CMA Awards Sparks Outrage Over Morgan Wallen – Newsweek

Chart-topping country singer Morgan Wallen, 30, has been dominating the airwaves this year. Still, his songs failed to score big at the 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 8, with him missing out on several awards.

Fans of Wallen watched on eagerly as the CMAs took place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, with the star nominated in three categories: Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year for One Thing At A Time.

That album had stormed the charts this year, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 when it was released in March. The album featured 36 tracks, with the song “Last Night” scoring him his first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Despite what his fans consider fantastic success, he was beaten to the post in all three categories, losing to Chris Stapleton as the Male Vocalist of the Year and Lainey Wilson, who won Entertainment of the Year and Best Album with Bell Bottom Country.

His snub has outraged fans, with many sharing their anger on social media stating that he was “robbed.”

A stunned onlooker shared on X, formerly Twitter: “I cannot comprehend the night Morgan Wallen had. ABSOLUTELY ROBBED. Smh #CMAawards.”

A disgruntled fan said: “I’m sorry the fact Morgan Wallen did not winning album of the year after setting every record..agendas are definitely being pushed #CMAawards”

One shared a fan theory: “I’m convinced Morgan Wallen will never win a major award cause it would be to ‘controversial’ and these organizations refuse to put themselves in that situation. It’s total BS! Should’ve won Album of the Year! He better win entertainer of the year. #CMAawards.”

“MORGAN WALLEN ROBBED!!!! HE HAD THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!! Here comes the LIBERAL AGENDA of @CountryMusic awards!! Gonna rob him of performer of the year next,” another chimed in.

A Swiftie spotted an opportunity and joked: “Morgan Wallen lost all his CMA’s! That means less competition from the country artists at the Grammys… LET’S GET THOSE VOTES TAYLOR!”

“Where are the real Morgan Wallen fans!? Let’s get the message across to him that he should not accept being snubbed! He should quit country music!” a loyal listener shared.

Why Is Morgan Wallen Controversial?

The young singer first landed in the spotlight as a contestant on The Voice in 2014. He was 20 years old at the time and worked as a landscaper in his home town of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Since then, his music has grown in popularity with him winning Album of the Year, for Dangerous: The Double Album, at the 2022 Academy of Country Music Awards.

However, he has a history whipped up in controversy.

Wallen has suffered with vocal health issues the last few months, resulting in him having to cancel several performances. The last-minute nature of some of his canceled performances resulted in fans stating that they would “never” listen to his music again after spending hours of time and money traveling to see him.

Jumping back a few years, in January 2021, a video surfaced of Wallen on a night out in Nashville, Tennessee, allegedly drunkenly using a racial slur and profanities which was shared via TMZ. At the time his record label, Big Loud Records, announced that it was suspending his recording contract indefinitely.

Taking place in early 2021, the event not long followed the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and he was quickly reprimanded. Country Music Television removed his appearance from its platforms, and he was disqualified from the 2021 Grammys and the Academy of Country Music Awards.

He released an apology video and, during an interview on Good Morning America with Michael Strahan a few months after, revealed he went to rehab to help him with some issues and pledged money to several Black-led or Black-founded charities.

Further to this, in October 2020, he was slated to perform on Saturday Night Live when Bill Burr was hosting, but was removed from the roster after he was caught partying maskless and not observing social distancing guidelines set in the pandemic in Alabama the weekend before.

Newsweek has reached out to Morgan Wallen’s team via email for comment.