In a milestone moment for the multi-genre superstar, Post Malone secured his first Country Music Association Award on Wednesday, signaling his successful crossover into country music’s most prestigious honors.
The Texas-born artist, whose real name is Austin Richard Post, claimed the CMA musical event of the year trophy alongside country veteran Blake Shelton for their collaboration “Pour Me a Drink.” The announcement came during an early round of winners revealed ahead of Wednesday evening’s main ceremony at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
The winning track, produced by Louis Bell and Charlie Handsome, topped Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and appears on Post Malone’s country debut album ‘F-1 Trillion’. That project has already proven its commercial viability — it entered the all-genre Billboard 200 at No. 1 last year and became Post Malone’s first chart-topper on the Top Country Albums ranking.
Post Malone’s night isn’t over yet. The 29-year-old remains in contention for album of the year, one of country music’s most coveted awards, which will be announced during tonight’s televised broadcast on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
Riley Green and Ella Langley also celebrated victories in the early announcement round, with their Western-themed collaboration “You Look Like You Love Me” taking home the music video of the year award. The cinematic clip was co-directed by Langley herself, along with John Park and Wales Toney.
Langley enters tonight’s ceremony as one of the evening’s biggest contenders. Tied with Megan Moroney and Lainey Wilson with six nominations apiece, she’s competing in several major categories including new artist of the year, female vocalist of the year, and both single and song of the year for “You Look Like You Love Me.”
Tonight’s broadcast promises a star-studded lineup of performances from both established legends and emerging talents. Viewers can expect appearances from Kelsea Ballerini, BigXthaPlug, Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Patty Loveless, and Shaboozey, among others.
In a notable shift, Lainey Wilson will take on solo hosting duties this year after previously sharing the stage with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. Despite her hosting responsibilities, Wilson is still expected to deliver a performance during the evening.
The ceremony will air live from Bridgestone Arena and will be available for streaming on Hulu the following day, giving country music fans nationwide the chance to witness what could be a transformative night for the genre’s newest converts and brightest rising stars.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Post Malone has officially broken into country music’s elite, winning his first-ever CMA Award for musical event of the year alongside Blake Shelton for “Pour Me a Drink.” The win validates his successful genre crossover with the chart-topping album ‘F-1 Trillion’, and he remains in the running for the prestigious album of the year award at tonight’s ceremony.
This marks a significant milestone for the multi-genre artist, proving he’s more than a passing visitor in the country music world — he’s now an award-winning participant in one of the genre’s most respected institutions.
