country routes news: 53RD ANNUAL CMA AWARDS: Early Winners, red carpet coverage, Exclusive artist Interviews & rehearsal photos

“THE 53RD ANNUAL CMA AWARDS”
REVEAL EARLY WINNERS LIVE ON “GOOD MORNING AMERICA”

"Old Town Road (Remix)" Wins CMA Musical Event of the Year,
"Rainbow" Wins CMA Music Video of the Year

"Old Town Road (Remix)" by Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus (Producers: YoungKio, Michael Trent Reznor, Atticus Matthew Ross) was announced as winner of CMA Musical Event of the Year, while "Rainbow" by Kacey Musgraves (Director: Hannah Lux Davis) takes home the trophy for CMA Music Video of the Year.

The winners were revealed this morning on ABC’s “Good Morning America” broadcast, live from Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon.

Watch Maddie & Tae reveal the winners on ABC's Good Morning America here.

JUST ANNOUNCED: Musical Event of the Year goes to @LilNasX and @billyraycyrus's #OldTownRoadRemix!#CMAawards @CountryMusic @LaraSpencer @MaddieandTae https://t.co/bG6T05XCK5 pic.twitter.com/SfAOIDOWev
— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 13, 2019

Magic Carpet Guide:
Media outlets hosting red carpet coverage of the 53rd Annual CMA Awards include:

Entertainment Tonight’s ET Live will livestream from the red carpet. Details here.

SiriusXM's The Highway flipped to CMA Awards Radio Monday (Nov 11). Their red carpet show, hosted by Storme and MC, airs live 4:30-7pm CT.

Tennessean’s red carpet show will be livestreamed via YouTube and Tennessean’s and USA Today’s Facebook pages from 5-7pm CT.

ABC’s On The Red Carpet at the CMA Awards airs live from 6:30-7pm CT. The live red carpet show will also be livestreamed starting at 5:30pm CT at OnTheRedCarpet.com and CMAawards.com/redcarpet.

WKRN/Nashville’s Live On The Red Carpet featuring Frankie Ballard airs live on all ABC Nexstar stations from 6:30-7pm CT. The live red carpet show will be livestreamed starting at 5pm CT at WKRN.com.

HOSTS

“The 53rd Annual CMA Awards,” hosted by Carrie Underwood with special guest hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, takes place this evening at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Speaking of tonight's show, Joe Walsh will join previously-announced artists in a tribute to 2019 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Kris Kristofferson; Jimmie Allen, Cody Johnson, Lara Spencer, Walsh and Reese Witherspoon have been added as presenters; and Carly Pearce and Michael Ray will host the pre-telecast. The awards air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena tonight (11/13) on ABC.

"AND THE CMA AWARD GOES TO..."

PRESENTERS:

Radio and TV personality Bobby Bones, Country artist Blanco Brown, ABC’s Dancing With The Stars’ Hannah Brown, Country artist Deana Carter, actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth, Country artist Janie Fricke, actor/comedian Jim Gaffigan, Country artists Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride, Midland and Craig Morgan, artist and actress Jennifer Nettles, actor, comedian and writer J.B. Smoove, and Country artists Pam Tillis, Morgan Wallen and Trisha Yearwood are set to present at “The 53^rd Annual CMA Awards.” Country Music’s Biggest Night™, hosted by Carrie Underwood with special guest hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton airs live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 8/7c on the ABC Television Network.

PERFORMERS

Previously announced performers include Kelsea Ballerini, Brooks & Dunn with Brothers Osborne, Garth Brooks with Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Lady Antebellum and Halsey, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves with Willie Nelson, Old Dominion, Dolly Parton with for KING & COUNTRY and Zach Williams, P!NK and Chris Stapleton, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban.

Kris Kristofferson To Receive 2019 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award

Me And Bobbie McKee: Kris Kristofferson is the CMA's 2019 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. A tribute is planned for the 53rd Annual CMA Awards featuring a performance of "Me And Bobby McGee" by Dierks Bentley with Sheryl Crow, Chris Janson and John Osborne. "He is the definition of an icon and someone our community holds with such high regard," says CMA CEO Sarah Trahern. "Though he won’t be joining us at the CMA Awards, I hope our tribute performance brings a big smile to his face.” Past honorees include Nelson (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013), Johnny Cash (2015) and Dolly Parton (2016). The awards air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena Nov. 13 on ABC

BBC RADIO 2

BBC Radio 2 will broadcast a highlight show on Thursday evening hosted by Patrick Kielty and BBC Four will broadcast highlights from the awards next Friday 22 November from 11.10pm.

Performers include Carrie Underwood (host), Dolly Parton (guest host), Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves and Willie Nelson, P!nk with Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley with Sheryl Crow, Lady Antebellum with Halsey, Luke Combs, Eric Church, Kelsea Ballerini and many more!

Exclusive Artist Interviews, Rehearsal Footage

Rehearsals Day (Nov 10 - 12, 2019):
Interviews with Carrie Underwood, Reba, Dolly, Tanya Tucker, Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Maddie & Tae, Carly Pearce, Runaway June

QUOTES

For additional context, for the first time in CMA Awards history, women are nominated in all categories (exc male vocalist) and Carrie Underwood the first female in over 2 years to be shortlisted for Entertainer of the Year - this category has been won by males every year since 2011 when Taylor won, and the Awards will open with a historic female-only performance led by Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton and ft Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Crystal Gayle, The Highwomen, Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Tanya Tucker and Gretchen Wilson.

Kelsea Ballerini (nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year) said in rehearsals:

"I mean, I’m alongside legends of Country music in my brain, people that I grew up listening to like Carrie and Miranda. And then I am also alongside women that inspire me right now in music to write better songs and to work harder because they are killing it. It’s really inspiring to be in a category with people that you respect, that you love, that you listen to and that you represent country music with. I am really honoured to be in this category."

Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire (special guest hosts) joined host Carrie Underwood to talk about how they are preparing for their big night:

Dolly: We are good together. We are pros. We’ve been at it a while. Well, we have *points at Reba*. She’s good at it *points at Carrie*.

Reba: She (Carrie) is a youngster, but perfect at it.

Dolly: I think we know our place.

Reba: At first I thought it was like herding cats, and by the second time everything fell in together. And then all of the rehearsal for the opening was perfection. It was so good.

Carrie: And a great moment, looking around at all of the talent, and amazing women. Gorgeous, smart, talented women. It was like, this is a dream.

Reba: Fun, funny, lots of giggles up there.

Dolly: And it's a big night for all of us and we’re just trying to worry about getting the right clothes, and coordinating our makeup, and our hair and all of the girly things. See, that’s the trouble of doing a show with all girls. You wouldn’t believe the chaos backstage.

Reba: And they're trying to put more rhinestones on my plain clothes.

Dolly: Well, we can’t get too many rhinestones.

Reba: I like sparkles.

Dolly: I never met a Rhinestone i didn’t like.

Carrie:

We just wanted to jampack the CMA awards with women...and do it in the most wonderful, respectful way and just have as many ladies of Country music in this show as possible. And I guess I think it’s just going to be a really wonderful night just celebrating.

I just want people to see this show and be like ‘dang, there is some really talented women in Country Music’. And one thing that I have always said is a positive about all of the conversations about women in country music, is that we have all banded together, and made it a point to lift each other up and take each other on tour with us, and to encourage one another and be fans of one another, and I feel like this night will represent that to a tee.

Keith Urban (performer + nominee for Entertainer of the Year)

It’s wonderful that there is so much emphasis on the female part in country music, the role that the women play since the beginning of it all. So, it's crazy that it has to be recalibrated like this but this, but finally we are going to strike a balance and have, what should have been there all along.

Sheryl Crow (performing with Dierks Bentley)

I'm really happy that they [CMA Awards] are acknowledging women... It will be fantastic when everything is spread so even that we don’t have to have for it to be an event for women to be honoured, but nonetheless I think it will be nice to see so many women on stage.

REHEARSAL PHOTOS

Credit Taylor Tapp
Rehearsals Day 1 - Sunday, Nov. 10: The Highwomen
Rehearsals Day 2 - Monday, Nov. 11:
Old Dominion, Maddie & Tae, Runaway June, Lindsay Ell, Kelsea Ballerini
Rehearsals Day 3 - Tuesday, Nov. 12: Eric Church