5 Female Country Superstars We Can't Believe Haven't Won CMA Entertainer of the Year

The CMA Entertainer of the Year award is the biggest individual honor handed out by the Country Music Association — and for female artists, simply earning a nomination can be a major career milestone. Only 10 women have won the award in CMA history, with Lainey Wilson becoming the most recent addition to that group. She won in 2023 and 2025, joining a short list that includes Loretta Lynn , Dolly Parton , Reba McEntire , Shania Twain and Taylor Swift . The 2026 CMA Awards will take place Nov. 18 at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, with Wilson serving as host. Read More: Do Country Artists Owe It to Fans to Attend Awards Shows? While women are once again well represented among this year's nominees, some of country music's biggest female stars have never taken home the night's top prize — and two have never even been nominated for it. Miranda Lambert Miranda Lambert has been nominated for CMA Entertainer of the Year six times but has never won the category. Theo Wargo, Getty Images That's despite an impressive overall CMA résumé. Lambert has earned 70 nominations and 14 wins, making her one of the most decorated women in CMA history. CMA Awards: 70 nominations, 14 wins Entertainer of the Year: 6 nominations, 0 wins Carrie Underwood Carrie Underwood has also received six Entertainer of the Year nominations without winning the category. Jason Kempin, Getty Images The American Idol winner has collected seven CMA Awards from 40 nominations overall. CMA Awards: 40 nominations, 7 wins Entertainer of the Year: 6 nominations, 0 wins Faith Hill Faith Hill has received one Entertainer of the Year nomination but has never won the award. Rick Diamond, Getty Images Overall, Hill has earned 22 CMA nominations and three wins. CMA Awards: 22 nominations, 3 wins Entertainer of the Year: 1 nomination, 0 wins Martina McBride Martina McBride is one of the most surprising names on this list because she never received an Entertainer of the Year nomination during her career. Rick Diamond, Getty Images She earned 30 CMA nominations and five wins, but the top category has eluded her entirely. CMA Awards: 30 nominations, 5 wins Entertainer of the Year: 0 nominations Kacey Musgraves Kacey Musgraves has also never been nominated for CMA Entertainer of the Year. Jason Kempin, Getty Images The seven-time CMA winner has received 27 nominations overall, making her absence from the top category particularly notable. CMA Awards: 27 nominations, 7 wins Entertainer of the Year: 0 nominations 2026 CMA Awards Nominations - Snubs + Surprises Reveal a Dangerous Trend This isn't the year for fans of traditional country music to complain. Anyone who does it like Alan, and George was rewarded while those who pushed the boundaries of the genre were forgotten. Here are seven snubs and two surprises from the 2026 CMA Awards nominations list. Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes