52nd Annual CMA Awards Set for Wednesday, Nov 14

Lauren Alaina, Brad Paisley, Ricky Skaggs, and Chris Stapleton with Maren Morris and Mavis Staples have been added as performers for “The 52nd Annual CMA Awards,” as well as just added special appearances by Lindsay Ell, Vince Gill, Sierra Hull, Chris Janson, Ashley McBryde, David Lee Murphy, Jon Pardi, Carson Peters, Marty Stuart and Cole Swindell. Country Music’s Biggest Night™, hosted for the 11th consecutive year by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, will air live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 8:00 PM/ET (7:00 PM/CT) on the ABC Television Network.

Previously announced performers for the CMA Awards include Jason Aldean with Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley with Brothers Osborne, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line with Bebe Rexha, Midland, Kacey Musgraves, Old Dominion, Pistol Annies, Thomas Rhett, Underwood, Keith Urban and Brett Young. Presenters will be announced next week.





Alaina is a two-time CMA Awards nominee. She returns this year with a nomination for New Artist of the Year.

Ell made her CMA Awards performance debut in 2016, playing guitar during Underwood’s all-female performance of “Dirty Laundry.”

Gill is a 54-time CMA Awards nominee and 18-time winner. He holds the record for most wins in the Song of the Year category. He is also tied for most wins in the Male Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year (previously Vocal Event of the Year) categories. He returns this year with his 12th nomination for Musical Event of the Year.

Hull, McBryde and Peters will all make their CMA Awards performance debut at “The 52nd Annual CMA Awards.”

Janson is a first-time CMA Awards nominee, receiving nominations in the Music Video of the Year and Song of the Year categories for “Drunk Girl,” as well as New Artist of the Year. This year marks his performance debut on the CMA Awards stage.

Morris is a 10-time CMA Awards nominee, receiving her first win in 2016 for New Artist of the Year. She returns this year with her third Female Vocalist of the Year nomination and second Musical Event of the Year nomination for “Dear Hate” with Vince Gill.

Murphy is a first-time CMA Awards nominee this year, receiving a nomination for Musical Event of the Year for his song “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” with Kenny Chesney.

Paisley is a 14-time CMA Awards winner, including a win for the coveted Entertainer of the Year award. He is also the current record holder for most wins (4) in the Music Video of the Year category and tied as the record holder for most Musical Event of the Year wins (4).

Pardi is a two-time CMA Awards nominee, taking home his first win in 2017 for New Artist of the Year.

Skaggs is an eight-time CMA Awards winner as a solo artist and member of his own band. He received his first CMA Awards nominations in 1982, when he was nominated in five categories (four as a solo artist and one with his band), winning the Horizon Award, which recognized new artists, and Male Vocalist of the Year, a historic win being the first time both awards were won in a single year. Skaggs won the coveted Entertainer of the Year award in 1985 and went on to win five more CMA awards in other years. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame last month.

R&B/Gospel legend, Staples, previously of the group The Staple Singers, continues to carry on her family’s name as a solo artist. This year marks Staples’ CMA Awards debut. The Staple Singers were nominated for Album of the Year in 1994.

Stapleton is a seven-time CMA Awards winner with 16 total career nominations. He is the reigning Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year winner. He returns this year as the most nominated artist of the night with nods in the Album of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year and Song of the Year categories.

Stuart is a seven-time CMA Awards nominee, bringing home his first award in 1992 for Vocal Event of the Year. He has performed at the CMA Awards twice before including “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” in 1989 and “Mandolin Rain” in 1996.

Swindell, a two-time CMA Awards nominee, first took the CMA Awards stage in 2014, the same year he was nominated for New Artist of the Year.

CMA sat down with the five New Artist of the Year nominees and the people closest to them to learn more about their stories. To view all five full episodes featuring Alaina, Combs, Janson, Midland and Young, please visit CMAawards.com/new-artist-nominees.

“The 52nd Annual CMA Awards” is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Gary Halvorson is the Director and David Wild is the Head Writer.