After months of delays due to the coronavirus, the 55th Annual ACM Awards are finally happening tonight. The show was supposed to take place in Las Vegas back in April, but after the pandemic forced its postponement, the ACM decided to tak the show back to Nashville, with toniht’s show featuring performances from three iconic Music City venues – The Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium and the Bluebird Café.
Keith Urban hosts this year’s telcast, and will perform his new single “One Too Many” with Pink. This year’s show will also see the return of Taylor Swift, her first time on the show in seven, performing her “Folklore” track “Betty” from the Grand Ole Opry House.
This year’s other performers include: Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett and John Pardi and Old Dominion at the Ryman, along with this year’s New Artist winners Riley Green and Tenille Townes; Jimmie Allen, Luke Combs Miranda Lambert, featuring Natalie Hemby and Luke Dick, and Tim McGraw at the Bluebird Café and Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Mickey Guyton and Morgan Wallen at the Opry.
In addition, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are set to perform their duet “Happy Anywhere,” while Carrie Underwood will pay tribute to legendary female Opry members, performing songs from Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton and Trisha Yearwood will perform her “Every Girl” track “I’ll Carry You Home” during the show’s “In Memoriam” segment, paying respects to those in the country music industry who passed away this year.
Meanwhile year’s presenters include Lauren Alaina, Lily Aldridge, Clint Black & Lisa Hartman Black, Bobby Bones, Cam, Darius Rucker and Runaway June.
As for this year’s nominees, Maren Morris and Thomas Rhett lead the pack with five nominations each. Other artists with multiple nominations include Dan + Shay who got four as a pair, although Shay Mooney got an additional nod as songwriter for “10,000 Hours,” and Dan Smyers got two additional nods, as a songwriter on the same song, and as a producer. Blake Shelton, Justin Bieber and Old Dominion also each got four nods, while Eric Church, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde and Kacey Musgraves, each got three.
As for this year’s Entertainer of the Year category, Carrie Underwood is the only female nominee, and will be up against Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett.
The 55th Annual ACM Awards air tonight at 8 pm on CBS. Check out the full list of nominees below:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Carrie Underwood
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Dierks Bentley
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae
GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
The Highwomen
NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ingrid Andress
Gabby Barrett
Lindsay Ell
Caylee Hammack
Tenille Townes – WINNER
NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jordan Davis
Russell Dickerson
Riley Green – WINNER
Cody Johnson
Morgan Wallen
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
[Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett
GIRL – Maren Morris
Heartache Medication – Jon Pardi
What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs
Wildcard – Miranda Lambert
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
[Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
“One Man Band” – Old Dominion
“Rainbow” – Kacey Musgraves
“Rumor” – Lee Brice
“What If I Never Get Over You” – Lady Antebellum
SONG OF THE YEAR
[Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere” – Ashley McBryde
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
“One Man Band” – Old Dominion
“Some Of It” – Eric Church
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
[Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
“One Man Band” – Old Dominion
“Remember You Young” – Thomas Rhett – WINNER
“Sugar Coat” – Little Big Town
MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR
[Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber
“Dive Bar” – Garth Brooks featuring Blake Shelton
“Fooled Around And Fell In Love” – Miranda Lambert Featuring Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack & Elle King – WINNER
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
“What Happens In A Small Town: – Brantley Gilbert Featuring Lindsay Ell
