Morgan Wallen took to Twitter late Wednesday evening following the 55th Annual CMA Awards to seemingly react to missing out on the show and the reveal of CMA Album of the Year winner.
The East Tennessee native’s name began trending on the social media platform after it was announced that Chris Stapleton’s Starting Over was crowned CMA Album of the Year.
Wallen’s sophomore release, Dangerous: The Double Album, was also nominated in the category, and many fans expressed outrage over the fact that Dangerous didn’t take home the win. The 30-track project was the best-selling album of all genres for the first part of 2021 and topped the Billboard 200 for a whopping 10 consecutive weeks upon its release.
While Wallen’s message to fans didn’t specifically mention the CMA Awards, the timing of his Tweet led many to believe it was in response to the show.
“I wake up every morning and thank the Lord for my blessings. Tomorrow morning will be no different,” Wallen wrote, adding, “I love y’all.”
I wake up every morning and thank the Lord for my blessings. Tomorrow morning will be no different. I love y’all
— morgan wallen (@MorganWallen) November 11, 2021
According to a reporter from The Tennessean, the in-house audience at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena roared at the mention of Wallen’s name and project when the category was announced.
“Morgan Wallen gets the biggest applause from the audience at the #CMAawards when the nominees for Album of the Year were announced,” she tweeted.
Morgan Wallen gets the biggest applause from the audience at the #CMAawards when the nominees for Album of the Year were announced @Tennessean
— DANI MEDINA (@danimedinanews) November 11, 2021
During the broadcast, fans can also be heard screaming “Morgan” in the background as Trace Adkins and Susan Sarandon revealed the winner.
Wallen was banned from attending or participating in the 55th Annual CMA Awards following the nominee announcement in early September. This decision was due to Wallen’s use of a racial slur outside his Nashville-area home in early 2021.
The Country Music Association (CMA) clarified its stance on Wallen’s CMA Awards ban in a statement to The Los Angeles Times on Thursday (Sept. 30), revealing that the East Tennessee native has officially been excluded from the show altogether.
“This is the first time in the history of the CMA, to my knowledge, anyone has ever been disqualified for conduct,” Sarah Trahern, CEO of the Country Music Association, told the publication. “Honoring him as an individual this year is not right, and he will not be allowed on the red carpet, on our stage, or be celebrated in any way.”
Trahern went on to explain that the decision was not taken lightly and was re-evaluated on more than one occasion. Ultimately, the organization stood by their decision to allow Wallen’s music and collaborators the chance to be eligible for the CMA Awards, just not the singer/songwriter himself.
“This was something we looked at from so many angles,” she explained. “The decision, ultimately, was the man would not be allowed, but the music and the people who were part of it [songwriters and producers] could be eligible. That made his music eligible in five categories, and ultimately, he was nominated in one.”
If Dangerous: The Double Album were to have won Album of the Year, his collaborators, Dave Cohen, Matt Dragstrem, Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome and Joey Moi, would have been the ones to accept the award.
The “Sand In My Boots” singer recently returned to the road and announced tour dates throughout fall and winter into next summer, several of which feature both HARDY and ERNEST, among others.
He is also set to headline various festivals, including Country Thunder in Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida and more, throughout the United States in 2022.
See a full list of Wallen’s upcoming tour dates below.
Nov. 12 – The Grounds – Mobile, Alabama (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen, HARDY, Ernest and Ashland Craft
Nov. 19 – Simmons Bank Arena – Little Rock, AR (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest
Nov. 20 – Simmons Bank Arena – Little Rock, AR (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest
Dec. 3 – Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest
Dec. 4 – Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest
Dec. 5 – Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest
Dec. 10 – Landers Center – Southaven, MS (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest
Dec. 11 – Landers Center – Southaven, MS (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest
Dec. 12 – Landers Center – Southaven, MS (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest
2022
April 7-10 – Country Thunder Arizona – Florence, AZ (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen & more
June 15-18 – The Country Fest – Clay’s Park Resort – North Lawrence, OH (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen, Jason Aldean, Brantley Gilbert, Granger Smith, Chase Rice, Gabby Barrett, HARDY, Larry Fleet, Ernest, Kameron Marlowe, LANCO, Lily Rose, Elvie Shane, John Morgan and more.
June 17 – Interstate Center – Bloomington, IL (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen and HARDY / Tailgate N’ Tallboys
July 7-9 – Country Concert ’22 – Hickory Hill Lakes – Fort Loramie, OH (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen, Carrie Underwood, Brooks & Dunn, Old Dominion, Cody Johnson, HARDY, Scotty McCreery, Gabby Barrett, Chris Lane, John Michael Montgomery, Lauren Alaina and Niko Moon.
July 21-24 – Country Thunder Wisconsin – Twin Lakes, WI (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen & more.
Sept. 30-Oct. 1 – Country Thunder Bristol – Bristol, TN (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen & more.
Oct. 21-23 – Country Thunder Florida – Osceola Heritage Park – Kissimmee, FL (TICKETS)
Morgan Wallen & more.
