The 2023 CMA Awards nominations were announced yesterday. With that came plenty of surprises, along with plenty of snubs, and many well-deserved honors. Sometimes, it’s the misses that stand out, at least initially. 8 of the biggest snubs for the 2023 CMA Award nominations are laid out here, below.

We all know Lainey Wilson is wildly beloved, and her record-breaking amount of nominations are certainly well-deserved. The woman can sing and write. In addition, the energy she radiates on stage combined with the passion in every performance helped her to rack-up a record 9 nominations. Wilson has so many nominations she’s even competing with herself in one category. We all love Lainey. But there are quite a few artists we love that were no-shows.

Why the Country Music Association voters chose not to nominate some of the industry’s biggest and brightest stars is a mystery. And it’s likely never to be solved. Hey, it happens every year with every award show. Yes, we understand there are a very limited amount of spots on the roster. But when it happens repeatedly with one artist, it makes you wonder if there’s more to it. For instance, Kane Brown has never been nominated for a CMA for his solo work. It’s frustrating for him, I’m sure, and for his fans for sure!

Three artists on this list that have no business being here. Check out #2, 3 and #4 and think about the year they’ve had. From touring to hits and acclaimed albums, they each have plenty of reasons to have earned nominations handed out yesterday. Add to that list, the biggest hit of the year in country music and pop music, and you’ll be scratching your head for days in wonder. Take a look now at 8 of the biggest snubs for the 2023 CMA Awards nominations.

• 1. "Last Night" - Morgan Wallen

  Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” just won the summer. Billboard’s 2023 Songs of the Summer Chart declared it the #1 song of this summer. This marks the first time a country song has won the summer chart for the first time since 1974. The song won the race for the most weeks at #1, with a total of 16 weeks on the all-genre Hot 100 (the most ever for non- collab song), and 25 weeks dominating the Hot Country Songs chart for 25 weeks. Yet, “Last Night” scored absolutely NO CMA Awards nominations yesterday. Not SINGLE of the Year or even Song of the Year. He did grab 2 nominations for Male Vocalist and for Album of the Year for his 36 song banger One Night at a Time. Of course, in the end, he is a winner already because of the popularity of the song with his fans and how many new fans he’s earned. He put a lot of money in the bank with this roughly 2 1/2 minute gem. So win, win.

• 2. Kane Brown

  How can this be? Kane Brown has NEVER been nominated for a CMA Award for his work as a solo artist. He was nominated as a featured artist on Chris Young’s “Famous Friends” in 2021. This year, he finally got a nomination as the lead artist on a single, but it was for the Musical Event of the Year Award, with his wife Katelyn for “Thank God.” He has become a hugely popular touring act (sold out Fenway this past summer), he has huge radio hits, and his albums sell very well. What more can an artist do?

• 3. Parmalee

  Honestly, I had to look a few times at the full list of nominees that were released yesterday. I kept searching Parmalee. The 4 man band from North Carolina with one of the year’s biggest hits was nowhere to be found. In fact, they are the only group in 2022 that had a #1 hit. This years nominees for Vocal Group of the year are Old Dominion, Lady A, Little Big Town, Midland and Zac Brown. Crazy that Parmalee didn’t make this category or “Single of the Year” for “Take My Name.”

• 4. Bailey Zimmerman

  Yeah, 2022 was his rookie year, but this now 23 year hit it out of the park. 2 times! Discovered on TikTok, the boy from Louisville, Illinois who was building gas pipelines literally blew up in a minute. His small-town charm and incredible energy has earned him legions of fans, but not a “New Artist of the Year” nominations from the CMA Awards. His 2 #1 hits and a tour with Morgan Wallen should keep him happy for a while. But “Rock and a Hard Place” and “Fall in Love” should have landed a Single of the Year or Song of the Year nom.

• 5. Jon Pardi

  I get it that Jon Pardi isn’t for everyone. He has a very traditional delivery. But the dude is talented, and has earned nominations for his body of work, in album form, on several occasions. He grabbed an ACM Nomination for his most recent Mr. Saturday Night but as far as a CMA Award nomination…crickets. And he had 2 hits from this album that could have easily been contenders for an award.

• 6. Thomas Rhett

  Known for his songwriting, live performances and his album production, Thomas Rhett was a no-show for this year’s CMA Awards nominations. He’s been an award show darling in the past and a fan favorite. His arena tour brought him to the TD Garden for the first time this summer, and he scored a #1 hit with Riley Green, “Half of Me.” I’m sure we will see you on the list next year, Thomas.

• 7. Zach Bryan

  Ok, so we all know Zach Bryan is not a mainstream artist. He doesn’t have big radio hits or play the Opry on a regular and doesn’t even live in the Nashville area (reportedly he lives in Philadelphia). But what Bryan does have is a loyal army of fans and a truck load of songs that are country at their core. Story songs are his gift. He embraces his outsider status and it certainly elevates his cool factor. But the artist is so deserving of nominations for his songs, his performances and his popularity. Granted, Zach did receive his first nod this year for New Artist of the Year, but it’s not enough.

• 8. Cole Swindell

  The springtime ACM Awards showed Cole Swindell all the love for his monster hit, “She Had Me at Heads Carolina.” He scooped up the awards for Single of the Year and Song of the Year that night. As far as the recent CMA Awards nominations, he only received one nod for Musical Event of the Year, for the remix of the song featuring Jo Dee Messina. His album Stereotype churned out 3 #1 hits! (Single Saturday Night, Never Say Never (with Lainey Wilson) and She Had Me At Heads Carolina. What were the voters thinking?

• 9. Jordan Davis

  He’s like the gentle giant, sneaking up on you with hit after hit. Well-crafted songs and a voice that oozes with sincerity. Jordan Davis seems to be quietly taking over the world of country music. Jordan did receive nominations this year for the CMA’s Single and Song of the Year categories for “Next Thing You Know,” but why is he never considered for Male Vocalist. Undoubtedly, he can sing, and he’s on the verge of selling out 2 Boston shows next month. Plus Jordan is  just a positive, appreciative guy, as you can clearly hear in his music.

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