Predicting the winners of the 2019 CMA Awards

Winning the trophy in 2016 and 2017 while continuing to sell out venues and entice fans with mysterious “dive bar” pop-up shows, Garth Brooks seems like a real shoo-in for Entertainer of the Year. 

If there’s anyone who truly deserves to win Entertainer of the Year, it’s got to be Carrie Underwood. Her Cry Pretty 360 tour crossed North America and Europe, grossing a reported $50 million and selling an average of 11,000 tickets per night. 

The strongest album in the field this year, Eric Church’s "Desperate Man" dominated the country charts while earning heaps of acclaim from critics. The 11-track album is Church’s sixth and includes the songs “Heart Like a Wheel” and lead single “Desperate Man.” 

Even though he’s already scored two Album of the Year CMA Awards, Church is deserving once again for "Desperate Man." It’s sold nearly 250,000 copies since its release and cements Church’s presence as one of country’s most compelling artists. 

The lead single and title track of Blake Shelton’s 2019 album, “God’s Country,” is the kind of endlessly relatable Southern rock anthem that was just destined to become Single of the Year. It’s a deeply personal song for Shelton, who recorded the video in his home state of Oklahoma. 

This upbeat, infectious anthem was a massive hit for Morris, and it deserves to win Single of the Year. In addition to being a really killer song, a win for this would also go a long way in recognizing the gender inequality that plagues country radio. 

Luke Combs has been a real juggernaut in mainstream country in recent years, and “Beautiful Crazy” may ultimately end up being his biggest hit of all. Powered by Combs’ excellent vocals and romantic lyrics, the song scored him a No. 1 for seven weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. 

It doesn’t have the same bravado or raw power as Combs’ “Beautiful Crazy,” but the mellow “Rainbow” is mighty in its own way. Appearing on Musgraves’ blockbuster album "Golden Hour," the song’s uplifting melody and powerful lyrics have helped Musgraves reach audiences across the world and cement her status as country’s biggest crossover artist of her era. 

The Country Music Association has already given this award to Stapleton four different times, and 2019 might just be the year that he scores his fifth Male Vocalist of the Year Award. There’s no denying how much of an impact Stapleton’s bold baritone has had on country music right now. 

An equally powerful vocalist with a fan base that grows by the day, it’s also entirely possible that Luke Combs will take home Male Vocalist of the Year in 2019. Unlike some of his contemporaries who are more “entertainers” than incredible singers, Combs is absolutely the best of both worlds. 

It’s really hard to predict whether Miranda Lambert or Carrie Underwood will take home Female Vocalist of the Year, because they’ve basically been passing it back and forth for the past few years. This year, though, the edge has to go to Underwood, whom Lambert herself has even praised as one of country’s most talented and hardworking performers. 

If the Country Music Association wants to shake things up, awarding Maren Morris Female Vocalist of the Year is a really solid way to do just that. One of the most nominated artists of the evening, Morris has proved that she’s one of country’s strongest new voices in her solo work and in her work with the Highwomen, a country supergroup comprised of Morris, Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby. 

There’s really been no new voice in neo-traditional country who’s made as big of a splash as Ashley McBryde in recent years, and she’s a real shoo-in for New Artist of the Year. She’s earned big fans like Eric Church and scored a Grammy nod for her 2018 album, "Girl Going Nowhere."

This year, McBryde just deserves it. Even though other artists in the field — Midland, Morgan Wallen — have arguably seen more commercial success, McBryde’s talent shines the brightest among her competitors. 

No country duo since Brooks & Dunn has seen the same heights as Dan + Shay, whose hit songs “Tequila” and “Speechless” have earned them legions of fans, including plenty of music lovers who don’t count themselves as country music obsessives. 

However you feel about Dan + Shay’s pop-country sound, there’s no denying that this duo deserves its due at the 2019 CMA Awards. Don’t be surprised if they’re the year’s most enduring crossover success thanks to “10,000 Hours,” the duo’s collaboration with pop megastar Justin Bieber. 

Country fans have been endlessly charmed by this kitschy trio’s vintage country vibes, and don’t be surprised if the Country Music Association doesn’t feel the same way at this year’s awards. After a huge 2018, the band’s most recent album, "Let It Roll," released in August, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. 

Experimenting with its sound more than ever, Lady Antebellum heads into the 2019 CMA Awards with an armful of previous wins, and it’s the 10th anniversary of its first Vocal Group of the Year win in 2009. 

There’s no denying that the video for “Burning Man,” a duet with the Brothers Osborne, is seriously stunning. Filmed near California’s Salton Sea, the video was directed by frequent Bentley collaborator Wes Edwards and features dramatic footage of the artists performing against that gorgeous backdrop interspersed with family photos and other personal mementos. 

In 2019, Maren Morris’s “Girl” is an anthem for the modern woman. The music video for the song is dramatic and theatrical, as it celebrates the strength (and vulnerability) of all different types of women. It’s a powerful message, especially in these complicated times. 

This collaboration between two of country music’s most powerful stars is a country fan’s dream come true, even inspiring a series of pop-up dive bar tour dates from Brooks across the country. 

The undisputed song of summer 2019, the completely unexpected collaboration between newcomer Lil Nas X and ‘90s country stalwart BIlly Ray Cyrus is the clear winner in this category. It’s one of the year’s biggest songs in any genre and has inspired countless memes and a major conversation about inclusion in country music. 

Since 2010, McAnally has taken home the trophy for Musician of the Year, and there’s no real reason to think that will change in 2019. A member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band and prolific songwriter, McAnally is one of Nashville’s most revered musical figures. 

In 2019, the Country Music Association should consider changing it up and giving the award to a seriously talented female musician. A virtuosic fiddler and guitarist, Jenee Fleenor is the first woman to be nominated in the category, and her incredible playing with Blake Shelton and "The Voice’s" house band is not to be missed.