Morgan Wallen Appears To React To CMA Awards Results After Fans Loudly Shout His Name During Broadcast

Morgan Wallen took to Twitter late Wednesday evening following the 55th Annual CMA Awards to seemingly react to missing out…

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Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

November 10, 2021

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11:15 pm

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Morgan Wallen; Photo by Andrew Wendowski

Morgan Wallen took to Twitter late Wednesday evening following the 55th Annual CMA Awards to seemingly react to missing out on the show and the reveal of CMA Album of the Year winner. 

The East Tennessee native’s name began trending on the social media platform after it was announced that Chris Stapleton’s Starting Over was crowned CMA Album of the Year. 

Wallen’s sophomore release, Dangerous: The Double Album, was also nominated in the category, and many fans expressed outrage over the fact that Dangerous didn’t take home the win. The 30-track project  was the best-selling album of all genres for the first part of 2021 and topped the Billboard 200 for a whopping 10 consecutive weeks upon its release. 

While Wallen’s message to fans didn’t specifically mention the CMA Awards, the timing of his Tweet led many to believe it was in response to the show. 

“I wake up every morning and thank the Lord for my blessings. Tomorrow morning will be no different,” Wallen wrote, adding, “I love y’all.”

According to a reporter from The Tennessean, the in-house audience at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena roared at the mention of Wallen’s name and project when the category was announced. 

“Morgan Wallen gets the biggest applause from the audience at the #CMAawards when the nominees for Album of the Year were announced,” she tweeted. 

During the broadcast, fans can also be heard screaming “Morgan” in the background as Trace Adkins and Susan Sarandon revealed the winner. 

Wallen was banned from attending or participating in the 55th Annual CMA Awards following the nominee announcement in early September. This decision was due to Wallen’s use of a racial slur outside his Nashville-area home in early 2021. 

The Country Music Association (CMA) clarified its stance on Wallen’s CMA Awards ban in a statement to The Los Angeles Times on Thursday (Sept. 30), revealing that the East Tennessee native has officially been excluded from the show altogether.

Morgan Wallen; Photo Courtesy CMA
Morgan Wallen; Photo Courtesy CMA

“This is the first time in the history of the CMA, to my knowledge, anyone has ever been disqualified for conduct,” Sarah Trahern, CEO of the Country Music Association, told the publication. “Honoring him as an individual this year is not right, and he will not be allowed on the red carpet, on our stage, or be celebrated in any way.”

Trahern went on to explain that the decision was not taken lightly and was re-evaluated on more than one occasion. Ultimately, the organization stood by their decision to allow Wallen’s music and collaborators the chance to be eligible for the CMA Awards, just not the singer/songwriter himself.

“This was something we looked at from so many angles,” she explained. “The decision, ultimately, was the man would not be allowed, but the music and the people who were part of it [songwriters and producers] could be eligible. That made his music eligible in five categories, and ultimately, he was nominated in one.”

If Dangerous were to have won Album of the Year, the his collaborators, Dave Cohen, Matt Dragstrem, Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome and Joey Moi, would have been the ones to accept the award. 

Morgan Wallen; Photo By Andrew Wendowski
Morgan Wallen; Photo By Andrew Wendowski

The “Sand In My Boots” singer recently returned to the road and announced tour dates throughout fall and winter into next summer, several of which feature both HARDY and ERNEST, among others.

He is also set to headline various festivals, including Country Thunder in Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida and more, throughout the United States in 2022.

See a full list of Wallen’s upcoming tour dates below.

Nov. 12 – The Grounds – Mobile, Alabama

Morgan Wallen, HARDY, Ernest and Ashland Craft

Nov. 19 – Simmons Bank Arena – Little Rock, AR

Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest

Nov. 20 – Simmons Bank Arena – Little Rock, AR

Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest

Dec. 3 – Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY

Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest

Dec. 4 – Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY

Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest

Dec. 5 – Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY

Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest

Dec. 10 – Landers Center – Southaven, MS

Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest

Dec. 11 – Landers Center – Southaven, MS

Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest

Dec. 12 – Landers Center – Southaven, MS

Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest

2022

April 7-10 – Country Thunder Arizona – Florence, AZ

Morgan Wallen & more

June 15-18 – The Country Fest – Clay’s Park Resort – North Lawrence, OH

Morgan Wallen, Jason Aldean, Brantley Gilbert, Granger Smith, Chase Rice, Gabby Barrett, HARDY, Larry Fleet, Ernest, Kameron Marlowe, LANCO, Lily Rose, Elvie Shane, John Morgan and more.

June 17 – Interstate Center – Bloomington, IL

Morgan Wallen and HARDY / Tailgate N’ Tallboys

July 7-9 – Country Concert ’22 – Hickory Hill Lakes – Fort Loramie, OH

Morgan Wallen, Carrie Underwood, Brooks & Dunn, Old Dominion, Cody Johnson, HARDY, Scotty McCreery, Gabby Barrett, Chris Lane, John Michael Montgomery, Lauren Alaina and Niko Moon.

July 21-24 – Country Thunder Wisconsin – Twin Lakes, WI

Morgan Wallen & more.

Sept. 30-Oct. 1 – Country Thunder Bristol – Bristol, TN

Morgan Wallen & more.

Oct. 21-23 – Country Thunder Florida – Osceola Heritage Park – Kissimmee, FL

Morgan Wallen & more.

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Lauren Jo Black

Written by

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.