The 57th Annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards are set to take place at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 8th, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. The lineup includes Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton, and Tanya Tucker.
However, this celebrated event has been struggling with declining TV ratings, hitting an all-time low in 2021. Although 2022 saw a slight improvement, the ratings are far from their pre-pandemic levels.
Country artist Justin Moore, who has been invited to the CMA Awards only once, believes that the inclusion of non-country celebrities and figures in the show is the root cause of declining ratings. He expressed his concerns on a podcast, stating, “Country music fans want to see country music artists. They just want to see country artists. That’s why they tune into these shows. And the fact that they don’t put country acts on these shows is why their ratings are failing.”
The CMA’s strategy to boost viewership by featuring non-country celebrities, such as Katy Perry, Kurt Warner, and Susan Sarandon, has been met with mixed reviews.
As the complete lineup of performers and presenters for the 57th Annual CMA Awards remains undisclosed, it’s unclear whether the organizers will continue to mix genres or return to a more country-focused program. Country music fans eagerly await the broadcast to see how the CMA Awards will cater to its core audience.
Watch the full podcast here:
