Carrie Underwood is once again nominated for Entertainer of the Year at the upcoming 2023 CMA Awards. It is, surprisingly, her only nomination of the year, a category she shares with Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson. This marks Underwood’s sixth time being nominated for Entertainer of the Year, one that has historically been dominated largely by male artists, but she has yet to walk away with the trophy.
“It is obviously such an honor to be nominated in Entertainer of the Year,” Underwood tells her record label. “Obviously, that’s such a tough category to be in, ‘cause there’s just so — I don’t even want to call it competition — there’s just so many hard-working artists out there that are just pouring themselves, and their time and their energy and their love and their artistry into what they do.
“Obviously, just to even be in the final category is just absolutely amazing,” she continues. “And hopefully, above all, we can all just remember that it’s a celebration of a great year in country music and in our careers as artists. So we’ll just see what happens, but [I’m] definitely excited to be in that category.”
Photo Credit: Jeff Johnson
Underwood was first nominated for Entertainer of the Year at the CMA Awards in 2016, and has been nominated in every year since 2019. Combs has won it for the last two years in a row.
If the award was based solely on performance abilities, Underwood’s name would be at the top of the list. In addition to headlining her The Denim & Rhinestones Tour, Underwood also headlined her Reflection Las Vegas residency, which was extended into 2024, due to fan demand. For both her tour and her Vegas shows, Underwood took performing to new heights literally, showing off impressive aerial skills, which she also used in her “Ghost Story” video as well.
“It was my idea,” Underwood told Lon Helton’s Country Countdown USA. “I’m the one who put myself in the air. We had my show in Vegas, and we had aerialists. I would watch them every night, and it looked like a challenge. So for this song, the reason I wanted this as the first single was because I could do a lot with it and I want to fly. I’m not a daredevil, but I like to push myself. Sometimes that involves a little danger. Why not? You only live once.”
Luke Bryan will co-host the CMA Awards ceremony with Peyton Manning. The 2023 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville on Wednesday, November 8, at 8:00 PM ET on ABC. More information can be found at CMAAwards.com.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of CMA