2022 CMA Awards Snub: Here’s Why Kane Brown Should Have Been Nominated
Brown deserved to be nominated. Here’s why.
Kane Brown; Photo by Getty Images for MTV
The nominees for the 56th Annual CMA Awards have been revealed and one artist that was missing from the list of nominees was Kane Brown. After another standout year, his name was nowhere to be found on the list.
According to the official CMA Awards website, the eligibility period for the 2022 CMA Awards is July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022. During this time, Kane Brown continued to be one of the most successful artists in country music with sold-out concerts, hit singles, and national recognition.
Some of his achievements during the eligibility period include:
- Became the first country artist in history to headline every NBA basketball arena in a single tour when his Blessed & Free Tour visited 35 cities, including 29 NBA basketball arenas
- Topped the charts with “One Mississippi,” which became his 7th career No.1 in March
- Released “Like I Love Country Music,” the fast-rising single to date (the song reached No.1 after the eligibility period)
- Made his headlining stadium debut with a sold-out show in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Continued his longtime support of the Boys & Girls Club by donating a portion of ticket sales to the charitable organization (He also donated a gym to a club in Ohio and helped renovate a hometown Boys & Girls Club facility)
- Named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World
- Stepped up to co-host the 2022 CMT Music Awards at the last minute after Kelsea Ballerini fell ill
- Continued to introduce country music to a wider artist through genre-bending releases like “Memory” with Blackbear
- Headlined a nightly concert at CMA Fest with a show-stopping performance
With a list of achievements this long, it’s a bit shocking to see that Brown didn’t earn a single CMA Awards nomination.
Fans also noted that Brown was left off the list of nominees and several took to social media to share their disappointment in the comments section of the Country Music Association’s announcement.
Others shared their thoughts on Twitter.
Earning nominations is partly a political game as labels, management companies, booking agents, and more block votes to ensure the artists they represent get nominated. Even still, it’s an easy argument to prove that Brown should have been recognized for his achievements throughout the past year.
While he may not have earned a CMA Awards nomination, Brown is about to begin an exciting new chapter of his career with the release of his much-anticipated third studio album, Different Man, which arrives on Friday, September 9.
The 17-track project is sure to take his already red-hot career to new heights.
The album features his latest chart-topping singles “One Mississippi” and “Like I Love Country Music,” as well as “Thank God,” a duet with his wife, Katelyn, and a collaboration with fellow country superstar Blake Shelton. The album will also include previously released tracks “Grand,” “One Mississippi,” “Whiskey Sour,” and “Leave You Alone.”
“I’m most excited, when it comes to releasing this new project, for people to see how much I’ve grown as an artist,” Brown said of Different Man.
Different Man follows Brown’s second studio album, 2018’s Experiment. In August of 2020, Brown released his ACM-nominated EP, Mixtape Vol. 1, which included several hit singles such as “Cool Again,” “Worldwide Beautiful” “Worship You” and his Top 40 radio single, “Be Like That” featuring Khalid and Swae Lee.
The country superstar will also embark on his massive international Drunk or Dreaming Tour later this month.
The trek will feature special guests Restless Road, Jessie James Decker, Blanco Brown and Chris Lane on select dates. Kicking off on September 17 in Melbourne, Australia, the tour will continue through Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK, and Europe.
The international leg of the Drunk or Dreaming Tour marks Brown’s first time touring in Australia and New Zealand, and his long-awaited return to Canada and Europe.
In addition, Brown recently announced the U.S. leg of his Drunk or Dreaming Tour, which features support from Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett and LOCASH.
The U.S. leg of the tour will kick off in Grand Rapids, MI on March 16, 2023, and will visit 23 cities throughout the United States before wrapping up in Greenwood Village, CO at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
While embarking on the massive headlining trek, Brown will headline Bridgestone Arena in Nashville for the first time ever on March 31.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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