Winning his first CMA would be great, but Cole Swindell knows to “Never Say Never” at awards shows

ABC/Connie Chornuk

Cole Swindell has never won a CMA Award, even though he’s been at the top of the country music game for so long some fans may find that hard to believe. 

“Oh yeah. It’s possible. I can tell you,” Cole tells ABC Audio with a chuckle.

The singer stresses that trophies and accolades aren’t the goal -- what’s important, after all, is putting out music that resonates with your fans. But that doesn’t mean it’s not nice to get some industry recognition every once in a while, “especially for the people behind the scenes that you can share it with,” Cole adds.

But Cole might pick up his first couple of CMA trophies on Wednesday night: He’s nominated in the Music Video of the Year and Music Event of the Year categories, both for his hit duet with Lainey Wilson, “Never Say Never.”

“You know, I’ve only been nominated as a solo artist, but this year, to be nominated with a friend and somebody I’ve believed in for a while -- Lainey Wilson, who is the most-nominated [artist at the show] -- I just think it’s gonna be special ... to watch her shine,” Cole continues.

“I hope she wins everything she’s nominated for. I know I’m a small part of that, but she’s so deserving,” he adds.

The 2022 CMA Awards air Wednesday night live from Nashville on ABC.

Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at 3:20PM by Carena Liptak Permalink