The 54th Annual CMA Awards air tonight on ABC (8 pm) and while it will be different than past years, with no audience due to the coronavirus, it will still be a great show.

Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker host this year’s event from Nashville, which, as usual, will be filled with a boatload of performances. This year’s confirmed performers include: Gabby Barrett featuring Charlie Puth, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett featuring Reba, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin, Carly Pearce and Charles Kelley, Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Ingrid Andress, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber, Jenee Fleenor, Little Big Town, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Keith Urban, and Morgan Wallen.

Kicking off this year’s CMAs will be multi-song tribute to the late Charlie Daniels and there will also be tributes to other artists we lost this year, including Kenny Rogers, and Joe Diffie. Old Dominion will also help celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Urban Cowboy” with a performance of Johnny Lee’s “Looking for Love.”

In addition, Charley Pride will be honored with the 2020 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, which is awarded to an “iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in Country Music.”

This year’s presenters include Thomas Rhett’s wife Lauren Akins, Lauren Alaina, Bobby Bones, Charles Esten, Sara Evans, supermodel Taylor Hill, Jake Owen, Patrick Schwarzenegger and gospel artist CeCe Winans

As for the nominees, Miranda Lambert leads this year’s pack with seven, including a nod for Entertainer of the Year. Miranda’s new nominations extend her record for the most nods for a female artist in CMA history with 55. Coming in close behind Miranda this year is Luke Combs, who has six nods, and Maren, who has five.

Artists in the running for the coveted Entertainer of the Year award include Miranda, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church and Keith Urban. Check out the complete list of nominees below:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Eric Church
Luke Combs
Miranda Lambert
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s), and Mix Engineer

“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber) (Producer: Dan Smyers; Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano)
“Beer Never Broke My Heart” – Luke Combs (Producer: Scott Moffatt; Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley)
“Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert (Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce)
“The Bones” – Maren Morris (Producer: Greg Kurstin; Mix Engineer: Greg Kurstin)
“I Hope” – Gabby Barrett (Producers: Ross Copperman, Zach Kale; Mix Engineer: Buckley Miller)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist and Producer(s)

“Heartache Medication” – Jon Pardi (Producers: Bart Butler, Ryan Gore, Jon Pardi)
“Never Will” – Ashley McBryde (Producers: Jay Joyce, John Peets)
“Old Dominion” – Old Dominion (Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion)
“What You See Is What You Get” – Luke Combs (Producer: Scott Moffatt)
“Wildcard” – Miranda Lambert (Producer: Jay Joyce)

SONG OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Songwriters

“Bluebird” (Songwriters: Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert)
“The Bones” (Songwriters: Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz)
“Even Though I’m Leaving” (Songwriters: Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Ray Fulcher)
“I Hope You’re Happy Now” (Songwriters: Luke Combs, Randy Montana, Carly Pearce, Jonathan Singleton)
“More Hearts Than Mine” (Songwriters: Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland)

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artists and Producer(s)

“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber) (Producer: Dan Smyers)
“Be A Light” – Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban (Producer: Dann Huff)
“The Bones” – Maren Morris with Hozier (Producer: Greg Kurstin)
“Fooled Around And Fell In Love” – Miranda Lambert (feat. Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes & Caylee Hammack) (Producer: Jay Joyce)
“I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice (Producer: busbee)

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s) and Director

• “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber) (Director: Patrick Tracy)
• “Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert (Director: Trey Fanjoy)
• “Homemade” – Jake Owen (Director: Justin Clough)
• “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice (Director: Sam Siske)
• “Second One To Know” – Chris Stapleton (Director: David Coleman)

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

• Jimmie Allen
• Ingrid Andress
• Gabby Barrett
• Carly Pearce
• Morgan Wallen

Another country star has been forced to pull out of the CMA Awards after testing positive for the coronavirus. As we already told you, it was revealed over the weekend that Lee Brice had tested positive, and now Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard has as well.

“Some of y’all guessed it,” Tyler shared on Instagram. “Got the Rona. Asymptomatic. Quarantining on bus. Miss my family. Writing songs. Thankful.”

Tyler’s positive test means FGL will no longer be performing on tomorrow’s CMA telecast.

“As you may have heard, unfortunately Lee Brice and Tyler Hubbard both tested positive for COVID-19 and are unable to join us for the CMA Awards on Wednesday night,” the CMA shared. “Although this is incredibly disappointing, not only for the show but also for CMA personally as we care deeply for these artists and only want the best for them and their families, it does reassure us that our protocols are working.” They add, “Our process enabled us to manage each situation immediately and before either artist ever entered our set. Most importantly, it prevented anyone else from being exposed.”

Tyler’s wife Hayley later explained on Instagram that the whole family has been quarantined since Tyler got his first positive test last Wednesday after finding out he may have been exposed. She noted, “He did infect two other people and it’s seriously a miracle I don’t have it, because he was barely in the same room [with the other people].”

Hayley, who said their infant son Atlas is being cared for by the nanny, added, “The hardest part for us was going through that list of people we had come into contact with prior to his positive test, thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, we could have infected them and not even known it.'” She adds, “This has already affected our life and it’s going to affect so many more lives. It’s just such a domino effect. You really realize it when you’re in it.”

Kelly Clarkson’s management company, Starstruck Management Group, which is run by which is run by Narvel Blackstock, father of Kelly’s estranged husband Brandon Blackstock, filed a lawsuit against her claiming she owes them commission for this year’s work on “The Voice” and “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” Well, now Kelly is fighting back.

Starstruck has managed Kelly for the past 13 years, although the suit suggests that they don’t have a written management agreement, just a verbal one, which has been in place since 2003. But Kelly is arguing that agreement should be “declared void and unenforceable.”

In new court documents filed last month, Kelly’s lawyers argue that Starstruck Management Group violated the California Labor Code by booking her gigs without obtaining a talent agency license. She says that Narvel and Brandon acted as unlicensed talent agents, and because of this not only does she not owe them money, she believes money she’s already paid them should be returned.

Starstruck says this argument “conveniently ignores the fact that Kelly had her own licensed talent agency [Creative Artists Agency] at all times.” They add, “It is unfortunate that Kelly is again attempting to avoid paying commissions that are due and owing to Starstruck to try and achieve some perceived advantage in her ongoing custody and divorce proceedings.”

Source: People

The CMA Awards are less than a week away, and organizers are still piling on the talent. The show just announced another set of performers, including Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Ingrid Andress, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber, Jenee Fleenor, Little Big Town, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce and Lee Brice, Keith Urban, and Morgan Wallen

Kicking off this year’s CMAs will be multi-song tribute to the late Charlie Daniels, featuring Brothers Osborne, Ashley McBryde, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Jenee Fleenor. There will also be tributes to other artists we lost this year, including LBT paying tribute to Kenny Rogers, and Jon Pardi paying tribute to Joe Diffie. Old Dominion will also help celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Urban Cowboy” with a performance of Johnny Lee’s “Looking for Love.”

Elsewhere, Dan + Shay and Bieber will take the stage for the world television premiere of their song “10,000 Hours,” while Keith, who’s in Australia, will perform “God Whispered Your Name,” and Jimmie Allen will not only perform his hit “Best Shot,” but will present Charley Pride with the 2020 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Also, Ingrid Andress will perform “More Hearts Than Mine,” Morgan Wallen will peform “More Than My Hometown,” and Carly Pearce and Lee Brice will perform “I Hope You’re Happy Now.”