Who Won Entertainer of the Year at the 2024 CMA Awards?

On November 21, 2024By Littum

Morgan Wallen was named entertainer of the year at the 2024 Country Music Association Awards — he just wasn’t there to receive it.

Wallen, 31, received the top honor at the ceremony Wednesday, Nov. 20, held at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Wallen fought back Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson in the category.

However, Wallen was absent from the event, so the presenter Jeff Bridges accepted the award in his place. “Morgan couldn’t make it tonight, so I will accept this award on his behalf,” Bridges, 74, told the crowd. “Alright, let’s hear it for Morgan!” The co-hosts of the awards ceremony – Wilson, Peyton Manning and Luke Bryan — then joined the actor on stage to congratulate Wallen on the win.

Prior to the broadcast, Wallen, 31, earned seven nominations — the most of any artist. In addition to Entertainer of the Year, he was featured in Single of the Year, Song of the Year, Music Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “I Had Some Help” with Post MaloneMusic Event of the Year for “Man Made a Bar” and Male Vocalist of the Year.

Stapleton, 46, came in a close second with five nods, including single of the year and song of the year for “White Horse,” album of the year for Higher and Male Vocalist of the Year, while Wilson, 32, received four nominations, including Single of the Year for “Watermelon Moonshine,” Female Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.”

Combs, 34, and Jelly Roll, 39, each got three nods in total: Album of the Year for Fathers & Sons and Male Vocalist of the Year for Combs and Album of the Year for Whitsitt Chapel and Male Vocalist of the Year for Jelly Roll, in addition to their Entertainer of the Year nominations.

Of the nominees, Combs and Wilson are the only artists to have previously won Entertainer of the Year, with him securing the award in 2021 and 2022 and her taking home it in 2023.

As for the remaining artists, Stapleton has seven previous nods in the category, while Wallen has two. Jelly Roll, meanwhile, earned its first Entertainer of the Year nomination in 2024.

Last year, Wilson tearfully accepted the award with a heartfelt speech. “This is all I’ve ever wanted to do, it’s the only thing I know how to do,” she said in November 2023. “I’ve been in this town for 12 and a half years and finally it feels like country music is starting to love me back.”

Following his 2023 win, Wilson returned to the awards in a new capacity and co-hosted the 2024 ceremony alongside Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning.

Related: The best red carpet at the CMA Awards 2024

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