Country Music Association Awards
The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry.[1][2] The televised annual presentation ceremony features performances and award presentations by popular country music artists, with occasional appearances from pop and rock artists.[1] The CMA Awards were first presented in 1967, and televised for the first time the following year.
Not to be confused with Academy of Country Music Awards, CMT Music Awards, or Country Music Awards of Australia.Country Music Association Awards
Achievements in country music
United States
1967
History[edit]
The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium on October 20, 1967; the Entertainer of the Year award went to Eddy Arnold that night. The second annual CMA awards were presented in October 1968; NBC taped the ceremony and televised it a few weeks later. Since then, the awards have been televised live, usually in October or November, by NBC from 1969 through 1971, by CBS from 1972 through 2005, and by ABC beginning in 2006. Starting in 1968 they were held at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry (initially at Ryman Auditorium, and from 1974 through 2004 at the new Grand Ole Opry House).
In 2005, the awards show was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Since 2006, they have been held at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.[3] In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 54th CMA Awards were held at Nashville's Music City Center.[4]
Since 2017, the ceremony has been held on the second Wednesday of November. Prior to 2017, the awards were generally held on the first Wednesday of November. However, since then the awards have been rescheduled for later in the month to avoid conflict with a possible game seven of Major League Baseball's World Series, since the 2016 ceremony aired the same night as Fox’s eventual telecast of game seven of the 2016 Series, which beat the CMA Awards in the ratings.
In June 2021, the Country Music Association announced that they would extend its broadcast contract with ABC through 2026.[5]
Following the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Country Music Association announced that the 55th CMA Awards on November 10, 2021, would require ticketed audience members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to wear appropriate face coverings.[6]
Eligibility and voting[edit]
Albums and songs released between July 1 of the previous calendar year and June 30 of the award show's year are eligible for consideration.[7] More than 7,300 individuals from the Country Music Association trade group vote for the nominees and winners through three rounds of balloting.[7]
Controversies[edit]
Charlie Rich "lights up" John Denver[edit]
When presenting the Entertainer of the Year award at the 1975 ceremony, Charlie Rich, who appeared to be intoxicated after drinking backstage and was allegedly taking pain medication for a broken foot, opened the envelope to reveal the winner. When he saw that John Denver had been chosen, Rich pulled out his lighter and burned the envelope, sarcastically declaring that the winner was "my friend, Mr. John Denver". Many saw Rich's actions as a protest towards pop artists crossing over into country music and it remains one of the most discussed moments in CMA history.[33]
Kathy Mattea's AIDS speech[edit]
During a time when the rest of the entertainment industry were wearing red ribbons to signify solidarity and promote awareness of the AIDS epidemic, in an attempt to steer clear of controversy, the CMA instead encouraged guests to wear green ribbons to signify environmental awareness. This did not sit well with Kathy Mattea, who had lost several friends to the disease, and she requested the CMA's help in drafting a short speech on the issue, but they ignored her request and she took matters into her own hands. At the 1992 ceremony while presenting an award, Mattea wore three red ribbons and one green ribbon and announced the names of her friends who had succumbed to AIDS and delivered an impassioned speech that created a discussion and elevated AIDS awareness among the Nashville community. Mattea went on to become a staunch advocate for the cause, releasing the album Red Hot + Country two years later to raise funds for AIDS charities.[34][35]
Alan Jackson's 1999 performance[edit]
On May 8, 1999, George Jones released "Choices", a song written by Mike Curtis and Billy Yates, that featured an accompanying music video which depicted his struggles with substance abuse. The song subsequently became a Top 30 hit for Jones and was nominated for Single of the Year at the 1999 CMA Awards, with the CMA inviting him to perform a shortened version at the ceremony. Jones felt insulted that the CMA requested he remove part of the song and declined the invitation. Alan Jackson, who was slated to perform his current single "Pop a Top", was offended that the CMA had denied Jones the opportunity to sing the full song, and so during his performance, he stopped his own band mid-song and proceeded to sing the chorus of "Choices", which went on to earn a standing ovation from the audience.[36]
Dixie Chicks 50th anniversary performance[edit]
At the 50th CMA Awards in 2016, the Dixie Chicks returned the CMA stage for the first time since their comments about George Bush resulted in them being blacklisted from the industry. They were joined by Beyoncé to perform a medley of "Daddy Lessons" from her 2016 Lemonade album and their own 2002 hit "Long Time Gone". While many viewers and critics praised the performance, it garnered criticism from some country traditionalists, who stated that Beyoncé, a pop/R&B artist, had no place at a country music awards show. The comments polarized opinions, with some noting that they could be seen as a racist attack, as previous collaborations with non-country artists had not received the same amount of criticism and some suggesting that old grudges against the Dixie Chicks had fueled the extreme responses to their performance. Many artists including Dierks Bentley and Karen Fairchild defended the performance while others did not, including Alan Jackson who reportedly left the arena.[37][38][39]