The singer, who is among the most popular artists in music, won country’s top prize in absentia, three years after being rebuked by the genre’s gatekeepers.
The pop-country superstar Morgan Wallen won entertainer of the year, the top honor at the 58th annual Country Music Association Awards in Nashville on Wednesday night. The award recognized Wallen’s status atop the genre three years after the association banned him from performing at the 2021 show.
That year, Wallen was rebuked by many of the industry’s gatekeepers after video surfaced of him using a racial slur. This year, the singer did not attend the show, but was the most nominated artist with seven nods, including male vocalist of the year. Wallen’s lone win came after his 2023 album “One Thing at a Time,” hit No. 1 for the 19th time a year after its release, breaking Billboard’s record for most weeks at the top for a country album.
“Last Night,” a single from the LP, went platinum seven times and was 2023’s most-streamed song of any genre in the United States.
Wallen was also nominated for single of the year for his work on Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” one of the most popular songs of this summer, which spent six weeks atop Billboard’s Hot 100.
The CMAs have not always recognized Wallen’s achievements and contributions to the genre. In 2023, when Wallen was considered one of the favorites, he walked away empty-handed after losing album of the year, male vocalist of the year, and the top category, entertainer of the year. In response to completely being shut out, Wallen said on Instagram that he, “Walked in tonight a winner, didn’t leave no different.”
The entertainer of the year award last night was presented by Jeff Bridges, who announced Wallen’s win to a resounding round of applause and cheers.
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Source: Music - nytimes.com
