2017 CMA Awards Nominations: Surprises and Snubs
Jason Aldean and Blake Shelton were noticeably missing from the list of CMA Awards nominees. See who else was snubbed.
Nominees for the 51st Annual CMA Awards were revealed Monday morning (Sept. 4) on ABC’s Good Morning America. The list of top nominees was a bit expected, with country queen Miranda Lambert coming in with five nominations, followed by Keith Urban and Little Big Town with four nominations each.
It was the artists left off the list of nominees that had people talking on Monday. In true post-CMA Awards nominations fashion, Sounds Like Nashville is here to tell you which artists were overlooked, or snubbed, and which nominations left us scratching our heads and/or jumping for joy.
The Overlooked
Jason Aldean: Aldean didn’t receive a single nomination for the second consecutive year. It’s quite surprising as Aldean is a two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year and has had a successful year on the road and on the charts. Perhaps this plays in to politics of some sort. Either way, there’s no doubt he deserved something!
Florida Georgia Line: Love ‘em or hate ‘em, these guys deserved another nod or two. Not only did FGL have two successful tours during the nomination period, the duo also released collaborations with Tim McGraw and the Backstreet Boys during that time. We were sure we’d see their name pop up a bit more.
“The Fighter:” Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood had musical gold on their hands with “The Fighter.” It was shocking to not see them among the nominees for Vocal Event of the Year.
Blake Shelton: ZERO nominations. You read that right. Shelton released a chart-topping album that spawned several radio hits and he didn’t receive a single nod. Has Nashville has decided that he’s “too Hollywood?”
“In Case You Didn’t Know:” We thought Brett Young’s smash hit was a shoe-in for Song of the Year. It surprisingly didn’t make the cut.
The Surprises
Maddie & Tae: They’re insanely talented, but they haven’t released a single in well over a year. Big & Rich was missing from the list of Vocal Duo of the Year nominees and could have been a great replacement.
Jon Pardi: The California native has been going at it for quite some time, so it’s nice to see him finally getting some recognition. His California Sunrise album was a game changer for him, and “Dirt On My Boots” took his career to the next level. Well-deserved!
Luke Bryan and Garth Brooks: Both are nominated for Entertainer of the Year, but didn’t receive a nomination outside of that category.
“Tin Man:” Miranda Lambert’s heart-wrenching tune is up for Single of the Year, but has barely cracked the top 30 at country radio.
Entertainer of the Year: This category is dominated by males. We’re surprised that Miranda Lambert or Carrie Underwood didn’t earn a nod here… but are we really that surprised? “Tomatogate” lives on!
Single and Song of the Year: The same five songs are up for both awards. There is usually some overlap, but we’re shocked to see the same songs in both categories.
Taylor Swift: Receiving her first CMA Awards nomination since 2014, Swift is back with a nod for Song of the Year with “Better Man.”
What do you think of this year’s nominees? Tweet us @soundslikenash and let us know!
The 51st Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, will air Wednesday, November 8 on ABC.
