11 Country Stars Who Skipped the CMA Awards This Year — and Why

The 2024 CMA Awards took place in Nashville on Wednesday night (Nov. 20), and country music’s biggest stars were all on hand … with a few very notable exceptions.

Who Were the Big Winners at the 2024 CMA Awards?

Morgan Wallen ended up winning the night’s biggest award, Entertainer of the Year. However, the country superstar was absent from the show, and he has yet to comment on his win, which has led to rampant speculation as to what might be going on with him.

READ MORE: Where in the World Is Morgan Wallen? Not at the 2024 CMA Awards

Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson were two more of the night’s biggest winners. Click here to see a complete list.

Which Stars Attended the 2024 CMA Awards?

Most of the biggest stars in country music attend the CMA Awards every year, as well as most younger artists who are looking for exposure and to build their brands. Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert … the CMA Awards were a virtual Who’s Who of country music this year. See the red carpet photos:

RELATED: See Country Music’s Finest on the 2024 CMA Awards Red Carpet

Why Would a Country Star Skip the CMA Awards?

The CMA Awards are generally referred to as Country Music’s Biggest Night, and the awards show is a great place to see and be seen by fellow artists, label contacts, radio programmers, journalists and more.

But some artists — especially older ones whose chances at getting nominated again are smaller — opt not to attend for a variety of reasons.

Sometimes that has to do with scheduling or illness, and sometimes it has to do with a given artist just not wanting to sit through a ceremony in which they are not participating.

In some cases, it might speak to bad blood of some sort, though that’s rarely made public.

Which Country Stars Did Not Attend the CMA Awards in 2024?

Scroll through the pictures below to see 11 country stars who did not attend the 2024 CMA Awards, and why they chose not to go.