The 2022 CMA Awards nominees are out! Lainey Wilson leads the list of nominees with six nods, followed by Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce and Chris Stapleton, who each have five nods. While there are many, many worthy nominees this year, there are a few surprising omissions, not just this year, but any year. We take a look at nine country artists, who have yet, shockingly, to be nominated for a CMA Award.
1. Dustin Lynch
We say it every year, and we’ll say it again this year: it’s baffling how Dustin Lynch continues to be glossed over for nominations year after year. Lynch has reigned at the top of the charts, multiple times. His “Thinking ‘Bout You” duet with MacKenzie Porter stayed at the top of the charts for five weeks. He’s had eight No. 1 singles throughout his career, including mega-hits like “Small Town Boy” and “Good Girl.” He is long, long overdue.
2. Michael Ray
Michael Ray could have earned a nomination, at least, for a couple of years, but especially this year. Ray has had several hits at radio since his 2015 debut “Kiss You In the Morning,” which also became his first No. 1 single. But his multi-week “Whiskey and Rain” single could have earned him a nomination, or more. Ray has yet to have a complete dud at radio, and he deserves some recognition for that, along with his strong, unwavering devotion to the country music genre.
3. Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery has had a slow but steady climb in country radio, ever since winning Season 10 of American Idol in 2011. It, by his own admission, took him a few years to have a hit at radio, but once he started having success, the hits kept coming. McCreery just celebrated a multi-week No. 1 hit with “Damn Strait,” which should have earned him some kind of recognition. Maybe next year.
4. Ingrid Andress
Ingrid Andress’ “Wishful Drinking” duet with Sam Hunt was released last year, which follows her breakthrough “Breaking More Hearts Than Mine” single, and her Top 40 “Lady Like.” Andress also earned the respect and admiration of Keith Urban, who invited her out on his The Speed of Now World Tour. A New Artist of the Year nomination, at least, for her, is well-deserved.
5. Justin Moore
Justin Moore has also never been nominated for a CMA Award, which is also mind-boggling, and frankly without excuse. The Arkansas native has had hit after hit after hit, with four back-to-back No. 1 singles, including the inspirational “We Didn’t Have Much,” released last year, and his latest chart-topping single, “With A Woman You Love.” Moore somehow misses hearing his name announced year after year, even though he more than deserves a nomination.
6. Clay Walker
This is beyond shocking. Clay Walker, one of the reigning hitmakers of the ’90s and into the early 2000s, has never, ever been nominated for a CMA Award! Walker has had so many hit singles throughout his career, including “What’s It To You,” “If I Could Make a Man,” “Rumor Has It” and more. And he is still selling out arenas! It’s hard to believe that Walker has never been nominated, but his career definitely didn’t suffer for it.
7. Craig Morgan
Craig Morgan is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, but has yet to receive a CMA Awards nomination. Morgan had a string of hits early in his career, including “Almost Home,” “Redneck Yacht Club” and more. 2022 might not have been the year for him to receive any nominations, but he definitely deserved some throughout his career, including Song of the Year for his “The Father, My Son and the Holy Ghost” in 2019.
8. Parmalee
Parmalee had their first No. 1 hit in 2013 with “Carolina,” waiting patiently six more years for their second one, in 2019 with “Take My Name,” their collaboration with Blanco Brown. They had another No. 1 hit last year, with “Take My Name,” which stayed at the top of the Billboard charts an impressive two weeks. Seems like if their time hasn’t come by now, it will soon.
9. Danielle Bradbery
Danielle Bradbery won Season 4 of The Voice in 2013, when she was just 16 years old. Bradbery has been steadily making her mark in country music since then, and while she hasn’t had a radio hit in recent years, it does seem surprising that she has, never once, been nominated.
Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning will serve as hosts of the 2022 CMA Awards. The 2022 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 9, at 8:00 PM ET on ABC.
