The 56th Annual CMA Awards will air live on Wednesday, November 9 at 8 PM EST and 7 PM CST. It will also air at 8 PM PST but this won’t be a live broadcast. Below, we’ll explain how you can watch the CMA Awards 2022 online for free. You can also find out the best VPNs to use in order to watch the event from anywhere in the world.
We’ll only be recommending official sources for watching the CMA Awards 2022. Unauthorized streams are common but run the risk of being taken offline for copyright infringement. You’ll likely also find them to be of inferior quality with low-resolution video as well as excessive amounts of buffering and lag. You can watch the CMA Awards online for free though, so there’s no need to waste time on unreliable, unofficial sources.
The CMA Awards will only be shown on region-locked platforms. This means you’ll need a VPN in order to live stream the event from abroad.
How to watch the CMA Awards 2022 online free
In order to watch the CMA Awards online for free, you’ll need to set up a VPN. Don’t worry if you’ve never used a VPN before, it’s very simple and we’ll take you through it step-by-step.
Here’s how to watch the CMA Awards 2022 online free from anywhere:
- Sign up for a quality VPN service. We recommend NordVPN because it is fast and reliable. Alternatively, Surfshark and ExpressVPN are both excellent options.
- Next, download and install the appropriate VPN app or browser extension for the device from which you want to watch the CMA Awards.
- Open your VPN app or browser extension and connect to a server in the US. This will provide you an American IP address to stream the CMA Awards on ABC or Hulu.
- Head over to ABC (or any of the other streaming platforms we have outlined below). Be sure to connect to a VPN server in the location of the broadcast you want to watch.
- Still having trouble? Be sure to check with your VPN to find out which server in te country you need has been optimized for streaming. Try clearing your browser’s cache and cookies.
We recommend you check your VPN works with ABC (or any other platform) in advance of the CMA Awards. This gives you time to contact your VPN’s customer support for further guidance if necessary. It also reduces the risk of missing out on this live event.
How to watch the CMA Awards 2022 on US TV
In the US, you can watch the CMA Awards live on ABC. If you want to stream this on the ABC website, you will need to log in using valid cable TV details. Alternatively you can head over to USTVGO.tv, which makes ABC available for free.
Below we have included a list of paid streaming services you can also use to watch the 2022 CMA awards:
- DirecTV Stream
- Hulu with Live TV
- Fubo TV
- YouTube TV
- Vidgo
Bear in mind that all the services above are region locked to the USA. This means that you will need to use one of our recommended VPNs to get a valid US IP address. Following that simply head over to USTVGO to watch the awards without a subscription – or log in to any of the other services and start streaming.
How to watch the CMA Awards 2022 free on Australian TV
One of the best ways to watch the CMA Awards 2022 online for free without cable is on 9GEM. However, bear in mind that this year the award will not be broadcast live in Australia. Instead, the awards will be available to watch in their entirety on the 19 November. You can live stream the Australian free-to-air channel via its 9Now online platform.
Note that in order to watch the awards you’ll have to sign up for a free account. This requires you to provide your email address and create a password. You’ll also need to enter your name, date of birth, and postcode (any Australian postal code will do).
9Now is region locked, so you’ll need to connect to a VPN server in Australia. The reason for this is that 9Now content is region-locked and only available in Australia. You can try NordVPN with 9Now risk-free thanks to the VPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee. If unsatisfied, you can claim a full refund as long as you’re still within the 30-day period.
If you don’t want to wait until the 19th, you will need to connect to a VPN server in the US to watch the CMA Awards live while in Australia.
Where else can I watch the CMA Awards online?
While there are a number of other ways to watch the CMA Awards online, all require you to have cable TV or pay a monthly subscription fee. Furthermore, some are shown on repeat rather than being broadcast live. If you don’t see your country listed below, take a look at this list of international broadcasts:
Canada
There will be a live simulcast of the CMA Awards 2019 on CTV2. However, you’ll have to sign in with your cable TV provider to watch the event live. Furthermore, geographic restrictions are in place which means you can’t watch from abroad without connecting to a VPN server in Canada.
UK
The main option for watching the CMA Awards on UK TV is on BBC Four. However, it’s important to know that this will only be a 1-hour airing on November 18th over a week after the event takes place.
You can live stream BBC Four via BBC iPlayer. While this is free, it does require the creation of an account. In particular, you’ll need to provide your email address, date of birth, and postcode (any UK postal code is accepted). Due to the fact that BBC iPlayer content is geo-restricted, you’ll need a UK IP address to watch it outside the UK.
Other streams
Below we have included a list of every other stream of the 2022 CMA Awards:
- Mexico: Airing on Canal 6, 27 November, 2022
- Germany: Airing on RTLup, 14 December, 2022
- Norway: Airing on NRK (unknown date)
What should I know about the 56th CMA Awards?
The 56th Country Music Association Awards will be held at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Also known as the CMA Awards, the event will be hosted by Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning. It will also feature live performances by Loretta Lyn, Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood, Lainey Wilson, Kelly Clarkson, Carly Pearce, Elle King and the Black Keys, Thomas Rhett and Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, and more!
The CMA Awards are voted on by 7,400 members of the Country Music Association. This includes music executives, artists, and musicians. Some of the event’s awards include ‘Entertainer of the Year’, ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Music Video of the Year’, and ‘New Artist of the Year’. You can find the full list of awards nominees on the official CMA Awards website.
Can I use a free VPN to watch the CMA Awards?
No. Although there are some free VPNs available on the market, these are not suitable for streaming live broadcasts of the CMA Awards.
Free VPNs have very few servers that are easy for streaming providers like ABC, USTVGO, Hulu, and DirecTV to spot and block. As a result, we do not know of any free VPNs that are suitable for accessing popular online streaming services.
Free VPNs are also highly congested with users located worldwide. This makes those VPNs very slow, which means they are not suitable for streaming HD videos or live TV. As a result, free VPNs are frustrating for streaming because they cause constant buffering, lag, and poor video reproduction.
If you want to watch the CMA awards for free, we recommend that you use the money-back guarantee that our top recommendations all provide. This will let you watch the country music awards and then get a refund if you prefer.
