Now that the 2021 CMAs have come and gone, our pick for the night’s biggest amazement? Definitely that Aretha Franklin-inspired joint performance with Jennifer Hudson and Chris Stapleton! But Stapleton and J-Hud were just the cherry atop a night full of fantastic performances and well-deserved wins. So what went down at the 2021 CMA Awards? Read on to find out this year’s CMAs winners, nominees, performers, who hosted and more.
When were the 2021 CMA Awards?
The awards were broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Who hosted the 2021 CMAs?
For the first time in 18 years, CMAs hosting duties belonged to only one person: Former Entertainer of the Year and current American Idol judge Luke Bryan, who previously said getting the offer was a “pinch-me moment” and admitted he “put a lot of thought into” taking the gig, explaining, “The pressure that comes along with that can be overwhelming, but knowing I get to help honor and celebrate so many of my friends, I knew it was something I couldn’t turn down.” Bryan brought his brand of goofy, lighthearted, aw-shucks comedy to his hosting duties—although he did court a little controversy when he poked fun at NFL star Aaron Rodgers’ “immunization” scandal and the camera immediately panned to Carrie Underwood, whose husband, ex-NHL star Mike Fisher, has publicly supported Rodgers. Bryan was also joined onstage at a few points throughout the night by his AmericanIdol co-judges, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
Who were the 2021 CMAs winners?
The Country Music Association released the full list of this year’s nominees in September 2021. Some history WAS made this year: Nominees Jimmie Allen and Mickey Guyton became the first Black artists to be nominated in the same category at the CMAs, while Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert were the first two women to be nominated in the Entertainer of the Year category two years in a row. Speaking of the biggest category of the night, Underwood and Lambert (the latter is the most nominated woman in CMAs history with 58 total nods) went up against Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton and Eric Church, last year’s winner, for EOTY 2021. To date, no woman has won that award—a streak that continued when the trophy went this year to Combs. Here’s the full list of 2021 CMA Award nominees and winners:
CMA Awards 2021 winners and nominations
2021 CMA ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Eric Church Luke Combs - WINNER Miranda Lambert Chris Stapleton Carrie Underwood
2021 CMA SINGLE OF THE YEAR
“Famous Friends” – Chris Young with Kane Brown “The Good Ones” – Gabby Barrett “Hell Of A View” – Eric Church “One Night Standards” – Ashley McBryde “Starting Over” – Chris Stapleton - WINNER
2021 CMA ALBUM OF THE YEAR
29 – Carly Pearce Dangerous: The Double Album – Morgan Wallen Heart – Eric Church Skeletons – Brothers Osborne StartingOver – Chris Stapleton - WINNER
2021 CMA SONG OF THE YEAR
“Forever After All," Luke Combs “The Good Ones,” Gabby Barrett “Hell Of A View," Eric Church “One Night Standards," Ashley McBryde “Starting Over," Chris Stapleton - WINNER
2021 CMA FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Gabby Barrett Miranda Lambert Ashley McBryde Maren Morris Carly Pearce - WINNER
2021 CMA MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Dierks Bentley Eric Church Luke Combs Thomas Rhett Chris Stapleton - WINNER
2021 CMA VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady A Little Big Town Midland Old Dominion - WINNER Zac Brown Band
2021 CMA VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn Brothers Osborne - WINNER Dan + Shay Florida Georgia Line Maddie & Tae
2021 CMA MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
“Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan “Chasing After You” – Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” – Elle King & Miranda Lambert “Famous Friends” – Chris Young with Kane Brown “half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini (featuring Kenny Chesney) - WINNER
2021 CMA MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle - WINNER Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar Aaron Sterling, Drums Ilya Toshinskiy, Banjo Derek Wells, Guitar
2021 CMA MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
“Chasing After You” – Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris “Famous Friends” – Chris Young with Kane Brown “Gone” – Dierks Bentley “half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini (featuring Kenny Chesney) - WINNER “Younger Me” – Brothers Osborne
2021 CMA NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jimmie Allen - WINNER Ingrid Andress Gabby Barrett Mickey Guyton HARDY
Who performed at the 2021 CMAs?
The 2021 CMAs ceremony opened with straight fire when Lambert—introduced by Guyton, Barrett and Carly Pearce—performed a greatest-hits medley that included her sensational singles “Mama’s Broken Heart,” “Bluebird,” “Kerosene,” “Gunpowder and Lead” and “Little Red Wagon.” As advertised, the night featured with a slew of country’s most exciting artists teaming up for some incendiary duets and group performances. Besides the aforementioned Hudson and Stapleton, Bentley, HARDY and Breland delivered on their joint track “Beers on Me,” and then Eric Church teamed up with one of his band’s vocalists, Joanna Cotten, on an equally aflame rendition of his “Heart on Fire.” Pearce and Ashley McBryde, who both scored their first CMA noms this year, also performed their duet “Never Wanted to Be That Girl," which got raves from fans who appreciated their old-school country sound. One of the most fun duets of the night came when Chris Young and Kane Brown performed their collab “Famous Friends” while the real-life yearbook photos of country’s most famous artists appeared onscreen behind them. They were followed by Aldean and Underwood, singing their 2021 collab, “If I Didn’t Love You.” But the night also featured several of Nashville’s most A-list solo stars—including Blake Shelton, who performed his new tune “Come Back as a Country Boy," Keith Urban, who sang his song “Wild Hearts,” and Stapleton, who delivered an appropriately chilling rendition of his song “Cold.” Combs also gave his fans his first-ever televised performance of “Doin’ This”—his brand-new single, which officially dropped the same day as the CMAs themselves!
Who votes for CMA Award winners?
Country Music Association members, made up of artists, industry execs, songwriters, touring professionals and others vote for both the award nominees and winners.
How to watch the CMAs
The CMAs took place Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee and were broadcast live on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. Next, Luke Bryan on How Humility, Appreciation, and Relatability Makes for Great American Idols
