The 2024 CMA Awards will take place tomorrow (November 19) which means it's almost time to crown a new Entertainer of the Year. Lainey Wilson took home the award last year and is up for the honor again this year. Recently, Brooks & Dunn gave their opinion on who should take home the prestigious award.
Brooks & Dunn recently appeared on Taste of Country Nights to discuss their new album, working with modern country stars, and more. During the conversation, host Evan Paul asked the legendary duo who they thought should take home the night's biggest award.
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"Anyone who was nominated is worthy but Morgan [Wallen] is pretty much smokin' it," Ronnie Dunn said. Kix Brooks agreed with him. Then, he brought up Wilson, the reigning Entertainer of the Year. "She's got the juice. We just ran down and did 'Play Something Country' with her a few nights ago in Atlanta. She's got it," Brooks said. However, he isn't confident in his selection. "I know better than to predict that one. Anything can happen," he said.
The Entertainer of the Year Award could go either way. Wilson and Wallen have some stiff competition this year. They're competing against Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, and Jelly Roll for the big award. All of the nominees have had stellar years.
Last year's crop of Entertainer of the Year nominees looked very similar to this year's. In 2023, Wilson, Wallen, Stapleton, and Combs were in the running. However, Jelly Roll wasn't on the shortlist for the most prestigious award of the evening. Instead, Carrie Underwood took the fifth spot.
Some of this year's Entertainer of the Year nominees are looking for other important wins at tomorrow's CMA Awards. For instance, Combs, Jelly Roll, and Stapleton are up for Album of the Year for Fathers and Sons, Whitsitt Chapel, and Higher, respectively. Wilson is up for Female Vocalist of the Year. Additionally, all of the male EotY nominees are up for Male Vocalist of the Year. Wilson and Stapleton are also up for Single of the Year for "Watermelon Moonshine" and "White Horse" respectively. "White Horse" also earned Stapleton and his co-writer, Dan Wilson, a Song of the Year nomination.