Chris Stapleton dominates the 2024 CMA Awards with 3 wins as Morgan Wallen wins entertainer of the year

On November 21, 2024By Littum

Morgan Wallen was named Entertainer of the Year at the 2024 CMA Awards held on Wednesday (November 20) at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Wallen’s coronation comes less than four years after a career-shattering moment when he was caught on video using a racial slur, and suggests he is now back in Nashville’s good graces. (He fell short in his other six categories this year, so maybe he’s still not quite back.) Wallen was a no-show, perhaps sensing he was still persona non grata.

This means Wallen’s win for entertainer of the year Chris Stapleton have now lost in that category eight times without winning. That’s the most nominations for entertainer of the year without a win. Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood are currently tied for second on the list of artists with the most nominations without a win (six).

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But Stapleton won three awards on the night, more than any other artist. This brings his career total CMA wins to 18. Only two other artists have won 18 or more CMA awards. Brooks & Dunn, which won another award this year, leads with 19 awards. Vince Gill, like Stapleton, has won 18 awards. At this year’s show, Stapleton pulled ahead of George Strait (17 wins) and Alan Jackson (16).

Stapleton won Male Vocalist of the Year for a record-extending eighth time. He is way ahead of the pack in terms of most wins in the category. Closest with five wins each are Gill, Strait and Blake Shelton. (By comparison, the top winner in the Female Vocalist of the Year category, Lambert, has won it seven times.)

Stapleton also won single and song of the year for “White Horse”. It is the third time he has doubled up and won both awards on the same night. He also won both awards for “Broken Halos” in 2018 and “Starting Over” in 2021. Stapleton is the first artist in CMA history to win single of the year three times. Stapleton’s single hit a pair of long-running No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey and “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone featuring Wallen.

This was also Stapleton’s third win for Song of the Year. Only two other songwriters have won three or more times in this category. Gill leads with four songs of the year. Don Schlitz also won it three times.

Lainey Wilson won two awards, second only to Stapleton. She became female vocalist of the year for the third year in a row. She is the sixth woman to win in this category three or more years in a row. Tammy Wynette was the first singer to achieve the feat (1968–70), followed by Reba McEntire (1984–87), Martina McBride (2002–04), Underwood (2006–08) and Lambert (2010–15). Wilson also won Music Video of the Year for “Wildflowers and Wild Horses”. This increases her CMA tally to nine wins, all in just three years.

Old Dominion won vocal group of the year for the seventh consecutive year. They are the first group ever to win in this category seven years in a row, although they still have some way to go to catch The Statler Brothers for most overall wins in the category (nine).

Brooks & Dunn won Vocal Duo of the Year for the 15th time; first time since 2006. Everyone was wondering if Brothers Osborne or Dan + Shay would win this time, or could The War and Treaty possibly win in an upset? Few thought Brooks & Dunn would regain the award they won 14 times between 1992 and 2006. When Brooks & Dunn first won the award, they beat reigning champions The Judds. With this latest victory, they beat the reigning champions Brothers Osborne.

Megan Moroney won New Artist of the Year with his second nomination. She lost to Jelly Roll last year. (Artists are allowed two nominations in this category.)

Cody Johnson‘s ninth studio album, Leatherwon album of the year. Its win was considered a surprise given the strong competition, including Stapleton’s Higher and Jelly Roll’s Whitsitt Chapel.

Guitarist Charlie Worsham won Musician of the Year for the first time, ending Jenee Fleenor’s five-year run on the award. With Worsham’s win, steel guitarist Paul Franklin lost in the category for the 32nd time. That’s not a typo—Franklin has been nominated and lost in the category 32 times.

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