Who will have the biggest night? Front runners so far are Chris Stapleton and Dan + Shay. Each received six nominations. The Dan of Dan + Shay, Dan Smyers, adds an additional four nominations to their total though. These three are the ones to watch!
But there are others to in the running. Coming off a big Grammy Awards showing, Kacey Musgraves landed five nominations. Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, and Florida Georgia Line with Bebe Rexha all scored four nominations. In addition, the Artist of the Decade award returns this year. Only five others have won this award over 54 years. They are Marty Robbins (1969), Loretta Lynn (1979), Alabama (1988), Garth Brooks (1998), and George Strait (2009). It’ll be fun to see who gets added to that exclusive list.
Artist Nominees
Entertainer:
- Jason Aldean
- Luke Bryan
- Kenny Chesney
- Chris Stapleton
- Keith Urban
Female Artist:
- Miranda Lambert
- Ashley McBryde
- Maren Morris
- Kacey Musgraves
- Carrie Underwood
Male Artlst:
- Dierks Bentley
- Luke Combs
- Thomas Rhett
- Chris Stapleton
- Keith Urban
Duo:
- Brothers Osborne
- Dan + Shay
- Florida Georgia Line
- LoCash
- Maddie & Tae
Group:
- Lady Antebellum
- Lanco
- Little Big Town
- Midland
- Old Dominion
New Female:
- Danielle Bradbery
- Lindsay Ell
- Ashley McBryde
- Carly Pearce
New Male:
- Jimmie Allen
- Luke Combs
- Jordan Davis
- Michael Ray
- Mitchell Tenpenny
New Duo/Group:
- High Valley
- Lanco
- Runaway June
Album:
-
Dan + Shay
, Dan + Shay -
Desperate Man
, Eric Church -
From A Room: Vol. 2
, Chris Stapleton -
Golden Hour
, Kacey Musgraves -
The Mountain
, Dierks Bentley
Single:
- “Down To The Honky Tonk,” Jake Owen
- “Heaven,” Kane Brown
- “Meant To Be,” Bebe Rexha f/Florida Georgia Line
- “Most People Are Good,” Luke Bryan
- “Tequila,” Dan + Shay
Song:
- “Break Up In The End,” Cole Swindell
- “Broken Halos,” Chris Stapleton
- “Meant To Be,” Bebe Rexha f/Florida Georgia Line
- “Space Cowboy,” Kacey Musgraves
- “Tequila,” Dan + Shay
- “Yours,” Russell Dickerson
Video:
- “Babe,” Sugarland f/Taylor Swift
- “Burn Out,” Midland
- “Burning Man,” Dierks Bentley f/Brothers Osborne
- “Drunk Girl,” Chris Janson
- “Shoot Me Straight,” Brothers Osborne
- “Tequila,” Dan + Shay
Songwriter:
- Ross Copperman
- Ashley Gorley
- Shane McAnally
- Chase McGill
- Josh Osborne
Music Event:
- “Burning Man,” Dierks Bentley f/Brothers Osborne
- “Drowns The Whiskey,” Jason Aldean f/Miranda Lambert
- “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” David Lee Murphy f/Kenny Chesney
- “Keeping Score,” Dan + Shay f/Kelly Clarkson
- “Meant To Be,” Bebe Rexha f/Florida Georgia Line
.
If you travel to see shows or read liner notes, you might want to read on. Here are the venues, promoters, and musicians who made their marks in 2018.
Industry Awards
Casino (Small Capacity):
- Choctaw Casino & Resort, Durant, OK
- Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, Cherokee, NC
- The Joint: Tulsa
- Peppermill Reno
- Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mt. Pleasant, MI
Casino (Large Capacity):
- Casino Rama, Orillia, ON
- Grand Casino Hinckley, Hinckley, MN
- Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
- Sandia Casino Amphitheater, Albuquerque, NM
- WinStar Global Event Center, Thackerville, OK
Festival:
- Boots & Hearts, Oro-Medonte, ON
- Faster Horses, Brooklyn, MI
- Stagecoach, Indio, CA
- Tortuga Music Festival, Ft. Lauderdale
- Windy City Smokeout, Chicago
Nightclub:
- Dusty Armadillo, Rootstown, OH
- Grizzly Rose, Denver
- Joe’s on Weed St., Chicago
- Joe’s Live, Rosemont, IL
- Stoney’s Rockin’ Country, Las Vegas
Venue (Small Capacity):
- House of Blues, Anaheim
- House of Blues, Boston
- Floore’s, Helotes, TX
- Ryman Auditorium, Nashville
- Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, IA
Venue (Medium Capacity):
- Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
- Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, Gilford, NH
- Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville
- The Wharf Amphitheater, Orange Beach, AL
- The Anthem, Washington, DC
Venue (Large Capacity):
- Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
- BOK Center, Tulsa
- Budweiser Stage, Toronto
- PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
- Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center, Noblesville, IN
Don Romeo Talent Buyer:
- Todd Boltin, Variety Attractions
- Billy Brill, Billy Alan Productions
- Gil Cunningham, Neste Event Marketing
- Kell Houston, Houston Productions
- Nicole More, Wilson Events, Inc.
Promoter:
- Brent Fedrizzi, AEG Presents
- Stacy Vee, Goldenvoice
- Ed Warm, Joe’s Bar
- Adam Weiser, AEG Presents
- Jason Wright, Live Nation
Studio Recording Awards
Bass Player:
- Mike Brignardello
- JT Cure
- Ian Fitchuk
- Tony Lucido
- Glenn Worf
Drummer:
- Matt Chamberlain
- Ian Fitchuk
- Evan Hutchings
- Aaron Sterling
- Nir Z
Guitar Player:
- Tom Bukovac
- Jedd Hughes
- Danny Rader
- Adam Shoenfeld
- Ilya Toshinsky
- Derek Wells
Piano/Keyboard Player:
- Dave Cohen
- David Dorn
- Ian Fitchuk
- Tony Harrell
- Charlie Judge
- Gordon Mote
Specialty Instrument(s) Player:
- Ian Fitchuk
- Jenee Fleenor
- Carl Miner
- Mickey Raphael
- Ilya Toshinsky
Steel Guitar Player:
- Dan Dugmore
- Steve Hinson
- Mike Johnson
- Russ Pahl
- Justin Schipper
Audio Engineer:
- Craig Alvin
- Ryan Gore
- Jeff Juliano
- Vance Powell
- F Reid Shippen
Producer:
- Buddy Cannon
- Ian Fitchuk
- Dann Huff
- Jay Joyce
- Michael Knox
