There's reason to be cheerful about the nominees in multiple categories for the 55th annual CMA Awards. The September announcement proved that the Country Music Association remains behind outside-the-box Nashville stars Chris Stapleton and Brothers Osborne and recognizes the sustained excellence of Gabby Barrett, Carly Pearce, Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton and others beyond the genre's awards show regulars.
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Even a few perennially overlooked talents got their flowers now, with Chris Young picking up his first nominations since 2016 and Kane Brown landing his first nods ever for "Famous Friends," which is up for Single, Musical Event and Music Video of the Year.
Yet as always, there are CMA Awards snubs worth debating among fellow fans. For example, celebrities and ratings draws the caliber of Jason Aldean and Blake Shelton are on the outside looking in this year, while Lee Brice and his multi-week No. 1 "One of Them Girls" also got shut out completely.
Read on for a trio of noteworthy oversights involving pop culture stalwarts.
The Curious Case of Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood backstage during the 53rd Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena on November 13, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Robby Klein/Getty Images for CMA)
For 15 straight years (2006-2020), Carrie Underwood made the final ballot for Female Vocalist of the Year. Five wins in that span spoke volumes about Underwood's creative consistency and commercial appeal over time, especially when you consider that she regularly competed for the award against living legends (Reba McEntire, Martina McBride) and decade-defining creative forces (Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift).
Underwood's run ended when this year's final ballots were announced. Though Underwood spent a chunk of the eligibility period (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021) promoting Christmas and gospel albums instead of anything marketed as country music, it's odd that she'd be an Entertainer of the Year hopeful without being considered one of the top five solo women in the genre.
That said, it's hard to be too frustrated with a stacked Female Vocalist of the Year field that pits established names (seven-time honoree Lambert and reigning winner Maren Morris) against new blood (second-time nominee Ashley McBryde and first-timers Barrett and Pearce). Whoever wins this one deserves it, even without Underwood in the running.
Zero Nominations For Keith Urban
Keith Urban and Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn attend the 53rd annual CMA awards nominees reception on October 28, 2019 in Brentwood, Tennessee. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for CMA)
For the first time since 2003, Keith Urban's name is nowhere to be found on the final CMA ballot. It's not like he had a down year, either. Chart-topping album The Speed of Now Part 1 made an impact during the eligibility period, as did P!nk duet and Musical Event of the Year snub "One Too Many."
Plus, since Entertainer of the Year voters weigh which artist displayed "the greatest competence in all aspects of the entertainment field," you'd think a global celebrity like Urban would deserve a shot at winning the evening's top prize for the third time in his career.
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This Year's Host Almost Got Shut Out
Luke Bryan poses onstage during the 52nd CMA Awards Nominations Announcement at Luke's 32 Bridge Food + Drink on August 28, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Luke Bryan picked up just one nomination (Musical Event of the Year for Jordan Davis duet "Buy Dirt"), leaving him with a similar gripe as Urban. After all, both artists remain fixtures on the charts and airwaves while representing country music well as two of its most visible multimedia stars and likable people.
To be fair, there's no Male Vocalist of the Year nominee that could've easily been swapped out with Urban or Bryan without creating a different snub. Luke Combs is hoping for a three-peat against four-time winner Chris Stapleton, defending Entertainer of the Year Eric Church and worthy contenders Thomas Rhett and Dierks Bentley. With this list, it's hard to sweat mainstream country music's bill of health.
Likewise, Entertainer of the Year isn't exactly a list of head scratchers. For just the third time ever, two women made the final ballot: Lambert and Underwood (joining Dolly Parton and Crystal Gayle from 1978 and Barbara Mandrell and Gayle from 1979). They will vie for the evening's top prize against Combs, Stapleton and Church.
In all likelihood, the CMA expanding the number of nominees, as the Grammys did in 2019 for its Album of the Year award, would've righted these wrongs for Urban and Bryan. Even without a change to the nomination process, you'd think both household names would've made the final cut for solo efforts in some category other than Male Vocalist or Entertainer of the Year.
Editor's note: This story was updated on Nov. 10 to add that Bryan was nominated for Musical Event of the Year for Jordan Davis collaboration "Buy Dirt."
