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

As you may have heard, Garth Brooks took his name out of the running for CMA Entertainer of the Year after receiving some backlash for winning the trophy again last year, and now he’s reflecting on that decision.

“We got killed pretty bad last time we won here,” Garth, who’s won the award seven times, said “There’s one I particular that I loved that said, I love you to death but don’t you just think it’s time that…'”

Garth admits the comments didn’t actually hurt his feelings, noting, “They’re not saying they don’t love ya, they’re saying ‘Hey, don’t you think it’s time?'” adding, “Say it’s time. Love everybody, hug everybody and be known as ‘the guy who got to win it this many times.'”

Garth says he actually expected Carrie Underwood to win last year, sharing, “I mean, this is her night … And when they said my name, then I was like, I’m lost here because I don’t know what to say.”

Finally, he offers, “I’m very grateful for the time that I’ve got to go [win],” but now, “somebody else needs to hold that.”

Source: People

Keith Urban admits in a new interview that he wasn’t handling quarantine well at the beginning of the lockdown. He tells “CBS Sunday Morning” that at first he spent his time “just kicking back,” noting, “I confess…I didn’t transition smoothly into this new way of doing things.”

Keith said he just first resolved to sit back on the couch with his family and ride things out, but notes, “I just didn’t do anything. Just did nothing for it seemed like eternity for me.”

It took a call from a friend to change things for him. After complaining about all the things he couldn’t do, his friend asked him if there was anything he could do. Keith shares, “And within that call, I started to pivot. And I know it sounds so cheesy, but really, that’s what it was. I pivoted over towards what I could do.”

What he could do was finish his new record “The Speed Of Now: Part 1,” which drops Friday. “There’s a chunk of this record, probably a good third of it that wouldn’t have happened without what we went through,” Keith says. “I would say I had 70% of the record finished. So, some of these songs came because of the times, from the times, and were even created during that period as well.”

And while many can’t see the bright side of everything we’ve been through with the pandemic, Keith can. “I’m always hopeful,” he says. “We will learn so much from this moment, so much. And when this comes again – and there’s no doubt it will at some point – we’ll be way better prepared for it, and I think just have a new way of doing things.” As for music, he notes, “We’re always gonna play somehow, some way. We’re gonna figure out a way to do it.”

Source: CBS Sunday Morning

Florida Georgia Line is back with new music. The duo just released the new single “Long Live,” which Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley wrote with Corey Crowder, David Garcia, and Josh Miller.

“This one is for the nights you never want to end. It’s a celebration of all the good times with great friends and cold drinks,” they share. “We had a lot of fun reminiscing when writing, and hope it takes our fans back too!,” adding, “Kick back with your loved ones, turn it up, and relive some of your glory days while making new memories. Long live!”

“Long Live” is expected to appear on FGl’s upcoming fifth album, which so far doesn’t have a title or release date. According to Brian, the album will feature “some nostalgia,” and “old school FGL vibes,” even though they are “still pushing the boundaries.” He adds, “sonically it’s a little bit of a throwback, I guess you could say.”

The ACM Awards are only a week away, and the lineup of talent taking part has just gotten even bigger. The telecast has added several new performers including Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Stefani, Carrie Underwood, and Trisha Yearwood.

Blake and Gwen will perform their latest duet “Happy Anywhere,” while Carrie will pay tribute to legendary female Opry mebers, performing songs from Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton

Finally, Trisha is set to 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.

In addition, the fist set of presenters have been revealed, including Lauren Alaina, Lily Aldridge, Clint Black & Lisa Hartman Black, Bobby Bones, Cam, Darius Rucker and Runaway June.

The 2020 ACM Awards, hosted by Keith Urban, were supposed to take place in April but were postponed due to the coronavirus. They will now air September 16th on CBS.

Source: ACM