By Sophia Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief
On Wednesday, Nov. 20, the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards returned for the 58thyear in Nashville, TN.
Hosted by the great former footballer, Peyton Manning, and country singers Luke Bryan and Lainey Wilson, the night was full of laughs, talent, and good country music.
Morgan Wallen took the lead with nominations, amassing a total of seven nominations for the night.
The show opened with a performance from Chris Stapelton and Post Malone singing their song “California Sober,” exciting the crowd and setting the tone for the rest of the night.
The first award, Single of the Year, went to Chris Stapleton for his song “White Horse.” Stapleton was on fire and took home two additional awards throughout the night, including Song of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year.
The affectionately coined “emo cowgirl,” Megan Moroney, not only won New Artist of the Year, marking her first CMA win, but also performed her hit title track from her new album, “Am I Okay?”
Speaking of risers in the country music scene, Shaboozey performed his smash hit “Tipsy (A Bar Song).” This song has spent a very impressive 18 weeks at number one on the Billboard Top 100, a feat that has not been seen for a decade.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a country music award show without honoring the death of Toby Keith, who passed away earlier this year in February after battling stomach cancer. The hosts and members of the audience held up red solo cups in a toast to Keith’s memory.
“We wanted to take a moment to toast the great Toby Keith,” said Bryan. “A great artist, a great American and a great country music icon. You will be missed, buddy.”
Emotions continued to run high later in the night as the long-standing duo Brooks & Dunn delivered an incredibly moving performance of their song “Believe” with Jelly Roll. As the camera panned to the audience, it revealed many audience members left with tears streaming down their faces.
A highlight of the night was the presentation of the Wilie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award to country legend George Strait. Various country artists took the stage to perform a tribute to Strait with his songs, including “Amarillo by Morning,” “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame,” and “Give It Away.”
Strait himself joined in the celebration at the end and accepted the award with a meaningful speech.
“First of all, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Strait began his speech. He continued on to thank his family, band, and fans alike.
Although he was the most-nominated artist of the night, Morgan Wallen was not in attendance. He won the coveted Entertainer of the Year award.
“I can’t believe that Morgan Wallen won New Artist of the Year in 2020 and is now winning an award as important as Entertainer of the Year,” said Faith Skierkowski, a junior majoring in English.
Actor Jeff Bridges accepted the award for Wallen, but mispronounced Wallen’s last name, causing fans to poke fun of the moment, closing off the night with a laugh.
From Chris Stapleton’s winning sweep to a powerful tribute to the “king of country” George Strait and performances from emerging artists, the 58th annual CMA awards reinstated the power and lasting influence of the country music genre.
