3 CMA New Artist of the Year Winners Who Faded Away (And Deserve Another Chance)For many artists, winning the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year (formerly the Horizon Award) is the start of a long and successful career in country music. Videos by American SongwriterWe found three artists who won the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year, and then seemingly disappeared, even though they definitely deserve another chance. Hunter HayesHunter Hayes won the CMA New Artist of the Year trophy in 2012, one year after his eponymous debut album came out. The Band PerryGranted, The Band Perry have gone through a few iterations since they won the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year in 2011. But The Band Perry is back, with Kimberly’s husband, Johnny Costello, replacing Neil.