The 2023 CMA Awards Drew In Solid TV Ratings On November 8, But Still Lost Viewers
The 2023 CMA Awards were held on Wednesday (November 8). Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning hosted the ceremony, which aired on ABC.
Viewers enjoyed performances from Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton and Carly Pearce, Jelly Roll and Wynonna Judd, and HARDY, Morgan Wallen, and Post Malone. One of the highlights of the night was the tribute to Jimmy Buffett, led by Kenny Chesney, Mac McAnally, Alan Jackson, and Zac Brown Band.
Wilson was the big winner of the night. She took home five trophies, included the coveted Entertainer of the Year Award.
This was Wilson’s first time ever being nominated in the category. She is only the 11th artist in CMA history to ever win Entertainer of the Year in their first year as a nominee.
Additionally, Wilson is the first female artist to win Entertainer of the Year since Taylor Swift in 2011. She and Swift are the only two solo female artists to win the award since Shania Twain in 1999.
The 2023 CMA Awards Attracted Over 6 Million Viewers
According to TVLine, the CMA Awards generated better ratings than anything else on TV that night. The broadcast drew in an average of 6.6 million viewers. For comparison, TVLine reports the third GOP debate drew in 4.9 million viewers.
The Hollywood Reporter cites different data however, stating the CMA Awards had 6.8 million viewers this year and the GOP debate had 7.5 million.
Still, the CMA Awards experienced a decrease in viewership compared to last year. According to Billboard, the 2022 CMA Awards drew in 7.57 million viewers.
Ratings: #CMAawards Dip But Still Dominate Wednesday https://t.co/z4WnlqYMdL
— TVLine.com (@TVLine) November 9, 2023
The Hollywood Reporter writes this year’s ceremony was “down about 10 percent” in ratings. The program was also “just ahead of the telecast’s all-time low of 6.83 million [viewers] in 2021.”
The outlet reports that the CMA Awards‘ rating among adults 18-49 hit an all-time low of 0.9, which is the first time it’s fallen below a 1.0 rating.
Why Did Ratings Fall?
It could be for a variety of reasons. For starters, the GOP debate and other programs such as The Amazing Race, Survivor, and The Masked Singer all would have attracted large audiences of their own that night.
Additionally, people (and country music fans) are getting more disenchanted with awards ceremonies. In the case of country music specifically, there are now four awards shows each year (The ACM Awards, The CMT Music Awards, The People’s Choice Country Awards, and the CMA Awards). The CMA Awards are the last ceremony of the year, and fans may be feeling a bit burnt out.
To top it off, this year’s ceremony was missing some huge players in the industry. Major stars such as Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown, and Jason Aldean did not attend the event.
Those who missed the CMA Awards the evening of the show can currently stream it on Hulu. Videos of individual speeches and performances are also available to watch online.
Did you tune in to the CMA Awards this year?