49th Annual Country Music Association Awards

49th Annual Country Music Association Awards
49th Annual Country Music Association Awards
Date	November 4, 2015
Location	Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Hosted by	Brad Paisley ; Carrie Underwood
Most awards	Chris Stapleton (3)
Most nominations	Miranda Lambert (4)
Television/radio coverage
Network	ABC
Viewership	13.62 million

The 49th Annual Country Music Association Awards were held on November 4, 2015, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville and was hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, marking their eighth year as co-hosts.

The nominations for the 49th CMA Awards were announced on September 9, 2015, on Good Morning America by Steven Tyler and Kelsea Ballerini.^[1]

Winners and nominees

The winners are in Bold.

Entertainer of the Year	Album of the Year
Luke Bryan Garth Brooks Kenny Chesney Eric Church Miranda Lambert	Traveler — Chris Stapleton Pageant Material — Kacey Musgraves Pain Killer — Little Big Town The Big Revival — Kenny Chesney Old Boots, New Dirt — Jason Aldean
Male Vocalist of the Year	Female Vocalist of the Year
Chris Stapleton Dierks Bentley Luke Bryan Eric Church Blake Shelton	Miranda Lambert Kelsea Ballerini Kacey Musgraves Carrie Underwood Lee Ann Womack
Vocal Group of the Year	Vocal Duo of the Year
Little Big Town Lady Antebellum Rascal Flatts The Band Perry Zac Brown Band	Florida Georgia Line Brothers Osborne Dan + Shay Maddie & Tae Thompson Square
Single of the Year	Song of the Year
"Girl Crush" — Little Big Town "American Kids" — Kenny Chesney "I Don't Dance" — Lee Brice "Take Your Time" — Sam Hunt "Talladega" — Eric Church	"Girl Crush" — Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, and Liz Rose "American Kids" — Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird, and Shane McAnally "Like a Cowboy" — Randy Houser and Brice Long "Like a Wrecking Ball" —Eric Church and Casey Beathard "Take Your Time" — Sam Hunt, Josh Osborne, and Shane McAnally
New Artist of the Year	Musician of the Year
Chris Stapleton Kelsea Ballerini Sam Hunt Maddie & Tae Thomas Rhett	Mac McAnally, Guitar Sam Bush, Mandolin Jerry Douglas, Dobro Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar Dann Huff, Guitar
Music Video of the Year	Musical Event of the Year
"Girl in a Country Song" — Maddie & Tae "Biscuits" — Kacey Musgraves "Girl Crush" —Little Big Town "Little Red Wagon" — Miranda Lambert "Something in the Water" — Carrie Underwood	"Raise 'Em Up" — Keith Urban and Eric Church "Lonely Tonight" — Blake Shelton and Ashley Monroe "Django and Jimmie" — Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard "Smokin' and Drinkin'" — Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town "Wild Child" —Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter

Special Recognition Awards

Award	Recipient	Ref
Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award	Johnny Cash (posthumus)	^[2]
Joe Talbot Award	George Jones (posthumus)	^[2]

Performers

Performer(s)	Song(s)
Keith Urban	"John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16"
Little Big Town	"Girl Crush"
Chris Stapleton Justin Timberlake	"Tennessee Whiskey" "Drink You Away"
Maddie & Tae	"Girl in a Country Song"
Miranda Lambert	"Bathroom Sink"
Blake Shelton	"Gonna"
Kacey Musgraves	Dime Store Cowgirl
Eric Church	Mr. Misunderstood
Carrie Underwood	"Smoke Break"
Thomas Rhett Fall Out Boy	"Crash And Burn" "Uma Thurman"
Brooks & Dunn Reba McEntire	"Why Haven't I Heard From You?" "Play Something Country"
Sam Hunt	"Take Your Time"
Jason Aldean	"Gonna Know We Were Here"
Luke Bryan	"Strip It Down"
John Mellencamp Keith Urban	"Pink Houses"
Kelsea Ballerini	"Love Me Like You Mean It"
Kenny Chesney	"Save It For a Rainy Day"
Hank Williams, Jr Eric Church	"Are You Ready For the Country?"
Dierks Bentley Lindsey Stirling	"Riser"
Pentatonix	Tribute to Oak Ridge Boys "Elvira"
Zac Brown Band	"Beautiful Drug"
Florida Georgia Line	"Confession"
Brad Paisley	"Country Nation"

Presenters

Presenter(s)	Award
Edie Brickell and Steve Martin	Single of the Year
Betty Cantrell and Darius Rucker	Song of the Year
Cole Swindell, Heather O'Reilly, and Megan Rapinoe	Vocal Duo of the Year
Pentatonix	Vocal Group of the Year
Lee Ann Womack and Keifer Sutherland	Album of the Year
Brett Eldredge and Cam	New Artist of the Year
Charles Kelley and Hannah Davis	Female Vocalist of the Year
Erika Christensen and Jennifer Nettles	Male Vocalist of the Year
Reba McEntire	Entertainer of the Year

References

^ "2015 CMA Awards Nominees Revealed in Full: See the Complete List". Billboard. 9 September 2015.
^ ^a ^b "JOHNNY CASH, GEORGE JONES HONORED WITH POSTHUMOUS CMA AWARDS". The Boot.

[1] "2015 CMA Awards Nominees Revealed in Full: See the Complete List". Billboard. 9 September 2015.

[boot-2] "JOHNNY CASH, GEORGE JONES HONORED WITH POSTHUMOUS CMA AWARDS". The Boot.

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