Rochelle Mills

“The 56th Annual CMA Awards” made its grand return to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena this evening, honoring musical legends, showcasing emerging artists, and highlighting unforgettable collaborations, all while celebrating excellence within Country Music. Hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, Country Music’s Biggest Night™ delivered extraordinary performances and heartwarming moments, shining a light on a community like no other. With a touching tribute to the iconic Loretta Lynn, Country Music superstars Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood opened “The 56th Annual CMA Awards,” performing a medley of Lynn’s classics that included “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” and “You’re Looking At Country,” before concluding with all three artists coming together to perform “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” Carly Pearce later took the stage, first speaking to how Lynn inspired and mirrored her own musical journey before being joined by Musician of the Year winner Jenee Fleenor, Sonya Isaacs, and Ricky Skaggs to perform Pearce’s original song, “Dear Miss Loretta.”  A thunderous roar echoed throughout Bridgestone Arena the moment Country Music legend Alan Jackson surprised the crowd by performing his hit “Don’t Rock the Jukebox.” Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Lainey Wilson and Underwood were on hand to honor the 2022 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award recipient with exceptional performances of Jackson’s greatest hits including “Remember When,” “Chattahoochee,” “Drive (For Daddy Gene),” and “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.”  Known for its once-in-a-lifetime collaborations, the CMA Awards also brought Brothers Osborne together with The War And Treaty for a show-stopping performance of the Rolling Stones’ “It’s Only Rock & Roll (But I Like It),” while Chris Stapleton and Patty Loveless performed a stirring rendition of “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.” Ashley McBryde welcomed friends Brandy Clark, Caylee Hammack, Pillbox Patti, and John Osborne to the stage for a powerhouse performance of Linda Ronstadt’s classic “When Will I Be Loved,” while Kelsea Ballerini was joined by friends Kelly Clarkson and Pearce for a cheeky performance of their new song “YOU’RE DRUNK, GO HOME.” Thomas Rhett and Katy Perry came together to perform their heartfelt new single, “Where We Started,” while HARDY and Wilson performed a deeply powerful version of their collaboration “wait in the truck.” For a second consecutive year, Luke Combs took home Entertainer of the Year. First-time winner tonight, Wilson took home New Artist of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year, joining Alison Krauss and Underwood as the only other artist to win both Female Vocalist and New Artist in a single year. Stapleton becomes the fifth most-winning artist in CMA Awards history with tonight’s Male Vocalist of the Year win, behind Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Jackson and George Strait. Stapleton also becomes the most-winning artist in the Male Vocalist category.  Additional artists taking the CMA Awards stage tonight included Bryan, Combs, Cody Johnson, Elle King, Marcus King, Jo Dee Messina, Cole Swindell, The Black Keys, Morgan Wallen, and Zac Brown Band. Watch the evening’s biggest performances now at YouTube. Starting later tonight, catch the full show on Hulu.   Media can access video footage, photos and additional assets from “The 56th Annual CMA Awards” at CMApress.com.  “The 56th Annual CMA Awards” is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Alan Carter is the Director, and Jon Macks is the Head Writer.   See below for the complete list of winners from “The 56th Annual CMA Awards.”  ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR     Luke Combs SINGLE OF THE YEAR Award goes to Artist, Producer and Mix Engineer  “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson Producer: Trent Willmon Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke ALBUM OF THE YEAR Award goes to Artist, Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)    Growin’ Up – Luke Combs Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton Mix Engineers: Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews SONG OF THE YEAR Award goes to Songwriter(s)     “Buy Dirt” Songwriters: Jacob Davis, Jordan Davis, Josh Jenkins and Matt Jenkins FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR  Lainey Wilson MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR  Chris Stapleton VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR  Old Dominion   VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR  Brothers Osborne MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR Award goes to Artist(s) and Producer(s)     “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde Producers: Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle   MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR  Award goes to Artist and Director     “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson Director: Dustin Haney NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR   Lainey Wilson