The nominees for the 55th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards were revealed Thursday morning (Feb. 27). Top nominees included Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, Dan + Shay, Justin Bieber, Blake Shelton, Old Dominion, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde and Kacey Musgraves.
While there weren’t too many surprises among the list of nominees, there were arguably a few artists/projects missing from the mix, and that left some fans scratching their heads.
Here’s a look at the 2020 ACM Awards snubs.
Not a Single Nomination for Kane Brown
Once again, Kane Brown’s name is not included in the mix. The superstar was snubbed at the CMA Awards last fall and the ACM Awards last spring. With the success of “Good as You” and “Homesick” and the cross-genre collab “One Thing Right,” Brown was undoubtedly deserving of at least a single nomination! His last nomination for the ACM Awards came in 2018 when he was up for Single of the Year for “Heaven.”
No Love For Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty Album
Carrie Underwood released one of her best and most personal albums to date, Cry Pretty, in early 2019. It was definitely a surprise that this record wasn’t included in the Album of the Year category. It was recently certified Platinum and includes hits like “Cry Pretty,” “Southbound,” and “The Champion.”
No Garth Brooks or Keith Urban For Entertainer of the Year
The Entertainer of the Year category includes two first-time nominees, Thomas Rhett and Luke Combs, therefore, two artists had to get the boot. Reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Garth Brooks and Reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year Keith Urban were not nominated for the ACM Awards’ top honor this time around.
Where is GRAMMY winner Tanya Tucker?
After taking home two GRAMMY earlier this year, Tanya Tucker’s name was nowhere to be found among the ACM nominees. It’s shocking to think she could earn an impressive four Grammy nominations and not a single nod for the ACM Awards.
No Nominations for Jason Aldean
One of the most surprising artists to be left out of the nominations list is ACM Artist of the Decade Jason Aldean. Following his 2019 Ride All Night Tour and the release of his ninth album, 9, it’s quite a shock to see that he didn’t score a single nomination. Aldean is a 14-time ACM Award winner and a three-time Entertainer of the Year.
Where Is “Beer Never Broke My Heart?”
One of the biggest songs of the past year, Luke Combs’ “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” didn’t receive a single nomination. It should have been included in the Single of the Year category (at the very least).
Hosted by reigning Entertainer of the Year, Keith Urban, the ACM Awards telecast will air LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 5 (live 8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on CBS. The show will also be available to stream live and on-demand across digital platforms on the CBS All Access subscription service.
