Chris Stapleton won four Country Music Association Awards and barely left the stage Wednesday night, while an absent Morgan Wallen was shut out all night until winning the night’s biggest award, recording artist the year.
Stapleton’s wins included song of the year and single of the year for “White Horse”, and he took the stage at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, three times to perform on the televised show ABC, including an opening duet with Post Malone. .
“I’m really honored for this, thank you very much,” Stapleton, an ever-low-key country traditionalist, said in accepting the male vocalist of the year award for a record eighth time.
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For much of the evening, it looked like leading contender Wallen, who was in the running for seven, would be voted out, until presenter Jeff Bridges gave a botched rendition of his name as “Morgan Waylon.” when he announced the artist of the year.
Four of Wallen’s nominations came for his hit collaboration with Malone, “I Had Some Help”, although the song and first-time nominee Malone did not win.
But rapper-singer Malone was all smiles all night at the CMA after releasing his debut country album earlier this year. With Stapleton, he sang his song “California Sober” in cowboy attire, including a bolo tie as big as a belt buckle. He then took the stage solo to sing the moving “Yours”, which he dedicated to his young daughter.
Stapleton then performed his own “What Am I Gonna Do” with his wife Morgane, and performed again as part of an all-star tribute to George Strait, who received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
Last year’s Entertainer of the Year, Lainey Wilson, hosted the show alongside Luke Bryan and NFL great Peyton Manning and won two CMAs – female vocalist of the year and best music video for “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.
For a while, it looked like Stapleton was going to be swept aside, but he lost the album of the year title to a surprised Cody Johnson, who took home the trophy for “Leather.”
“I thought Chris Stapleton or Jelly Roll was going to win,” Johnson said.
Old Dominion won Vocal Group of the Year for a seventh consecutive time, surpassing the six won by Little Big Town.
Stapleton-Malone’s opening and much of the evening was a celebration of a period of crossover and collaboration in country.
The TV show, available to stream on Hulu on Thursday, featured performances from artist groups including Brooks & Dunn, representing the 1990s and 2000s, with Jelly Roll, representing the country’s current moment. They gave a moving gospel-style rendition of Brooks & Dunn’s 2005 song “Believe.”
Brooks & Dunn followed up by winning Vocal Duo of the Year for the 15th time and the first time since 2006.
Shaboozey got the crowd on their feet with a solo performance that started with a bit of his more subdued single “Highway” before launching into one of the year’s defining hits, “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”
But he lost the best new artist title to Megan Moroney, who won within minutes of her own performance.
“Thank you Jesus for putting this dream in my heart,” Moroney, a 27-year-old Georgian, said misty-eyed as she accepted the award.
Wilson opened the Strait tribute by singing part of his best-known hit, “Amarillo by Morning.”
She was followed by Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum, Stapleton and Strait’s contemporary Clint Black, who performed Strait hit tracks including “Troubadour” and “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame.”
Stapleton presented Strait, 72, with the award previously won by Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Charley Pride and Nelson himself, calling Strait “true country music royalty, the king of country.”
A Smiling Strait thanked everyone for the good performances of his songs.
“I’m glad I got them first,” he said.
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.
