Recent Posts
Entertainment November 2, 2016
Carrie Underwood at the 2016 CMA Awards. Photo by Debby Wong/REX/Shutterstock.Queen of country Carrie Underwood is dominating the headlines as a co-host and performer for this year’s CMA Awards. But an impressive number of other women will also be walking alongside her at the red carpet, including country icons Dolly Parton, Reba and Beyoncé. Additionally, eight other inspirational women have snagged nominations for the 50th CMA Awards.
ENTITY takes a peek at the impressive careers and glamorous CMA red carpet looks of these women.
Underwood is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year and Album of the Year. She’s up against country music superstars Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan and Keith Urban.
“Underwood is nominated in this category for the first time and many feel she’s overdue for a big win — especially considering she had a huge year with her “Storyteller” album and arena tour,” The Washington Post reports.
After releasing her acclaimed album “Storyteller,” she went on a nationwide tour, which Colon Swon of the duo Swon Brothers told The Boot “will blow your mind.”
Underwood’s show may be loud and intense, but the songs from her latest album “Storyteller,” really make the show stand out. With singles “Church Bells” and “Like I’ll Never Love You Again,” this collection of songs is what Taste of Country calls “Underwood’s most personal album.”
Maren Morris also has an impressive number of nominations, including Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year.
Morris’ self-titled EP introduced the world to the 26-year-old singer-songwriter and from there she quickly rose in the ranks. Quickly catching the attention of major labels, she released her single “My Church,” which has generated almost 20 million views on YouTube.
Morris told Glamour that the first time she heard “My Church” on the radio she was so emotional she had to pull her car to the side of the road.
“You work your entire life to hear that one three-minute moment, and it’s just so cool. Every time I hear it now, I turn it up on the radio. I never get sick of it,” she said.
When she dropped her first full-length album “Hero” in June, fans helped take it to the No. 5 spot on Billboard’s 200 chart.
After being honored for Breakout Artist at CMT Artists of the Year earlier this month, Ballerini is making an appearance at this year’s CMA Awards. In addition to performing, she is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year.
READ MORE: CMT Honors Inspirational Women Shania Twain and Carrie Underwood.
Ballerini has confirmed that she will be belting out her first major hit “Peter Pan” at the ceremony. However, her song pick for her second performance – following a collab with a host of legends – is still not revealed.
“[The second song is] a performance that we’ve had an idea for for months and I’m really glad to kinda end the Peter Pan chapter with this performance,” she said via CMT Radio.
She will be attending alongside her boyfriend, fellow country star Morgan Evans. However, she’ll also have a few other dates – four of her closest family members.
This year, the singer-songwriter is up for a Female Vocalist of the Year. Fans eagerly await the release of her latest collection, “The Weight of These Wings,” which is set to hit stores and (iTunes playlists) on November 18.
The first single from her new album, “Vice,” was written soon after her divorce from Blake Shelton. Billboard argues that this painful experience adds depth and maturity to Lambert’s new music.
“It’s just basically writing a journal and putting it on a record and allowing the world to see it,” Lambert told Billboard of the album. “I felt like the first song needed to show people that that’s what we’re doing.”
Lambert reflects on winning her first CMA Award. “I felt like I sort of floated out of my own body,” she says via People. “I don’t remember what I said.”
READ MORE: Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and More Sing ‘Forever Country’ (VIDEO).
Folk singer-songwriter Lori McKenna is nominated for Song of the Year with “Humble and Kind,” a song she penned for country celebrity Tim McGraw. While McGraw’s hit video was released at the beginning of 2017, McKenna’s version was only uploaded two days prior to the ceremony.
Sound familiar? She also snagged the award last year when she wrote the song “Girl Crush” for Little Big Town. The country band she collaborated with is also nominated tonight but for a different category.
READ MORE: Taylor Swift’s 5 Best Breakup Songs: Listen Up Calvin Harris and Tom Hiddleston.
Like Ballerini, McKenna will also be turning the night into a family affair by bringing her six-person squad to the ceremony. The mother of five makes time for song-writing with a simple trick: pasta.
“If I start writing, I don’t get anything else done, ” McKenna said via People. “And I can cook spaghetti in like 10 minutes!”
McKenna may have written nominated hit “Humble and Kind,” but Musgraves is just as humble (and we’re assuming just as kind).
“I did not expect it, especially being in between albums. But either way, I’m glad to be hanging in there,” Musgraves said via Rolling Stone Country. “I’m proud to be a female in country music.”
The country star and former “Nashville Star” contestant is in the running for Female Vocalist of the Year. In addition to her nomination, she will also take the stage to perform at the event.
Musgraves, who has previously self-produced three albums and professionally recorded two, just released her Christmas album, “A Very Kacey Christmas,” earlier this month and announced holiday tour dates.
These sisters, nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year, have become one of the most popular country music duos in the latest two years. Their debut album, “Start Here” features singles such as “Shut Up and Fish” and “Girl in a Country Song,” both of which have generated more than 50 million views on YouTube.
Glamour said of the pair, “the singer-songwriters are more than just dollar signs for their label—they’re that rare combination of total unpretentiousness, business smarts, and hearts as big as the fans they’ve won over.”
The inspiring duo certainly seem grateful for their rising success in the industry. “We have worked our butts off and this is a dream come true,” Maddie told Glamour. “This is what we’ve always wanted to do, and we just feel so grateful for the team that’s around us and helping to adjust us to the changes around us.”
READ MORE: Top 5 Female Music Duos That Should Be on Your #GirlPower Playlist.
Unfortunately, the power, presence and poise of these seven women may not be enough to carry the success of the show. The 50th annual show will clash with the World Series Game 7 – an unlucky date, to say the least. (Even male country artist Brett Eldredge is choosing the baseball game over the award ceremony.)
Scroll through the gallery below to see some of their best red carpet looks.
