Dierks Bentley, Chris Stapleton Win Early CMA Awards

Courtesy Country Music AssociationThe CMA Awards don’t get underway until tonight, but Dierks Bentley and Chris Stapleton are already winners.

Dierks, who performed on ABC’s Good Morning America Wednesday morning, found out that he and Elle King had scored the award for Musical Event of the Year for their #1 hit duet “Different for Girls.”  This is Dierks’ third CMA Award: he previously won the Horizon Award in 2005 and Music Video of the Year in 2014 for “Drunk on a Plane.”  This is Elle’s first CMA Award.

Meanwhile, Chris Stapleton has won the award for Music Video of the Year for “Fire Away.”  The video follows a young couple from happy times to the depths of despair, as the woman attempts suicide several times.  It was created to promote mental health awareness.  Director Tim Mattia shared the trophy with Chris.

This is Chris’ fifth CMA Award — last year, he won four.  He’s up for three additional ones tonight.

The 50th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, airs tonight on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.

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