2024 MusicRow Awards Category Profile: Entertainer Of The Year
Following the announcement of this year’s nominees for the 36th annual MusicRow Awards, presented by City National Bank, we take a closer look at the Entertainer of the Year category. This category is voted on by MusicRow’s subscribers to honor outstanding achievements by a Nashville artist during the eligibility period.
This year’s winners will be announced online on all MusicRow platforms on Tuesday, Aug. 27.
Click here to see the full list of MusicRow Awards nominees.
Winners are determined solely by MusicRow Magazine subscribers. Voting is now open and closes on Aug. 9 at 5:00 p.m. To receive a ballot to vote in the MusicRow Awards, becoming a MusicRow subscriber here.
Two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Combs recently kicked off another stadium tour, setting attendance records in Milwaukee, Buffalo and University Park. The Asheville, North Carolina native led the 2024 ACM Award nominations with eight nods and performed an unforgettable duet of “Fast Car” with Tracy Chapman during the 2024 Grammy Awards. Combs’ cover of the track won Single of the Year at the 2023 CMA Awards, spent five consecutive weeks on top of Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart and reached No. 1 on the Hot AC chart, becoming the first song by a male solo artist to ever top both the Hot AC and Country chart. The song has been streamed over 1.1 billion times, has been certified double-Platinum and spent 18 weeks in the top five of Billboard‘s all-genre Hot 100 chart, eight of which were spent at No. 2. His Gettin’ Old album has further established Combs as one of music’s most authentic and powerful voices. He also recently released his Fathers & Sons collection celebrating the journey of parenthood.
Platinum artist Cody Johnson has built a following of passionately loyal fans, selling out shows across the country. To date, Johnson has garnered 46 career RIM certifications, a Pandora Billionaire Award, seven billion global streams and two No. 1 singles. He has earned multiple industry honors including CMT Artist of the Year, three CMT Music Awards, two CMA Awards and Best New Country Artist at the iHeart Music Awards. The Texas native’s latest studio album, Leather, features the No. 1 Gold-certified hit single “The Painter,” and top-10-and-climbing emotional tune, “Dirt Cheap.” His feature-length documentary, Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story, has notched Telly Awards and honors at The Wild Bunch Film Festival and the Wild West Film Festival. He has made television appearances on Today, The Kelly Clarkson Show and more, in addition to live performances at the iHeart Music Awards, ACM Awards, CMA Awards, CMT Music Awards, CMT Giants honoring Vince Gill and more. He recently wrapped his arena tour, including a sold-out stop at Bridgestone Arena.
Award winning singer-songwriter Jelly Roll burst into the country music scene with his debut country album, Whitsitt Chapel. The project debuted in the top three on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart and at No. 2 on the Top Country Album chart, earning the biggest country debut album in Billboard consumption chart history. In 2023, the Nashville native won four People‘s Choice Country Awards, three CMT Music Awards, Billboard‘s 2023 Breakthrough Award and the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year. He is also one of three artists to have scored three Country Airplay No. 1s in 2023 and the first to do it with his first three singles. The two-time Grammy nominee shares confessional, vulnerable expressions of self doubt through his tunes, including smash hit “Save Me” with Lainey Wilson and “Need A Favor.” His documentary Save Me became the most watched music documentary on ABC News. On the heels of his new release “I Am Not Okay,” he is gearing up for his headlining arena tour this fall.
10-time Grammy winner Chris Stapleton is one of country’s most respected and beloved musicians. At the 2024 ACM Awards, he brought home another four trophies, bringing his total to 19, while also holding 16 CMA Award wins. The release of his latest album, Higher, was met with overwhelming critical acclaim, including two Grammy wins for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song with “White Horse.” The project also includes top-35-and-climbing “Think I’m In Love With You.” With his reputation for delivering electric live performances, the Kentucky native recently appeared on Saturday Night Live for the third time. Stapleton has also had recent collaborations with Dua Lipa, Slash and George Strait, and appeared on the Tom Petty tribute album. He will continue his global headlining amphitheater tour throughout the year, while also playing stadiums with George Strait and Little Big Town.
With 11 Billboard Music Award wins in 2023, Morgan Wallen continues to push his fame to the top. His third studio album, One Thing At A Time, has remained atop the all-genre Billboard 200 chart for 19 non-consecutive weeks, taking the record for most weeks at No. 1 for a country album, and was the most streamed album of the year on Spotify. The six-time Platinum hit “Last Night” was streamed over 1.5 billion times, becoming the most-streamed song of any genre in the U.S. across Apple Music and Spotify and the longest-running No. 1 solo song in the Hot 100 chart’s history at 16 weeks total. His recent history making collaboration with Post Malone, “I Had Some Help,” impacted at country radio with 167 first-week adds, debuting at No. 15 on the Media base charts. The track has become the longest-running No. 1 of 2024. His 2023 stadium tour took the Tennessee native to five countries, playing for over 2.4 million fans. Wallen was also honored with the distinction of Billboard and Pollstar Country Tour of the Year.
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson has become a force in the music industry. As the reigning ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year, her unique sound and spirit has led her to earn numerous accolades and develop a diehard fan base. Nearly 10 years after leaving her small town in Louisiana, she earned her first Platinum No. 1 hit with “Things A Man Oughta Know.” She’s built on that success, scoring six more No. 1 smashes and becoming the lead female artist with the most No. 1 hits this decade. Wilson has earned two Grammy nominations, nine ACM Awards, seven CMA Awards and became an official member of the Grand Ole Opry. Thus far, her music has taken her worldwide. Wilson also made her acting debut in season five of Paramount’s smash hit series Yellowstone. She is currently gearing up for the release of her next album, Whirlwind, containing previously-released tracks “Country’s Cool Again,” “4x4xU” and top-15-and-rising single “Hang Tight Honey.” Wilson is also in the middle of her “Country’s Cool Again Tour” across North America.
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