CMA Awards 2015: The Complete Winners List

The 49th CMA Awards were held tonight at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, with Eric Church and Little Big Town leading all nominees with five nominations.

Little Big Town picked up the first televised award of the evening, with their sublime hit “Girl Crush” being named Single of the Year.  

“This is about a 6/8 ballad about jealousy and heartache…Single of the Year! This is about being brave and being bold,” said the group’s Karen Fairchild, pointing out the old-school feel of the song. “Country radio, thanks for having the guts to play it and for all the gatekeepers for not getting in the way of following our gut and our heart, because the fans want to hear it. They want to hear it.”

The slow-burning tune also went on to nab Song of the Year honors for its writers Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey and Liz Rose. A ballad, as Fairchild pointed out from the stage, the “Girl Crush” twofer underscored a night of victories for traditional country music — with Chris Stapleton embodying the obvious sea change. The big-voiced, big-bearded singer swept all three of the categories in which he was nominated, winning New Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year for Traveller.

“About two years ago I lost my dad, and I made this record thinking a lot about the music that he would have liked. He would have liked to have seen this tonight,” Stapleton said from the stage after his Male Vocalist win, going on to thank family members and “the six people that came and watched me in a basement of a bar somewhere” in his lean years. “Maybe we’ll play some bigger ones now.”

In other races, Miranda Lambert was named Female Vocalist of the Year for a sixth time, Florida Georgia Line nabbed their third consecutive Duo of the Year and Luke Bryan was the winner of the night’s most coveted prize, Entertainer of the Year. Here is the complete list of winners at the 2015 CMA Awards.

Entertainer of the Year 
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan – WINNER
Kenny Chesney
Eric Church
Miranda Lambert

Album of the Year
Old Boots, New Dirt – Jason Aldean
Pageant Material – Kacey Musgraves
Pain Killer – Little Big Town
The Big Revival – Kenny Chesney
Traveller – Chris Stapleton – WINNER

Single of the Year
“American Kids” – Kenny Chesney
“Girl Crush” – Little Big Town – WINNER
“I Don’t Dance” – Lee Brice
“Take Your Time” – Sam Hunt
“Talladega” – Eric Church

Song of the Year
“American Kids” (Kenny Chesney)
“Girl Crush” (Little Big Town) – WINNER
“Like a Cowboy” (Randy Houser)
“Like a Wrecking Ball” (Eric Church)
“Take Your Time” (Sam Hunt)

Male Vocalist of the Year
Dierks Bentley
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Blake Shelton
Chris Stapleton – WINNER

Female Vocalist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert – WINNER
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
Lee Ann Womack

New Artist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Sam Hunt
Maddie & Tae
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton – WINNER

Vocal Duo of the Year
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line – WINNER 
Maddie & Tae
Thompson Square

Vocal Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town – WINNER
Rascal Flatts
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band

Music Video of the Year
“Biscuits” – Kacey Musgraves
“Girl Crush” – Little Big Town
“Girl in a Country Song” – Maddie & Tae – WINNER
“Little Red Wagon” – Miranda Lambert
“Something in the Water” – Carrie Underwood

Musical Event of the Year
Django and Jimmie – Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard
“Lonely Tonight” – Blake Shelton featuring Ashley Monroe
“Raise ‘Em Up” – Keith Urban featuring Eric Church — WINNER
“Smokin’ and Drinkin'” – Miranda Lambert featuring Little Big Town
“Wild Child” – Kenny Chesney with Grace Potter

Musician of the Year
Sam Bush (Mandolin)
Jerry Douglas (Dobro)
Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar)
Dann Huff (Guitar)
Mac McAnally (Guitar) – WINNER