ABC/Randy HolmesThe 52nd CMA Awards are exactly one week away, but if you’re expecting any cutthroat competition, you’re not likely to find it.
Thanks to their smash hit, “Tequila,” Dan + Shay are one of the most-nominated acts at this year’s show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
“You know it’s funny,” Shay Mooney reflects. “Country music is such a family. At least for me, I don’t feel any kind of competition necessarily.”
“I think everybody,” he explains, “you know to be nominated is such a hard thing to get to that point where you’re even in that conversation, it takes a lot of work. It’d be awesome to win, but we’re just such fans of everybody in the category.”
In fact, Shay’s musical partner, Dan Smyers, says their fellow nominees for both Vocal Duo and Music Video of the Year helped inspire his move to Music City.
“I didn’t tell ’em this. I don’t want to be too much of a fangirl,” Dan points out. “But Sugarland was the first show I ever saw when I was visiting Nashville, thinking about moving here…”
“It was Sugarland and Little Big Town,” he recalls. “So it’s a cool full circle moment for me. Just the coolest people in the world, so kind. And it’s awesome to see them nominated for a few awards as well.”
You can tune in for all the performances and friendly competition next Wednesday starting at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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