At the 58th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, the top award, Entertainer of the Year, was given to Chris Stapleton, even as Lanny Wilson and Hardy won in the largest number of categories, with four each. – two of which he shared. Duet for “Wait in the Truck.”
Technically, Hardy walked away with six trophies, as the ACMs double award for artists who co-wrote their nominated songs.
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Accepting for Album of the Year, Wilson said, “I wrote 300 songs during the pandemic.” Noting that some fans have said that listening to his “Bell Bottom Country” album helped save his life, Wilson said, “Writing these songs saved my life.” She quoted a line of her own: “Be who you are, because everyone else is taken.”
The two categories in which Wilson and Hardy shared the win were Visual Media of the Year and Concert of the Year. Separately, Wilson won Female Artist of the Year and Hardy won Best Artist-Songwriter.
(Scroll down for a photo gallery of the winners, nominees and performers.)
The unofficial award for most talkative collaboration of the night, meanwhile, could have gone to Ed Sheeran and Luke Combs, who traded verses on Sheeran's latest single, “Life Goes On,” which features Death as a Part was a ballad about acceptance. Of life The pop star's appearance was teased a few days ago, but not with whom or what song she'll be singing. Fans of either or both immediately began pushing for a duet version to be officially released. Naturally, it was anticipated, and a Combs/Sheeran duet turned out for DSP at midnight et.
The ceremony was webcast live from the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas on Prime Video and Amazon's Twitch channel. It will be available to watch again on Amazon Freevee from Friday night.
“I can't believe I got to meet Dolly Parton first,” beamed Lainie Wilson as she accepted Best Female Artist. “I'm here because of people like Dolly Parton paving the way.” She also praised her fellow nominees, who missed too many weddings, too many funerals — not that I'd want to go to all of those, anyway. She encouraged “little girls” to believe in their dreams, with a caveat: “If you want to be a dreamer, you better act.”
Hardy acknowledged with Wilson, the featured artist on his double-winning song “Wet in the Truck,” saying, “Thank you, Lanny, you absolutely killed it. There was no doubt that you always managed to make people believe in this song.” Wilson spoke about the domestic abuse theme of the number, saying, “I think it's really important to sing about things that are hard to talk about. I didn't want people to relate to this song, but a lot of people do, and this one's for all of you.”
Best male performer went to Morgan Wallen, who had to drop out of participating due to being placed on vocal rest, which he announced this week, forcing him to cancel nearly six weeks of shows, as well as his ACM “Should've killed him to win this and not be here,” Brooks said. “Let's celebrate for him tonight.”
After the opening number by Keith Urban, “Texas Time”, Brooks and Parton performed an opening comedy routine, which Brooks called her co-host a “goat”. He led an actual goat on a wagon, then turned a bit racier as he relayed that Brooks had agreed with wife Trisha Yearwood that Parton could be his “hall pass”, then Yearwood passed the same. had earned The punchline landed with the “T” in goat standing for “threesome”.
On a more upbeat note, a mention of great people who died last year, including Parton's friend Loretta Lynn, caused the singer to apparently spontaneously break into the a cappella “Precious Memories.” “I just felt I wanted to do that song,” Parton explained. Brooks replied, “Jimny Christmas, we are so lucky to have you in this draft.”
Performance highlights included Cody Johnson, “Mommas, Don't Let Your Boys Grow Up to Be Cowboys” after a brief interchange between Willie Nelson and the hosts (with Brooks's particularly forceful recommendation of the young star); the projected “Head's Carolina, Tell's California,” joining Cole Swindell in “She Had Me at Head's Carolina” by Joe Di Messina's original singer; and a duet between the previous year's female vocalists, Carly Pierce and Yearwood; And the IRL pairing that knocks many a couple out of the park every night on tour, War and Treaty.
Wilson performing his “Cookin' with Grease” proved a big hit as well. The show was closed by Parton premiering her new single, “World on Fire”, from her upcoming “Rockstar” album.
Full list of winners awarded Thursday night:
entertainer of the year
chris stapleton
female artist of the year
lanny wilson
male artist of the year
morgan wallen
pair of the year
brothers osborne
year group
old dominion
new female artist of the year
Hailey Whitters
New Male Artist of the Year
zack bryan
album of the year
“Bell Bottom Country,” Lainie Wilson
single of the year
“She Had Me at Her Head's Carolina,” Cole Swindell
song of the year
“She Had Me at Head's Carolina,” Writers: Ashley Gorley, Cole Swindell, Jesse Fraser, Mark D. Sanders, Thomas Rhett and Tim Nichols; Artist: Cole Swindell
visual media of the year
“Wait in the Truck,” The Hardys featuring Lanny Wilson
concert of the year
“Wait in the Truck,” The Hardys featuring Lanny Wilson
songwriter of the year
ashley gorley
Artist-Songwriter of the Year
Daring
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