. Church is also nominated for song of the year and album of the year for Mr.
Misunderstood, a surprise album he released immediately before last year’s CMA Awards. Stapleton is included in the entertainer of the year category and in musical event of the year with his wife, Morgane Stapleton.
Stapleton has been a beloved singer and award-winning songwriter around Nashville for years, but his breakthrough moment — a duet with Justin Timberlake — came during last year’s CMA Awards when the pair performed Stapleton’s cover of Tennessee
Whiskey and Timberlake’s Drink You Away.
Morris, a first-time nominee, was included in album of the year, female vocalist of the year, and single, song and new artist of the year.
Dierks Bentley, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban each come away with four nominations. Un- derwood and Urban both landed in the entertainer of the year category — a first for Underwood. Urban won the Country Music Association’s top prize in 2005.
Buoyed by the Lori McKennawritten ode to goodness Humble
and Kind, Tim McGraw picked up three nominations.
Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Cam, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne and Thomas Rhett are each included in two categories.
Blake Shelton, reigning ACM entertainer of the year Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney and Sam Hunt are among the superstars without any nominations.
Urban, Cam and Bentley began the announcement live Wednesday from the Grand Ole Opry House on Good Morning America and revealed the rest of the nominations online a few minutes later.
Brad Paisley and Underwood will host the awards.