Country Music Association Reveals Morgan Wallen’s Eligibility for 2021 CMA Awards
The Country Music Association announced the ballot scheduled for the 55th Annual CMA Awards on Friday (May 21) and also…
Morgan Wallen; Photo Courtesy CMA
The Country Music Association announced the ballot scheduled for the 55th Annual CMA Awards on Friday (May 21) and also revealed Morgan Wallen’s eligibility for the upcoming awards ceremony.
According to Music Row, the CMA Board of Directors voted to amend his 2021 CMA Award eligibility and allow him to be eligible for certain categories only. The publication reports that he will be allowed to receive nominations in categories that honor artistic works such as Single of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year, however, Wallen will remain ineligible for nominations in the individual artist categories such as Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year.
The CMA Board of Directors reportedly amended the eligibility to allow Wallen’s collaborators to be nominated, “so as to not limit the opportunity for other credited collaborators,” according to Catharine McNelly, a CMA spokeswoman.
Morgan Wallen is the current CMA New Artist of the Year. He received the award last November during the 54th Annual CMA Awards.
The Country Music Association will release the first ballot for the 2021 CMA Awards on July 6.
Wallen returned to the stage for the first time since early February this week, popping up at Kid Rock’s Big Honky Tonk & Steakhouse on Wednesday evening (May 19).
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Lauren Jo Black
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.