2020 CMA Awards Nominations Are Out, and Garth Brooks Is Not Up for Entertainer of the Year

Country icon voluntarily removed his name from the running in July

Garth Brooks
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The nominations for the 54th CMA Awards are out this morning, and they don’t include country music legend Garth Brooks as a nominee for the Entertainer of the Year award.

That’s because Brooks voluntarily disqualified himself in late July, saying that he’s won too many times — seven, to be exact, including last year’s — and wants to give the opportunity to another artist.

It was a tweet from a fan that steered Brooks to the decision.

“It said, ‘Hey, man. This guy, why doesn’t he just step down (and leave) the entertainer for the next generation?’ 100% agree,” he told press according to The Tennessean. “It’s time for somebody else to hold that award.”

That leaves the possibilities open this year to Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Luke Combs and Eric Church. May the best country star win.

Tune in to see who takes home the night’s big prize when the 2020 CMA Awards air live on Wednesday, Nov. 11 on ABC.

Below is the full list of all the nominees:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Miranda Lambert
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
Producer: Dan Smyers
Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano
“Beer Never Broke My Heart” – Luke Combs
Producer: Scott Moffatt
Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
“Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert
Producer: Jay Joyce
Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
“The Bones” – Maren Morris
Producer: Greg Kurstin
Mix Engineer: Greg Kurstin
“I Hope” – Gabby Barrett
Producers: Ross Copperman, Zach Kale
Mix Engineer: Buckley Miller

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Heartache Medication – Jon Pardi
Producers: Bart Butler, Ryan Gore, Jon Pardi
Never Will – Ashley McBryde
Producers: Jay Joyce, John Peets
Old Dominion – Old Dominion
Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion
What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs
Producer: Scott Moffatt
Wildcard – Miranda Lambert
Producer: Jay Joyce

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Bluebird”
Songwriters: Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert
“The Bones”
Songwriters: Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz
“Even Though I’m Leaving”
Songwriters: Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Ray Fulcher
“I Hope You’re Happy Now”
Songwriters: Luke Combs, Randy Montana, Carly Pearce, Jonathan Singleton
“More Hearts Than Mine”
Songwriters: Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
Producer: Dan Smyers
“Be A Light” – Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban
Producer: Dann Huff
“The Bones” – Maren Morris with Hozier
Producer: Greg Kurstin
“Fooled Around And Fell In Love” – Miranda Lambert (feat. Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes & Caylee Hammack)
Producer: Jay Joyce
“I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
Producer: busbee

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar
Rob McNelley, Guitar
Ilya Toshinskiy, Guitar
Derek Wells, Guitar

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
Director: Patrick Tracy
“Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert
Director: Trey Fanjoy
“Homemade” – Jake Owen
Director: Justin Clough
“I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
Director: Sam Siske
“Second One To Know” – Chris Stapleton
Director: David Coleman

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jimmie Allen
Ingrid Andress
Gabby Barrett
Carly Pearce
Morgan Wallen

FINALISTS FOR BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR (by market size):

National
“American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Westwood One
“The Blair Garner Show” (Blair Garner and “Off Eric” Garner) – Westwood One
“CMT After Midnite” (Cody Alan) – Premiere Networks
“Country Countdown USA” (Lon Helton) – Westwood One
“The Mayor of Music Row” (Charlie Monk) – Sirius XM Satellite Radio

Major Market
“Angie Ward” – WUBL, Atlanta, Ga.
“Chris Carr & Company” (Chris Carr, Kia Becht and McKaila Granning) – KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
“Double-L” (Lois Lewis) – KNIX, Phoenix, Ariz.
“Fitz in the Morning” (Cory Fitzner) – KNUC, Seattle-Tacoma, Wash.
“Paul Schadt & Sarah Lee in the Morning with Producer Geof” (Paul Schadt, Sarah Lee and Geof Knight) – WKKT, Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, N.C.-S.C.

Large Market
“The Big Dave Show (“Big Dave” Chandler, Chelsie Shinkle, Jason Statt and Ashley Hempfling) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
“Jim, Deb & Kevin” (Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt and Kevin Freeman) – WFMS, Indianapolis, Ind.
“Lexi & Banks” (“Lexi” Elena Abatgis and “Banks” Jared Danielson) – KUBL, Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, Utah
“Obie & Ashley” (“Obie” Obed Diaz and Ashley Morrison) – WWKA, Orlando, Fla.
“Ridder, Scott and Shannen” (“Ridder” Shaun Ridderbush, Scott Dolphin and Shannen Oesterreich) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.

Medium Market
“Brent Michaels” – KUZZ, Bakersfield, Calif.
“Clay & Company” (Clay Moden, Rob Banks and Val Townsend) – WYRK, Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.
“Kenn McCloud” – KUZZ, Bakersfield, Calif.
“Scott and Sarah in the Morning” (Scott Wynn and Sarah Kay) – WQMX, Akron, Ohio
“Steve & Gina In The Morning” (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa

Small Market
“Big Rick In The Morning” (“Big Rick” Daniels) – WGGC, Bowling Green, Ky.
“Bobby & Steve (and Mandi!)” (Bobby Cook, Steve Schwetman and Mandi Turner) – WKYQ, Paducah, Ky.
“Brent and Candy – The Cat Pak Morning Show” (Brent Lane and Candy Cullerton) – WYCT, Pensacola, Fla.
“Officer Don & DeAnn” (“Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Ky.
“Steve And Jessica Mornings” (Steve Waters and Jessica Cash) – WFLS, Fredericksburg, Va.

FINALISTS FOR RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (by market size):

Major Market
KNUC – Seattle-Tacoma, Wash.
KSCS – Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas
KYGO – Denver-Boulder, Colo.
WXTU – Philadelphia, Pa.
WYCD – Detroit, Mich.

Large Market
KNCI – Sacramento, Calif.
KUBL – Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, Utah
WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio
WWKA – Orlando, Fla.

Medium Market
KATM – Modesto, Calif.
WHKO – Dayton, Ohio
WQMX – Akron, Ohio
WUSY – Chattanooga, Tenn.
WXCY – Wilmington, Del.

Small Market
KKNU – Eugene-Springfield, Ore.
WBYT – South Bend, Ind.
WKXC – Augusta, Ga.
WXBQ – Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.
WXFL – Florence-Muscle Shoals, Ala.

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