Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
The other contenders for country music’s highest honor included Chris Stapleton, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, and Luke Combs.
Morgan Wallen won the prestigious Entertainer of the Year award at the 2024 CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 20, but was notably absent from the ceremony. Jeff Bridges, who presented the award, accepted on behalf of Wallen, explaining, “Morgan couldn’t make it tonight, so I’m going to accept this award on his behalf. Alright, let’s hear it for Morgan!”
The reason for Wallen’s absence remains unclear, though he had wrapped up his One Night at a Time tour in October. Heading into the event, Wallen was the most-nominated artist, with nods in categories like Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year, Song of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Music Video of the Year, and Musical Event of the Year.
A representative for Wallen did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Wallen, who had been nominated for Entertainer of the Year in both 2023 and 2022, won the top honor over competitors Chris Stapleton, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, and Luke Combs.
In 2021, Wallen was deemed ineligible for solo awards after being caught on video using a racial slur, which led to him being excluded from that year’s CMA nominations. He returned to the CMAs in 2023, where he performed alongside HARDY and Post Malone in a tribute to Joe Diffie.
Wallen released his third studio album, One Thing at a Time, in March 2023, and scored a No. 1 single earlier this year with Post Malone on the track “I Had Some Help.”
Most recently, the country singer dropped the single “Love Somebody” on Oct. 18. That same week, he concluded his massive One Night at a Time World Tour in Charlotte, N.C.
One Thing at a Time has become one of the most successful albums of his career. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and held the top spot for 19 consecutive weeks, making it the longest-running No. 1 country album of all time on the chart.
The album’s track “Last Night” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Wallen’s first song to achieve this feat. The track also earned a nomination for Best Country Song at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
