55th Annual Country Music Association Awards
The 55th Annual Country Music Association Awards were held on Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The ceremony was hosted by CMA Award winner Luke Bryan. Background. After a video clip surfaced in early 2021 showing an inebriated Morgan Wallen using a racial slur the Country Music Association announced on May 21, 2021, that Wallen's 2021 CMA Awards eligibility will be limited to, “categories that honor artistic works ("Single", "Song", "Album", "Musical Event", and "Music Video of the Year" categories), so as not to "limit opportunity for other  credited collaborators," but the press release further states that Wallen will not be eligible in solo categories as "Entertainer of the Year" and "Male Vocalist of the Year". On October 1, 2021, the CMA announced that Wallen will not be allowed to attend the 2021 ceremony or any of the pre-show pageantry, despite being nominated in the "Album of the Year" category. Speaking to the "Los Angeles Times", CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said she didn't believe anyone had ever been disqualified from the show due to conduct before. "Honoring him as an individual this year is not right , and he will not be allowed on the red carpet, on our stage, or be celebrated in any way," she says. On October 18, 2021 it was announced by the CMA that Luke Bryan will host the ceremony for the first time. This is the first time the ceremony has had a solo host in 18 years, the most recent being Vince Gill. The CMA announced that ticketed audience members will have to prove full vaccination status against COVID-19 and wear appropriate face coverings. Performers and presenters will not be expected to follow the same requirements as the audience. Winners  and nominees. The eligibility period for nominees is July 1, 2020 to  June 30, 2021. The nominees were announced on September 9, 2021. Winners in Bold. Performers. The first wave of performers were announced on October 21, 2021, followed by the second and third waves on October 27 and November 4.