Could Oliver Anthony Shake Up The CMA Nominations?

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The history-making success of Oliver Anthony’s single, “Rich Men North of Richmond” has fans wondering…Will Oliver Anthony give Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs and others a run for their money at the upcoming CMA Awards?

The simple answer is….no….not this year.

But, the reason has nothing to do with Oliver Anthony’s song or talent. It has everything to do with the timing of the release of “Rich Men North of Richmond.” According to the CMA Awards website, the eligibility period for an artist to be considered for an award in 2023 was July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.

Anthony’s song was released to YouTube on August 9 and uploaded to streaming services on August 11. This means two things: He missed the eligibility period for 2023, and he could very much be in the running for Song of the Year, Single of the Year and maybe even Male Vocalist and/or New Artist in 2024.

According to the Country Music Association, eligibility for each category is as follows:

• Song of the Year – This Award goes the artist, whether individual or a group, who is known primarily as a Country artist, who has in the eligibility period demonstrated the most significant creative growth and development in overall consumption or chart activity, live performance and/or national media recognition related to the launch of their career.
• Single of the Year – This Award goes to the artist, producer, and mix engineer and is for individual tracks only. The track must have reached the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart, Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart, or Country Aircheck Chart for the first time during the eligibility period.
• Male Vocalist of the Year – The Award is based on individual musical performance on a solo Country single or album release, as well as the overall contribution to Country Music.
• New Artist of the Year – This Award goes the artist, whether individual or a group, who is known primarily as a Country artist, who has in the eligibility period demonstrated the most significant creative growth and development in overall consumption or chart activity, live performance and/or national media recognition related to the launch of their career.

The 2023 CMA Awards nominations are scheduled to be announced on Thursday, September 7.

And while we may not hear Oliver Anthony’s name this time around, it is possible that he could be in the running for the 2024 CMA and ACM Awards.

RELATED: OLIVER ANTHONY MAKES HISTORY BY TOPPING BILLBOARD HOT 100 WITH DEBUT SONG

The Country Music Association Awards air in November, but the Academy of Country Music Awards won’t be presented until May 2024. The six-month gap between the two shows means that the eligibility periods are also months apart. Based on history, we can expect the 2024 ACM Awards eligibility period to run from mid-November 2022 through the end of December 2023. This means that the timing of the success of “Rich Men North of Richmond” without a doubt puts Oliver Anthony in a position to be eligible since the requirements for consideration are almost identical between the two associations.

But, as we know, eligibility doesn’t always lead to a nomination. Every year when nominations are announced, there are deserving artists who aren’t recognized and fans who are outraged that their favorite was left out. But, the ACM and voting committee will have a hard time overlooking the impact Oliver Anthony and his songs have had on country music, even though his songs and message are considered controversial.

Oliver Anthony has shaken up the music industry in a way we have never seen before. His chart and streaming success cannot be ignored. Only time will tell if CMA will recognize Oliver Anthony for those successes.