The CMA Awards will be back this fall, and will feature fans in the audience according to an announcement from the Country Music Association this week. The 55th Annual CMA Awards will take place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday, November 10.
“We are so excited to return to Bridgestone Arena for this year’s CMA Awards ceremony,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “We have a truly fantastic show in the works that we will share more about in the coming weeks.”
A limited number of tickets will be available to the general public for the event, and all who attend will need to show full proof of vaccination against COVID-19, with no option for testing out by showing they are negative for the virus in the way that many venues are offering consumers. Tickets will go on sale November 1.
“As we plan our return, it goes without saying that the health and safety of our guests and crew is our top priority,” Trahern says. “Due to TV production protocols and venue and local rules, we will require all ticketed audience members to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and wear masks unless actively eating or drinking. Both the house and backstage will comply with all applicable local health and safety regulations, as well as requirements from the television unions. We look forward to bringing our fans a night to remember!”
Voting is still underway for the awards themselves, with voting members having until October 27 to cast their ballot. Eric Church and Chris Stapleton have been nominated for five awards each, with Gabby Barrett, mix engineer Jason Hall and producer Jay Joyce nominated for four awards each.
The full nominees slate can be viewed at the CMA’s website here.
Hosting duties have not yet been announced for the awards, save for that Reba McEntire – who co-hosted the 2020 edition alongside Darius Rucker and the 2019 edition with Carrie Underwood and Dolly Parton – will not be host for a third straight event.
The 55th Annual CMA Awards airs live on ABC.
