57th Annual CMA Awards Have Been Announced -Minnesota DJ Shares Snubs

THE FORGOTTEN ONES

The Country Music Awards 2023 nominees have been named and the Awards ceremony has been set. The 57th Annual CMA Awards will be hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning live from Nashville on Wednesday, November 8th at 7 p.m. on ABC.

Final voting for the awards will begin on Monday, October 2nd, and will end on Friday, October 27th, 2023.

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There are always some pretty obvious nominations in many categories, but there are always the surprising 'snubs' that happen every year, which makes you wonder how it happens. To figure out why, let's look at what the CMA's awards are based on.

HOW ARE ARTISTS NOMINATED FOR THE CMA'S?

In order to receive a nomination for a CMA:

• The Eligibility period this year is from July 1st, 2022 through June 30th of 2023.
• Criteria are different for each category but are defined by the CMA Board of Directors.
• Votes are made by over 6,000 individuals in the music industry which include votes from artists, songwriters, musicians, music executives, publicists,  touring personnel, and other industry pros from around the world.

I was a little surprised that some of these names were not mentioned in some of the categories I thought they might be.

LUKE BRYAN

Luke Bryan's had new music; he's a staple on American Idol and does a farm tour every year. With all these things combined, I guess I was a little bit shocked that the industry didn't have him up for any categories this year. However; we all love him as the host along with Peyton Manning. Maybe awards just aren't that important to Luke, who always seems to be happy just enjoying life; through all the trials and tribulations.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD

Carrie Underwood WAS nominated for Entertainer of the Year again this year. However; I was a little surprised that she was not up for Female Vocalist of the Year. Carrie is like the Wonder Woman of vocals and although I'm excited to see other names added to the list this year, including Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce, and Lainey Wilson, I'm a bit shocked that country's powerhouse vocalist was left off the list.

MAREN MORRIS

Maren Morris's album Humble Quest was released in 2022, but I believe it was outside the criteria dates, so this might explain why she's not mentioned in any categories this year.

THOMAS RHETT

Thomas Rhett is another popular artist who seems to get continuous airplay but did not get any nominations for the CMA's.  It could be that his album and releases were just outside the criteria basis for this year's awards. It happens. 'Side B' was supposed to be released in 2022 but never materialized.

BAILEY ZIMMERMAN

Bailey Zimmerman's album 'Religiously' was released on May 12th of 2023, so it's surprising to me that his peers did not nominate him for any awards. Bailey was a TikTok sensation and had 4 songs that people fell in love with through his TikTok. Prior to making music, he worked in the meat packing industry and on a union gas pipeline.

GABBY BARRETT

Gabby's big hit 'Glory Days' was JUST released in June, and it was passed the deadline for nominations for this year's CMA's. She's been pretty busy regardless, as a touring musician and busy mama, and is pregnant with her third bundle of joy.

Other artists that I was surprised weren't mentioned included:

• JASON ALDEAN- Try That In A Small Town was a July release, so too late to make the cut. Maybe next year?

• SHANIA TWAIN - Brooks & Dunn were nominated, but Shania wasn't? She's got great new music and a tour. I think that she should have been up for Entertainer of the Year.
• MIRANDA LAMBERT - With her Las Vegas residency I thought she might be up for Entertainer of the Year, but alas; the Female Vocalist nominee will have to suffice.

• ZACH BRYAN - He's a wonder for sure. He bucks the industry and does things his own way. It's an incredibly hard row to hoe...Zach is paving his own way and probably wouldn't want an award on his shelf anyway.