Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording AcademyLike Taylor Swift, Jelly Roll is a chart-topping country star who's crossed over to pop. But he says when he actually got to meet Taylor earlier this year at the Grammys, he couldn't even form a proper sentence.Jelly tells People that what he wanted to share with Taylor is that when his daughter Bailee — who's now 16 — was a little girl, he used to take her to a playground in Tennessee that Taylor had donated money to rebuild and push her on the swing set there.But when Taylor came over to say hello to him at the Grammys, Jelly laughs, "I was so nervous I couldn’t even remember what a swing set was.”“I’m looking at Taylor Swift and I have a reason to explain to her why I like her so much," he continues. "And I’m going, ‘You built the swing set somewhere, my daughter, I pushed her on it.’ I did so bad! Definitely was at a loss for words in that moment.”Jelly also tells People that so far this year, he's lost 110 pounds and is winning the battle against his childhood food addiction.“It’s cool because there was once a time in life that the culture I built on tour was the opposite. It revolved around alcohol and drugs,” he says. “And now our tour culture is around good eating and around exercising and doing emotional check-ins with our crew every day.”Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Disney/Tanner YeagerGrateful and excited are common feelings when one receives an award nomination. However, another feeling that CMA New Artist nominee Bailey Zimmerman felt was "weird.""It's something that I've never felt before," Bailey recounts to ABC Audio of the moment he found out about his nod. "It was super weird. It didn't feel like real life.""We woke up and saw the news and people were calling me and I called my mom and it was sick," he recalls. "It's like, you just remember and flash back to all the work that's been put into it and all the people that have really cared about what we're doing and put so much love and effort into it."Needless to say, it's been quite the journey for Bailey, which is why he's thankful for the recognition."It's just a big win for us, you know? Whether we win or lose, being nominated and acknowledged is all you can ask for," says Bailey, who already has four #1 hits under his belt."So, yeah! Let's freaking go!" he adds. "Like, we did it! Let's go!"Will Bailey beat out fellow nominees Megan Moroney, Shaboozey, Nate Smith, Zach Top and Mitchell Tenpenny for the CMA New Artist of the Year trophy? Find out when the 2024 CMAs air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu.Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Disney/Tanner YeagerParker McCollum's not just a singer, he's a songwriter and prides himself in that art.That's why having "Burn It Down" nominated for CMA Song of the Year means a lot to him."That's as good as it gets for me and that's really the one award I think that carries a bunch of weight for me just as a songwriter, because it is about the songwriting," Parker tells ABC Audio."Just the nomination for me is plenty. And getting to write with [Lori McKenna, Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey from The Love Junkies] and call them, I mean, they're basically family to me now," shares Parker. "They come down to my house and go to the ranch in Texas and write and we'll do that again in January."While the nomination "is plenty" for Parker, winning it would be like a big pat on the back."It would be the one award that really made me feel like a real songwriter. Just the fact that something as big as the CMAs thought something that I was a part of writing deserved any kind of attention at all," he says. "That would be heavy." The other Song of the Year-nominated tracks are Post Malone and Morgan Wallen's "I Had Some Help," Chris Stapleton's "White Horse," and Cody Johnson's "The Painter" and "Dirt Cheap."The 2024 CMAs, hosted by Luke Bryan, Lainey Wilson and Peyton Manning, air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu.Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Disney/Frank MicelottaOld Dominion's been on a winning streak in the CMA Vocal Group of the Year category for the past six years.If they continue their reign this year, they'll earn their seventh trophy and become the second-most-awarded Vocal Group, taking over the title currently held by six-time winners Little Big Town.So how's Old Dominion feeling about potentially taking the crown away from one of country music's nicest groups?"It feels great. Feels real great!" OD's Matthew Ramsey tells ABC Audio with a laugh before Trevor Rosen says in jest, "You think they're nice?""Some of the nicest, most talented people in the world. And we are going to stomp 'em into the ground." Matthew jokes. "Stuff 'em in the dirt," Trevor adds."It's a tough town," Brad Tursi says. "Couldn't have done it without 'em."Of course, Old Dominion's just joking around. They are, in fact, friends with Little Big Town and previously collaborated together on the 2017 track "Stars in the City."Other nominees in the Vocal Group category include Little Big Town, Lady A, Zac Brown Band and The Red Clay Strays.Will Old Dominion clinch their seventh Vocal Group award this year? Find out when the 2024 CMAs air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu.Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Courtesy of Country Music AssociationCountry Music's Biggest Night is about to get bigger.It's been announced that Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton, Parker McCollum and Jamey Johnson will perform a tribute to George Strait onstage.Their performance will happen after George receives his 2024 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.Past CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Alan Jackson, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson.The 58th annual CMA Awards, hosted by Lainey, Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu.Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.