Snubs & Surprises at the 2023 CMAs

The 2023 CMA Awards are in the books. Lainey Wilson was the big winner, with wins in five categories. That ties the one-year record, first set by Johnny Cash in 1969 and later matched by Vince Gill (1993) and Alan Jackson (2002). This also sets a new, one-year record for a female artist.

Just one year after winning new artist of the year, Wilson won entertainer of the year. That ties Garth Brooks’ quick sprint from the horizon award (as new artist of the year was then called) in 1990 to his first entertainer of the year award in 1991. Wilson also won album of the year, female vocalist of the year and two awards she shared with HARDY – musical event of the year and music video of the year.

The show, co-hosted for the second year in a row by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, was held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday (Nov. 8).

Many of the awards went as expected. Chris Stapleton won male vocalist of the year for a record seventh time. Wilson won female vocalist of the year for the second year in a row. Old Dominion won vocal group of the year for the sixth year in a row. Brothers Osborne won vocal duo of the year for the sixth time in the past eight years.

Luke Combs’ “Fast Car,” which topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for four weeks, took single of the year, while the song, a pop hit in 1988 for its writer, Tracy Chapman, took song of the year.

But there were a few snubs and surprises, too. Take a look.