Little Rock, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – February 11, 2025 – The Arkansas Country Music Awards announced its nominees for the 2025 Arkansas CMA Awards Tuesday. The Arkansas CMA Awards will be held Monday night, June 2 at the Reynolds Performance Hall on the University of Central Arkansas campus in Conway. Tickets for the 2025 Arkansas Country Music Awards will go on sale on Thursday, February 13 at 10 a.m.
The duo Cliff & Susan led with five nominations for the 2025 Arkansas Country Music Awards, while Tyler Kinch, Sylamore Special, and Waylon Wyatt each received four nominations. Marybeth Byrd, Blane Howard, Kelsey Lamb, and Andy Wallis each received three nominations.
JonesboroRightNow received a 2025 nomination for Publication/Blog/Podcast of the Year. KDXY 104.9 The Fox, one of the radio stations of the Jonesboro Media Group, was nominated for Country Radio Station of the Year. Trey Stafford and Jim Frigo (Stafford and Frigo), hosts of the morning show on KDXY 104.9 The Fox for the last 27 years, were nominated for Country DJ of the Year.
Nominees with notable Northeast Arkansas ties in addition to Byrd included The Morris Family for Entertainer of the Year and Inspirational Artist of the Year, Jon Conley for Guitarist of the Year, Aaron Headley for Acoustic Artist of the Year, Mitch Trotter for Drummer of the Year, Drew Pulliam for Young Artist of the Year, Marty Scarbrough of KASU Radio for Promoter of the Year, the Collins Theatre for Venue of the Year, Hank Nightshade for Video of the Year and Mallory Everett for Songwriter of the Year.
2025 Arkansas CMA Nominees
ENTERTAINER of the Year
Cliff & Susan
Marybeth Byrd
Midnight South
The Morris Family
Tyler Kinch
AMERICANA ARTIST of the Year
Ashtyn Barbaree
Billy Jeter
Jon Bailey & the Heathen Revival
Tori Miller
Waylon Wyatt
BLUEGRASS ARTIST of the Year
Arkansauce
Casey Penn
The Charla Freeland Band
Front Porch
Sylamore Special
COUNTRY ARTIST of the Year
Blane Howard
Caleb King
David Adam Byrnes
Marybeth Byrd
Tyler Kinch
INSPIRATIONAL ARTIST of the Year
Charles M. Barnes
The Morris Family
Paige Johnsey
Ray Hollis
The Tiptons
FEMALE VOCALIST of the Year
Abbey Pierce
Hannah Blaylock
Kelsey Lamb
Marybeth Byrd
Rachel Hale
MALE VOCALIST of the Year
BIAS
Blane Howard
David Adam Byrnes
Tyler Kinch
Wyatt Putman
ACOUSTIC ACT of the Year
Aaron Headley
Anna Brinker
Batterton & Edwards
Common Roots
Waylon Wyatt
VOCAL DUO / GROUP of the Year
Cliff & Susan
Midnight South
The Roads Below
Sylamore Special
Whistlin’ Dixie
MUSIC COLLABORATION of the Year
“God, Family, Country” by Michael Hosier & Tom Yankton. Produced by Jimmy Ritchey.
“Homesick” by Taylor Edwards & Adam Hambrick. Produced by Chris Ganoudis and Megan Redmond.
“Jailbreak” by Waylon Wyatt & Bayker Blankenship. Produced by Brent Truitt.
“Last Call” by Erin Enderlin featuring Cliff & Susan. Produced by Cliff Prowse.
“Promises and Mistakes” by Ashley Ewing featuring Blane Howard. Produced by Chris Ewing and Ashley Ewing.
ALBUM of the Year
“Fiddle & Keys” by Cliff & Susan. Produced by Cliff Prowse and Larry Beaird.
“Freedom Sings Arkansas Vol. 01: Veterans Songs” by Cliff Prowse, Bobby Tomberline, Susan Prowse, Billy Montana, Paul Tull and Rodger King. Produced by Cliff Prowse.
“Lord Knows I Ain’t No Saint” by Pamela Hopkins. Produced by Kenny Royster, P.T. Houston, Andy Wallis, Big Shane Thornton and Pamela Hopkins.
“Sylamore Special” by Sylamore Special. Produced by Jon Raney and Sylamore Special.
“Time to Learn” by Mallory Everett. Produced by Kevin Houston and Eric Lewis.
SONG of the Year
“Frontlines” Written by Jason Lee Campbell and Terry Smith. Performed by Tyler Kinch.
“Good Morning Country Rain” Written by Eddy Raven. Performed by Sylamore Special.
“Soul Searchin'” Written and performed by Abbey Pierce.
“Working Man’s Prayer” Written and performed by Dylan Gray.
“You Made Me” Written by Kelsey Lamb, Chris Rafetto and Taylor Goyette. Performed by Kelsey Lamb.
SONGWRITER of the Year
Adam Hambrick
Derek Mears
Jason Lee Campbell
Lance Carpenter
Mallory Everett
MUSIC PRODUCER of the Year
Andy Wallis
Darren Crisp
Derrick Brandon
Jon Raney
Travis Mobley
SOUND ENGINEER of the Year
Bob Breazeal
Bryce Roberts
Darren Crisp
Jeremy Huddleston
Phillip Jackson
PROMOTER of the Year
Joanna Benson
Marty Scarbrough
Rickey Crawford
Thomas Colclasure
Trent Goins
VIDEO of the Year
“Back Then” by Tyler Hursey. Directed by Wayne Toney.
“Backroads and Bonfires” by Ryan Daniel. Directed by Tyler Gwynne.
“Just the Same” by Big Shane Thornton, Justin Keith and Andy Wallis. Directed by Sharpe Dunaway.
“Run to the End of the World” by Hank Nightshade and the Midnight Sons. Directed by Nathan Minton.
“Trying” by Kelsey Lamb. Directed by Logan Christopher.
RADIO STATION of the Year
KDXY, “The Fox 104.9,” Jonesboro
KHBZ, “New Country 102.9,” Harrison
KIXB, “KIX 103,” El Dorado
KQUS, “US 97,” Hot Springs
KSSN, “KSSN 96,” Little Rock
RADIO DJ of the Year
Greg Geary, KWCK, Searcy
Jess Jennings, KSSN, Little Rock
Jim & Lisa, KKYR, Texarkana
Sid King, KHPQ, Clinton
Stafford & Frigo, KDXY, Jonesboro
PUBLICATION / BLOG / PODCAST of the Year
Arkansongs
The C.L.I.M.B.
The CMBeat
Jonesboro Right Now
The Pam Setser Show
VENUE of the Year
The Collins Theater (Paragould)
The Farm (Eureka Springs)
Hempstead Hall (Hope)
JJ’s Live (Fayetteville)
Stickyz Rock ‘N’ Roll Chicken Shack (Little Rock)
YOUNG ARTIST of the Year
Addyson Kennedy
Drew Pulliam
Grace Wells
Noah Gattis
Waylon Wyatt
BASS PLAYER of the Year
Brian Batterton
Dennis Crouch
Doug DeForest
Garrett Jones
Michael Rinne
DRUMMER of the Year
Brett Jumper
Evan Hutchings
Mitch Trotter
Quinn Hill
Steve Wilkes
FIDDLE PLAYER of the Year
George Mason
Jenee Fleenor
Michael Schembre
Tony Rupp
Wayne Massengale
GUITAR PLAYER of the Year
Jake Stogdill
Jon Conley
Kyle Bruich
Scott Hundley
Shawn Lingo
SPECIALTY/UTILITY MUSICIAN of the Year
Alex Hawf
Josh Matheny
Michael Heavner
Tim Crouch
Wes Dorethy