50th CMA Awards winners crowned

50th CMA Awards

Annual celebration of country music sees Chris Stapleton and Dann Huff become the night’s top winners with two trophies each

Last night, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena hosted The 50th Annual CMA Awards – a glamorous ceremony presented by country superstars Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. Two individuals won multiple awards including Chris Stapleton who collected trophies for Music Video and Male Vocalist Of The Year, and Dann Huff who won Musician and Single Of The Year for producing Thomas Rhett’s Die A Happy Man. But the night’s big winner was Garth Brooks who now holds the record as having the most wins for Entertainer of the Year in CMA Awards history with five.

“I never thought I’d be able to come back. And when you come back you never think you’re going to get to hold one of these [CMA trophies] again,” Brooks told reporters backstage. “Awards are for younger artists so the older you get the more precious [they are].”

The winners were a diverse group with first-time winners including Thomas Rhett who won the first trophy of the night for Single Of The Year for Die A Happy Man; Brothers Osborne who shared the trophy for Vocal Duo Of The Year; Elle King who won Musical Event of the Year with Dierks Bentley for Different For Girls; and Maren Morris who was named CMA New Artist Of The Year.

CMA Song Of The Year was awarded to Lori McKenna for her solo composition Humble And Kind. McKenna won the same category in 2015 for Girl Crush.

Eric Church won his second CMA Album Of The Year trophy for Mr. Misunderstood, which was produced by Jay Joyce and Arturo Buenahora, Jr. Taking home their fifth consecutive Vocal Group Of The Year title was Little Big Town, and the ceremony’s co-host Underwood won her fourth CMA Female Vocalist Of The Year trophy.

During the show, Dolly Parton was presented with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, in a moving tribute introduced by 9 To 5 co-star Lily Tomlin, with Martina McBride, Kacey Musgraves, Jennifer Nettles, Pentatonix, Reba, and Underwood.

“Wow, what a tribute,” Parton said. “That was so touching. I would have cried but I didn’t want to mess up my eyelashes.”

For details of all the winners and more on the awards ceremony itself, visit CMAawards50.com

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