52nd Annual Country Music Association Awards
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox award
| image =File:52nd-cma-awards.jpg
| caption =
| date = November 14, 2018
| location = Bridgestone Arena
Nashville, Tennessee
| network = ABC
| hosts = Brad Paisley
Carrie Underwood
| most_wins =Chris Stapleton (3)
| most_nominations = Chris Stapleton (5)
| previous = 51st
| main = CMA
| next = 53rd
|viewership=10.1 million{{Cite web|last1=de Moraes|first1=Lisa |date=2018-11-15|title='Country Music Awards' Tops Wednesday While Tumbling To Lowest-Ever Ratings|url=https://deadline.com/2018/11/country-music-awards-lowest-ever-tv-ratings-1202502567/|access-date=2020-08-22|website=Deadline|language=en}}|image size=200}}
The 52nd Annual Country Music Association Awards, commonly known as the 52nd CMA Awards, were held on November 14, 2018, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee and was hosted for the eleventh and final time by CMA Award winners Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/uk/news/957066/carrie-underwood-and-brad-paisley-set-to-host-2018-cma-awards|title=Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley Set to Host 2018 CMA Awards|date=2 August 2018|publisher=}}
Winners and nominees
The nominations for the 52nd CMA Awards were announced on August 28, 2018, on Good Morning America by Luke Bryan, Dan + Shay and Sugarland.
The winners are shown in Bold.{{cite web|url=https://eu.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2018/08/02/cma-awards-reveal-nominees-august-28/892901002/|title=CMA Awards announces 2018 hosts, will reveal nominees on August 28|publisher=}}
| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#EEDD85;" width="50%" |Entertainer of the Year ! style="background:#EEDD85;" width="50%" |Album of the Year |
| valign="top" |
| valign="top" | |
| style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" |Male Vocalist of the Year
! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" |Female Vocalist of the Year |
|---|
valign="top" |
| valign="top" | |
| style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" |Vocal Group of the Year
! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" |Vocal Duo of the Year |
| valign="top" |
| valign="top" | |
| style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" |Single of the Year
! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" |Song of the Year |
valign="top" |
| valign="top" |
|
| style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" |New Artist of the Year
! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" |Musician of the Year |
valign="top" |
| valign="top" |
|
| style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" |Music Video of the Year
! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" |Musical Event of the Year |
valign="top" |
| valign="top" |
|
Performers
| class="wikitable" |
| Artist(s)
! Song(s) |
|---|
| Luke Bryan Luke Combs Cole Swindell Lindsay Ell Chris Janson Jon Pardi Ashley McBryde |
| Jason Aldean Miranda Lambert |
| Thomas Rhett
| "Life Changes" |
| Dan + Shay
| "Tequila" |
| Lauren Alaina |
| Kelsea Ballerini
| "Miss Me More" |
| Old Dominion
| "Hotel Key" |
| Carrie Underwood
| "Love Wins" |
| Brett Young
| "Mercy" |
| Ricky Skaggs Kentucky Thunder Keith Urban John Osborne Brad Paisley Marty Stuart Sierra Hull [https://www.carsonandironmt.com/ Carson Peters] | "Black Eyed Suzie" |
| Midland |
| Bebe Rexha Florida Georgia Line | "Meant to Be" |
| Luke Combs |
| Keith Urban |
| Garth Brooks
| "Stronger Than Me" |
| Pistol Annies |
| Dierks Bentley Brothers Osborne | "Burning Man" |
| Chris Stapleton Morgane Stapleton Maren Morris Mavis Staples Marty Stuart |
| Brad Paisley
| "Bucked Off" |
| Kacey Musgraves
| "Slow Burn" |
| Eric Church Joanna Cotten | "Desperate Man" |
Presenters
| class="wikitable"
!Award |
| Lady Antebellum |
| Mackenzie Foy and Noah Schnapp |
| Jimmie Allen, Dustin Lynch and Carly Pearce
|Single of the Year |
| Kane Brown and Olivia Culpo |
| Little Big Town |
| Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess |
| Martina McBride and Lara Spencer |
| Trisha Yearwood and Dennis Quaid |
| Lionel Richie |
Reception
Underwood and Pasley's monologue was praised for ignoring the subject of politics, with Fox News stating that "despite avoiding controversial topics, Underwood and Paisley still delivered a joke-filled opening monologue that left many in the audience in stitches".{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/cma-awards-start-with-thousand-oak-shooting-victims-tribute-as-carrie-underwood-brad-paisley-return-as-hosts|title=CMA Awards: Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley praised for leaving politics out, Keith Urban wins top award|first=Sasha|last=Savitsky|date=14 November 2018|website=Fox News|access-date=23 January 2019}}
In their review of the best and worst moments of the telecast, The Washington Post praised Stapleton's performance with Morris and Staples, Brooks' "sweet" and "adorable" tribute to Trisha Yearwood, Bryan's opening number, the "fiery" Pistol Annies performance and the Ricky Skaggs tribute and celebrated Musgraves' Album of the Year win as well as the performances on newer artists such as Combs and Dan + Shay. However, they were critical of Paisley and Underwood's monologue, calling it "flat", "lame" and claiming that it "didn't make sense", leaving audience members "confused". Lauren Alaina's tribute to Dottie West was criticised for being too short and Midland's tribute to Burt Reynolds was described as being too confusing and unexplained.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2018/11/15/cma-awards-complete-list-winners-best-worst-moments/?noredirect=on |title=CMA Awards: 10 things you missed, from Keith Urban's big win to the awkward monologue jokes |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2018-11-15 |access-date=2019-01-23}}