The CMA Award nominations are in, and Chief Zaruk and Simon Tikhman's The Core Entertainment has plenty to celebrate with not one, but two spots in the New Artist of the Year category with Warner Nashville's Bailey Zimmerman and Sony Music Nashville's Nate Smith.

Zimmerman, fresh off his sold-out RELIGIOUSLY. THE TOUR and recent visual drop for “New to Country,” is not only riding high from his platinum debut album, Religiously. The Album, but is also a two-time nominee for the upcoming People’s Choice Country Awards.

Next up, he’s got stadium dates on the schedule with Morgan Wallen, Luke Bryan and Kane Brown through the fall.

Meanwhile, Smith is making waves with his recent singles “Fix What You Didn’t Break” and Alesso collab “I Like It,” following his unprecedented feat of starting his career with three consecutive multi-week #1s at Country Radio, including “Bulletproof.”

Smith, also a triple nominee for the People’s Choice Country Awards, is gearing up for his new album, California Gold, out 10/4.

Now that’s a helluva Q4 head start for The Core.