Megan Moroney: CMA Performance History and Memorable Moments

Megan Moroney is one of country music’s brightest rising stars, and she’s a force you can’t ignore. With her heartfelt lyrics and a knack for stealing the spotlight because of her southern charm. Case in point: she’s already made a noticeable buzz at the CMA Awards in just a few short years.  

Let’s take a look at Moroney’s CMA history, from her journey as a wide-eyed nominee to a history-making win, and relive her unforgettable moments that prove she’s a country star through and through. 

Moroney began as a red-carpet host and, after more than three years, became a first-time CMA nominee. Talk about a glow-up! The “Hair Salon” singer even admitted that her “insane, full-circle moment” felt “surreal.”  

Her first nominations came in 2023, for New Artist of the Year and Song of the Year, with “Tennessee Orange,” which reached No. 1 on country radio charts, No. 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and No. 4 on the US Country Airplay chart, earning 3x Platinum certification in the United States. The New Artist category was especially competitive that year. She was up against Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll, Parker McCollum, and Hailey Whitters. Roll took home New Artist, while Luke Combs won Song of the Year. Even though Moroney did not win her first time out, she won the New Artist award the following year.   

The Georgia native admitted she hadn’t prepared a speech because she didn’t expect to win and didn't want to jinx herself. Like in 2023, she was up against talented newcomers including Shaboozey, Zach Top, and Parker McCollum. She’s the only female nominee and eventual winner. 

During the 2024 CMA Awards at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Moroney was nominated for three categories: Female Vocalist of the Year, Music Video of the Year, and New Artist of the Year. Aside from bagging the New Artist award, she also took to the stage and performed the lead single, “Am I Okay?” from her sophomore album of the same name.  

Moroney looked like a real-life Barbie during her performance. Wearing a metallic halter peplum mini dress with numerous crystals, which she paired with white cowboy boots, it’s not just her dress that sparkled that night. Fans cheered for her during her performance, with many singing along. 

In her emotional acceptance speech, she thanked Jesus, her gift of songwriting, her team, her family, producer Kristian Bush, and especially her fans, who make signs and show up at 3 AM for concerts. This marked Moroney’s first CMA win at 27 years old, which is a major career milestone. 

Winning New Artist of the Year validated her not just as one of country music’s brightest newcomers, but one of the biggest female stars in the genre. In addition to her CMA win, her second album, Am I Okay?, reached #9 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart and #3 on the Top Country Albums chart. Last year, she achieved significant milestones in her career, including having nine hits on Hot Country Songs and four tracks on the Billboard Hot 100.  

Moroney also opened for Kenny Chesney’s The Sun Goes Down Tour and contributed a song to the movie Twisters’ soundtrack. She also won the 2025 Billboard Women in Music Rulebreaker Award, cementing her status as one of country music’s brightest stars to watch.