The 2025 CMA nominations are here, and they landed like a punch and a pat on the back all at once.

Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, and Lainey Wilson stand tall with six nods each, while Zach Top muscled his way to five and Riley Green finally got his due with four. That is the good news. The bad news is that Morgan Wallen went from last year’s top dog to looking like the CMA voters wanted to put him in the corner. And he is not alone.

This year’s ballot proves the CMAs still love a good headline, but it also shows that Nashville politics never go away. Some names rose higher than expected, others got cut out completely, and a few longtime legends were tossed aside without a second thought.

SURPRISE: Riley Green

Talk about a glow-up. From one win last year to four nominations this year, Riley finally has the CMAs’ attention. “you look like you love me” with Ella Langley picked up Single, Song, and Video nods, and “Don’t Mind If I Do” with Langley scored Musical Event. He has gone from quiet second fiddle to one of the year’s most recognized male stars.

SNUB: Post Malone

You cannot argue that Post has not put in the effort. F-1 Trillion is up for Album of the Year, and his duet with Blake Shelton landed in Musical Event, but how did he not make Male Vocalist? The man has been in the studios, on stage, and everywhere country music lives in 2025. He has shown up, and the voters still treated him like a guest instead of a resident.

SURPRISE: Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, and Lainey Wilson

Never in CMA history have three solo women shared the top spot for most nominations. Langley, Moroney, and Wilson each walked away with six, and that is no token gesture. Each one has real hits on the radio, fans in the crowd, and industry clout. Ella Langley’s “you look like you love me” refuses to quit, Megan Moroney’s Am I Okay? is a breakthrough record that keeps proving doubters wrong, and Lainey Wilson is still the reigning queen of country. Seeing them share the top spot is more than history, it is vindication.

SNUB: Jelly Roll

How do you go from Entertainer of the Year nominee in 2024 to barely a blip in 2025? That is Jelly Roll’s story. His album Beautifully Broken may not have charmed critics, but “Liar” was the most played song on radio this year. He has been a content machine, a fan favorite, and an unstoppable force on the road. To give him nothing but a featured credit on Brandon Lake’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah” feels like the CMA voters rolled their eyes and moved on. And that is a shame because Jelly has done more for fan connection than half the ballot.

SURPRISE: Zach Top

Traditionalists can celebrate because Zach Top landed five nominations, including Male Vocalist, Album, and Song. The guy sounds like a time traveler from the 1990s, yet he is making fans go crazy in 2025. For years, folks said fiddle and steel had no shot at modern awards. Top just proved them wrong.

SNUB: LoCash

If Vocal Duo of the Year is going to trot out the same names again and again, then at least reward the duo with a number one hit. “Hometown Home” was one of the year’s biggest radio songs, yet LoCash got tossed aside while Maddie and Tae landed their eleventh consecutive nod with no chart action. That is politics, not performance.

SURPRISE: Miranda Lambert

Miranda has been quieter on the charts, but her Postcards From Texas record brought her back to the ballot. Female Vocalist is a stacked category, but she is there, proving that longevity still counts when you are Miranda Lambert.

SNUB: Morgan Wallen

Yes, he is both a snub and a surprise, but the snub part cuts deeper. Wallen’s I’m The Problem has ruled streaming all year, racked up four number one singles, and even crossed genres with the all-out smash “What I Want” with Tate McRae. Yet the CMAs gave him three nominations and shut him out of Song, Single, and Musical Event. That makes no sense. You can say what you want about his controversies, but ignoring the most played and most streamed artist in the format feels less like oversight and more like punishment. The voters gave him a seat at the table, but they also pulled half the chairs away.

SURPRISE: Stephen Wilson Jr.

At forty-six years old, Wilson is the oldest New Artist nominee in more than four decades. His Son of Dad album has been a critical darling, and now the CMAs tipped their hat. He may not be the commercial powerhouse others are, but sometimes the voters do the right thing for artistry, and this is one of those times.

SNUB: Eric Church

Four years ago, he was leading the pack. Now he is nowhere. His concept album, Evangeline vs. the Machine, may have been too heady for mainstream voters, but Eric has always been a risk taker. The CMAs used to reward that. This year, they walked right past it.

SURPRISE: “Texas”

Nobody saw this one coming. Blake Shelton’s “Texas” earned a Song of the Year nod, his first CMA recognition since 2019. It may not have been the biggest smash, but it hit enough voters in the gut to sneak through. That nomination is more about the songwriters (Johnny Clawson, Josh Dorr, Kyle Sturrock, and Lalo Guzman) finally getting their shine, but it is still good to see Shelton’s name back in the mix.

SNUB: Parmalee

It is the same old story. A Country Airplay chart-topper and plenty of streaming traction, but no love in Vocal Group of the Year. The Red Clay Strays breaking in was exciting, but Parmalee being ignored year after year feels more personal than practical.

SNUB: Kane Brown

Kane has never been the CMAs’ darling, but 2025 made it clear they still will not give him his due. His duet “Haunted” with Jelly Roll was one of the rawest, bravest cuts of the year. It deserved at least a Song nomination. Instead, nothing. Fans deserve answers, but they will not get them.

The 2025 CMA nominations gave us Ella Langley leading the pack, Megan Moroney making history, Lainey Wilson refusing to be dethroned, and Zach Top proving pure country still matters. It also gave us Morgan Wallen getting a pat on the back and a slap across the face at the same time. Jelly Roll, Parmalee, LoCash, Kane Brown, and Eric Church have every reason to feel burned.

On November 19 at Bridgestone Arena, the winners will be crowned. But the real story is already here. The CMAs rewarded some, ignored others, and made it clear that country music is still a tug-of-war between tradition, popularity, and politics.

One thing is certain. Ella Langley and her six nominations made sure the future is female, fierce, and undeniable. And for Morgan Wallen, the voters just reminded him that Nashville may never fully forgive, no matter how many fans already have.