CMA snubs Morgan Wallen despite record tour, chart-topping year

Morgan Wallen was left off the field for country music’s top honors at this year’s CMA Awards, despite a run that included a sold-out stadium tour and more than a dozen weeks atop the Billboard charts, sparking backlash from fans online.

Mr. Wallen was left out of both Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year when the Country Music Association released its nominee list Thursday, though he did receive two Musical Event of the Year nominations for collaborations with Ella Langley and HARDY, Eric Church and Tim McGraw.

His album “I’m The Problem” had spent 14 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and his “Still The Problem Tour” sold out all 23 stadium shows across 12 cities, according to a Universal Music recap marking the tour’s close.

Mr. Wallen was not alone. Jason Aldean also received no nominations this year. The Entertainer of the Year field instead went to Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson.

Ms. Langley, who teamed with Mr. Wallen on “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” led all nominees with nine nods — a total the CMA said ties the record for most nominations earned by a woman in a single year. Mr. Stapleton picked up four nominations.

Fans rallied behind Mr. Wallen on social media. “CMA is a joke. Morgan doesn’t need its approval,” one person wrote on Instagram, according to the Daily Caller.

Mr. Wallen has not publicly addressed the nominations. “The 60th Annual CMA Awards” airs live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 18 on ABC, with next-day streaming on Hulu.