Lainey Wilson Shares Her Pick to Win Entertainer of the Year at the 2024 CMA Awards

Lainey Wilson won Entertainer of the Year at the CMA Awards and ACM Awards last year. This year, she’s going into the CMA Awards with four nominations including another Entertainer of the Year nod. She’ll be defending her title against some of the biggest names in country music. However, she’s not counting on winning a second time. Instead, she’s looking to one of her collaborators to take home the big prize.

Recently, Wilson appeared on Taste of Country Nights to talk about her new album and the forthcoming CMA Awards. During the conversation, she shared her prediction for the night’s big winner.

[RELATED: A Look Back at All the Women Who’ve Won CMA Entertainer of the Year]

Lainey Wilson Shares Her Entertainer of the Year Prediction

This year, Wilson could become the third woman to be crowned Entertainer of the Year twice and the second to win the award in two consecutive years. She’s up against Jelly Roll, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Chris Stapleton, and Morgan Wallen for the trophy. However, in her mind, she’s still trying to prove that she deserved to win it the first time.

“I’ve worked my butt off this year to prove to the folks that thought I didn’t deserve Entertainer of the Year, to show them why the people in this town chose me,” she said. “So if it don’t happen, that’s alright. There’s so many people in this town that deserve to win all these awards who have never even been nominated,” she added. Then, she revealed her pick to win. “Jelly Roll, a hundred percent, and Morgan,” she said.

Winning the CMA Entertainer of the Year Award put Lainey Wilson in an elite club. She is one of only eight women who have won the award since the first annual CMA Awards in 1967. Loretta Lynn was the first to win the award in 1972. Six years later, in 1978 Dolly Parton won the award. Barbara Mandrell was next, taking home Entertainer of the Year in 1980 and 1981. Five years later, Reba McEntire was crowned EoTY in 1986. The next woman to win the big prize came more than a decade later when Shania Twain took it home in 1999. The Chicks came next, winning the award in 2000. Taylor Swift became the second woman to win the prestigious prize when she took it home in 2009 and 2011.

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