CMA Awards 2024 WINNERS: Chris Stapleton leads way with THREE and Lainey Wilson wins big

• e-mail

Chris Stapleton was the big winner the 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday in Nashville, capturing three awards.

The Lexington, Kentucky-born artist, 46, won Single of the Year for White Horse, marking the vocalist's third win in the category. (He did not win Entertainer of the Year, which was won by Morgan Wallen, 31.)

'Well, amazing - so many great and very, very popular songs in this category - I'm very humbled to win this award,' said Stapleton, whose track was subsequently honored with Song of the Year, his collaboration with Dan Wilson, 63.

Stapleton thanked his wife Morgane Stapleton, 41, as he collected his second trophy on the evening.

'I owe my wife an apology - that last award belonged to her, too, and she didn't come up here,' Stapleton said. 'It all happened so quick. I love you, honey, backstage, wherever you are, getting ready right now. All of my music, I owe a lot to her, so, I want to say thank you to her for always supporting me.'

Lainey Wilson, 32, also was a big winner on the night, as she co-hosted with Peyton Manning and Luke Combs, and was named Female Vocalist of the Year. 

Chris Stapleton, 46, was the big winner the 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday in Nashville, capturing three awards 

Lainey Wilson, 32, also was a big winner on the night, as she co-hosted with Peyton Manning and Luke Combs, and was named Female Vocalist of the Year 

For his third win, Stapleton was crowned Male Vocalist of the Year, for the eighth time.

'I'm out of things to say - I love all y'all so much,' said Stapleton, who prevailed over Wallen, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson and Jelly Roll with the win. 'Thank you, CMAs, for giving me this award. I'm honored to be in the category with all the other guys in the category.'

Read More

Best dressed celebrities at CMA Awards 2024 unveiled as stars hit the red carpet

Stapleton again paid tribute to his spouse, who he shares five children with.

'I love my wife - thank you, baby, for everything,' Stapleton said. 'I can't do this without you and I probably wouldn't even be here without you.

'All my kids at home, thank you - I love you guys, if you're watching - you can go to bed now. I'm really honored for this. Thank you very much.'

Wilson was named Female Vocalist of the Year, besting fellow nominees Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBryde, Megan Moroney and Kacey Musgraves.

The Baskin, Louisiana native said in accepting the honors, 'This community has wrapped its arms around me and lifted me up from the get-go. I've always been told that - if you feel like you got a gift, you're supposed to share it.

'And I think that means whether you drive a tractor or pour coffee, make people smile or laugh, whatever that is, I think you're supposed to share that gift, and I just want to say thank y'all so much for letting me share mine.'

CMA AWARDS 2024 WINNERS: AT A GLANCE

Entertainer Of The Year: Morgan Wallen

Female Vocalist Of The Year: Lainey Wilson

Male Vocalist Of The Year: Chris Stapleton

Lainey Wilson took home the coveted Female Vocalist Of The Year

 

Album Of The Year: Cody Johnson - Leather

Vocal Group Of The Year: Old Dominion

Vocal Duo Of The Year: Brooks & Dunn

New Artist Of The Year: Megan Moroney

Single Of The Year: Chris Stapleton - White Horse

Song Of The Year: Chris Stapleton - White Horse

 

Advertisement

Stapleton, 46, said while accepting, 'Well, amazing - so many great and very, very popular songs in this category - I'm very humbled to win this award.'

The Lexington, Kentucky-born artist followed his first win with a second for Song of the Year for White Horse, his collaboration with Dan Wilson, 63; Stapleton thanked his wife Morgane Stapleton, 41, as he collected his second trophy on the evening.

Stapleton prevailed over Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll with the win for Male Vocalist of the Year

The couple was pictured on the red carpet during entrances at the show 

Megan Moroney, 27, was emotional in accepting the honors for New Artist of the Year.

'I'm going to try to get through this without crying: Thank you, Jesus, for putting this dream on my heart, and thank you for the gift of songwriting,' she said.

The Savannah, Georgia-born musical artist continued, This is for my fans - I would say they're a large reason of why I'm up here right now, the way they show up for me, the way they care about my songs and make signs and t-shirts and wait outside the venue starting at 3:00 a.m. - it's really insane to me.'

Old Dominion won Vocal Group of the Year for the seventh time, with vocalist Matthew Ramsey, 47, declaring that 'very nature of being in a band is working together.'

He added, 'We've collaborated with each other, and with songwriters and our management and our label, and our fans and our families and our friends, and anyone that we've ever said I love you to has brought us here to this moment. 

'And it's a really beautiful moment for us.'

Ramsey said that 'it's a really beautiful thing to be in a band' and called upon artists to continue to ply their craft amid the changing times.

'If you are an artist of any type, or a creator, a musician, this is when the world needs you the most - when it's weird like it is right now - so get out there and get together and create,' Ramsey said.

Lainey Wilson, 32, was named Female Vocalist of the Year, besting fellow nominees Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBryde, Megan Moroney and Kacey Musgraves 

Megan Moroney, 27, was emotional in accepting the honors for New Artist of the Year 

She said in her speech, 'I'm going to try to get through this without crying: Thank you, Jesus, for putting this dream on my heart, and thank you for the gift of songwriting'

Cody Johnson's Leather was crowned Album of the Year, with the artist saying he thought he was overmatched by fellow nominees in the category such as Jelly Roll and Stapleton.

'I did not expect that,' the Texas-born vocalist, 37, said while accepting the honors. 'I truly expected for Chris Stapleton or Jelly Roll to be announced, I'll be honest; I looked at my wife, I said, "Jelly roll's got that."'

Johnson added that there are 'very few moments when, in your career and life [when] the "Ric Flair" is appropriate but, "Woo!"'

The pair of Brooks & Dunn was named Vocal Duo of the Year, the 15th time they've achieved the feat.

Kix Brooks, 69, reflected on the tandem's continued success over decades as he accepted the award with Ronnie Dunn, 71.

'I was just going to say, there's a famous quote that says time is undefeated - I just say, not yet, I guess,' Brooks said.

Old Dominion won Vocal Group of the Year for the seventh time, with vocalist Matthew Ramsey, 47, declaring that 'very nature of being in a band is working together'

Cody Johnson's Leather was crowned Album of the Year, with the artist saying he thought he was overmatched by fellow nominees in the category such as Jelly Roll and Stapleton

Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn were named Vocal Duo of the Year, the 15th time they've achieved the feat

The show opened with a dual performance from Malone and Stapleton.

The telecast featured performances from artist combos throughout the night including Shaboozey, Combs and Eric Church; Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan; Thomas Rhett and Teddy Swims; and Brooks & Dunn with Jelly Roll.

The evening will also had a multi-artist tribute to George Strait as he receives the association's Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.

The CMA Awards are nominated and voted on by members of the Country Music Association, which includes music executives, artists, publicists, songwriters and other industry professionals.

Ahead of the nominations, some fans speculated that Beyonce, whose landmark country-and-then-some reclamation Cowboy Carter was released during the eligibility window, could receive a nomination at the 2024 CMAs. She did not.

CMA hosts (L-R) Luke Bryan, 48, Lainey Wilson, 32, and Peyton Manning, 48, opened the 58th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday in Nashville 

Earlier this year, the album hit No. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart, making her the first Black woman to top the chart since its 1964 inception.

Other big nominees include Stapleton and Cody Johnson, who got five apiece. But through the atypical math of the CMAs, Stapleton could go home with seven trophies if he wins his categories.

Stapleton is both an artist and producer on White Horse, up for single of the year, and Higher, up for album of the year. 

At the CMAs, production credits are not counted as separate nominations, although they are factored into trophy counts.