Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde Win Musical Event of the Year at 2022 CMA Awards

Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde have won Musical Event of the Year at the 2022 CMA Awards.

The award was one of two that were announced early on Wednesday morning (Nov. 9), hours in advance of the ceremony that will air on ABC on Wednesday night. Good Morning America revealed the winners in the categories of Musical Event and Music Video of the Year in a special segment airing live from downtown Nashville.

Pearce and McBryde beat out Dierks Bentley, Breland and Hardy's “Beers on Me;” Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood, “If I Didn’t Love You;" Midland's collaboration with Jon Pardi on “Longneck Way to Go;” and Cole Swindell and Lainey Wilson, “Never Say Never” for the honor of Musical Event of the Year at the CMA Awards.

The pair share the award with their producers, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.

Pearce turned to Twitter to react immediately after the award was announced, writing, "WOWWWW what a way to start #cmaawards day!!! This song means everything to me & seeing the life it has had this year has been so rewarding. Thank you @cma for this. MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR!!!"

"Never Wanted to Be That Girl" appears on Pearce's album, 29: Written in Stone, from 2021. It reached No. 1 as the second single from the project. Pearce and McBryde wrote the song alongside McAnally.

Both Pearce and McBryde are going into the televised ABC broadcast as nominees for Female Vocalist of the Year. "Never Wanted to Be That Girl" is also nominated for Song and Single of the Year in the 2022 CMA Awards, and it was nominated for Music Video of the Year. That award went to Cody Johnson's "'Til You Can't" on Wednesday morning.

The 2022 CMA Awards will air on ABC at 8PM ET on Wednesday night (Nov. 9). Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning are hosting.