Luke Combs is nominated for four CMA Awards heading into tonight’s ceremony, including Male Vocalist of the Year, two for Album of the Year for his latest Father & Sons (both artist and producer), and the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year.
The 34-year-old has received a total of 29 CMA Awards nominations since being nominated for New Artist of the Year in 2017, taking home a total of 11 trophies in the years since then, including two for Entertainer of the Year. But still, it’s a thrill for Combs every time he hears his name among the list of nominees.
“It’s great. I mean, any time is unbelievable,” Combs tells the CMA. “I think every time it’s really hard to believe, honestly. I didn’t ever think that I would get this far, so I’m just really thankful for it, is all. Being nominated again for Entertainer of the Year is incredible.”
In addition to being nominated, Combs will also perform. The North Carolina native will sing his recent No. 1 single, “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma,” a song he wrote with Jonathan Singleton and Jessi Alexander for the recent Twisters movie, out now.
“I got a call, obviously before the movie came out, and they wanted to do an original soundtrack,” Combs recalls. “They wanted me to write something uptempo and fun and fast, and that’s what we did, and it turned out to be really great. I didn’t know really what to expect. I don’t have too much experience doing stuff like that, but it was a lot of fun.”
Combs, a frequent performer at awards shows, says that fans should expect the unexpected when he takes the stage later tonight.
“The performance is really high energy, a lot of cool lights and fire and stuff we’ve never done,” Combs hints. “We’ve never done that stuff ever before. So, I think it makes it a little bit cooler for us … Me and my band, we really shy away from that stuff. We like to let the music speak for itself, but I think the song is the perfect time to dip your toe into that. So we’re excited about it. It’s gonna be a lot of fun.”
After tonight’s CMA Awards, chances are good that Combs will head to his recently opened Category 10 bar in downtown Nashville.
“This is a dream come true, and I am excited to share it with y’all,” Combs said when Category 10 opened earlier this month. “This a fan-first venue with a little something for everybody.”
The 2024 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on ABC. The ceremony will also stream on Hulu the next day.
Find all of Combs’ music and upcoming shows at LukeCombs.com.