ACM Awards
Page: 8
A week after winning his landmark copyright case, Ed Sheeran is celebrating by playing the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards in Frisco, Texas tonight. Though only announced Tuesday (May 9), his appearance has been in the works for a few weeks when an unrevealed artist invited him to play together.
That artist and their performance are a secret, but Sheeran is also playing “Life Goes On,” from his new album – (Subtract).
If he has it his way, Sheeran will be making a lot more country music. “I talk about this to my wife all the time. I would love to transition into country,” he tells Billboard backstage at the Ford Center at The Star at Frisco following rehearsal. “I love the culture of it, I just love the songwriting. It’s just like brilliant songs.”
Sheeran considers himself a major country music fan. He’s lived in Nashville twice for extended periods of time in 2013 and 2018 and found himself very inspired by the local songwriters. “It’s like a community. There’s not really a place in Europe where you could point and say, ‘That’s the home of songwriting,’” he says. “It’s not just for country music. Nashville is just a hub of incredible songwriters, incredible performers. And I really felt inspired just being there being around everyone.”
He has Taylor Swift to thank for turning him on to country music. “I’d never really listened to country music as a kid growing up. It was only being on Taylor’s Red tour and living in Nashville and her basically introducing me to that side of it.”
Now he’s a convert, adding that “there’s a radio station in England called [CountryLine Radio] that me and my wife have on all day, every day in the kitchen.”
As country grows in popularity internationally, he predicts more artists experiencing global success. “Luke Combs could probably play a stadium in England. I think if he put on Wembley [Stadium] next summer, he could sell it.” (Combs, who is on a world tour, already has two O2 Arena dates in London on his October calendar.)
As Sheeran celebrates his May 4 copyright victory during which a jury ruled that his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud” did not copy Marvin Gaye’s 1973 classic “Let’s Get It On,” he hopes that his willingness to fight instead of settle helps other songwriters, though he admits it may take some time to change the current culture where such suits have “become a big money business,” he says.
“But the more that people step up and fight, the less it’s going to happen because the reason it has become a culture and a big money business is because of the threat of it. And so, people settle because they don’t want to spend a lot of money on lawyers and take time out,” he says. “I took time out of promoting my album two weeks, I spent a lot of money on lawyers to prove my innocence. And I think that if that happens more and more and more, it’ll just stop people thinking that they can just do a hit and run basically.”
The ACM Awards are bringing a country music party to Frisco, Texas!
Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks will co-host this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards, set to air May 11 at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas.
But they will also be guiding an evening of strong performances, highlighted by duets from Carly Pearce and Trisha Yearwood (in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Yearwood winning the ACM’s female artist of the year award). Also collaborating are Cole Swindell and Jo Dee Messina on the remix of Swindell’s “She Had Me at Heads Carolina.” Ashley McBryde will welcome Brandy Clark, Caylee Hammack, Pillbox Patti and John Osborne (on guitar) for a performance of “Bonfire at Tina’s” from McBryde’s collaborative Lindeville project, which is nominated for album of the year. HARDY, who leads this year’s nominees with seven nods, will also make his ACM Awards performance debut.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Morgan Wallen had been slated as a performer, but pulled out of the awards show Tuesday (May 9) and is canceling six weeks of shows due to being placed on vocal rest. Sources tell Billboard that the ACM does not plan on replacing Wallen’s performance slot due to already having a stacked lineup of performers.
While Wallen will not be replaced, the ACM’s announced earlier in the day that pop star Ed Sheeran will be performing. It will be the “Shivers” singer’s first time on the show; he just released his new album, Subtract, on May 5.
Additionally, the ACMs revealed this year’s presenters, as well as contributions from four-time ACM National On-Air Personality of the Year winner Bobby Bones, whose “Backstage With Bobby Bones” interview segment will be featured throughout the evening.
Following HARDY in terms of nominations this year are Lainey Wilson with six nods, then Cole Swindell, Kane Brown, Luke Combs and Miranda Lambert with five nods each.
The awards show will be streaming live for free to a global audience via Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. The full rebroadcast will stream the following day for free on Amazon Freevee.
See below for the full list of performers and presenters announced for this year’s ACM Awards.
Performers:
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Ed Sheeran
Cody Johnson
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Jo Dee Messina
Dolly Parton
Jelly Roll
Cole Swindell
Keith Urban
The War and Treaty
Lainey Wilson
Bailey Zimmerman
Carly Pearce
Trisha Yearwood
HARDY
Jordan Davis
Brandy Clark
Caylee Hammack
Pillbox Patti
John Osborne
Presenters:
Gabby Barrett
BRELAND
Brandy Clark
Jordan Davis
Mickey Guyton
Tyler Hubbard
Dustin Lynch
TJ Osborne
Jon Pardi
Carly Pearce
MacKenzie Porter
Dak Prescott
Emmitt Smith
Tanya Tucker
Keith Urban
Trisha Yearwood
The ACM Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions. DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.
Ed Sheeran is going country — for one night only. The superstar English singer and songwriter will perform at the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards, slated for Thursday, May 11.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
It’ll mark the pop star’s first appearance at the ACM Awards, one of country music’s flagship events.
Sheeran has all the momentum heading into the 2023 ceremony. The “Shape Of You” singer is currently on the road for his record-busting + – = ÷ x (Mathematics) World Tour; he’s supporting his latest studio album – (Subtract), which dropped last Friday (May 5); and he’s the subject of a four-part Disney+ docuseries Ed Sheeran: The Sum Of It All.
It’s unclear whether he’ll perform a mini-set, a medley, something old or something new, with producers enthusing that Sheeran will provide an “electrifying moment” on what’s shaping as a glittering night.
The two-hour show will take place at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, TX, and feature performances by Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Jo Dee Messina, Ashley McBryde, Jelly Roll, Cole Swindell, Keith Urban, Morgan Wallen, The War And Treaty, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman.
In addition to co-hosting this year’s event with Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton is set to close with a performance of the lead single from her forthcoming rock album.
By moving from CBS last year, the ACM Awards became the first major awards ceremony to switch from broadcast to a streaming platform.
To make it as accessible as possible, Amazon is offering the show for free to subscribers and non-subscribers alike across more than 240 countries and territories via Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. The full show will stream the next day, May 12, for free on Amazon Freevee.
The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions, with Raj Kapoor, Barry Adelman and Fonda Anita serving as executive producers, and Damon Whiteside serving as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music. Patrick Menton is co-executive producer. (DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.)
The 58th annual ACM Awards will stream live via Amazon Prime Video from Frisco, Texas, on Thursday (May 11), guided by megastar co-hosts Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton. This year, nominees ranging from newcomers to Country Music Hall of Fame members are poised take home ACM trophies.
Will leading nominee HARDY — who has seven nods heading into the ceremony — add to his ACM Awards accolades? Could first-time ACM entertainer of the year nominees Kane Brown or Morgan Wallen take home the night’s most coveted trophy? Will six-time ACM nominee Lainey Wilson best her previous year’s wins by taking home the female artist of the year honor? Will Miranda Lambert extend her nine female artist of the year wins? Could The War and Treaty take home their first ACM Awards win for duo of the year?
Here are Billboard’s winners predictions in select categories, from Jessica Nicholson, staff writer, Nashville.
Entertainer of the Year
Jason AldeanKane BrownLuke CombsMiranda LambertChris StapletonCarrie UnderwoodMorgan Wallen
Analysis: Sony Music Nashville artists Kane Brown and Luke Combs, as well as Big Loud’s Morgan Wallen, are among the top contenders in the seven artist-strong pack of nominees this year. Brown led a top-tier headlining tour of NBA arenas and notched his ninth Billboard Country Airplay No. 1, this time with “Thank God,” featuring his wife Katelyn. Brown is the first Black or biracial artist to be nominated in the category since Charley Pride, who earned ACM EOY nominations from 1970-1972. Meanwhile, Combs earns his fourth EOY nomination, and released two albums over the past year, Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old. He also launched his World Tour, including breaking records at AT&T Stadium, Busch Stadium and Gillette Stadium. Wallen also earns his first EOY nomination this year, and is selling out shows internationally on his One Night at a Time world tour. Wallen’s One Thing at a Time album has been entrenched in the penthouse of the Billboard 200 for the past nine weeks. Meanwhile, Wallen’s “Last Night” recently became the first song to top the Hot 100 and Country Airplay charts simultaneously. With this being Combs’ fourth nod in the category, look for him to take home his first win.
Will win: Luke Combs
Female artist of the year
Kelsea BalleriniMiranda LambertAshley McBrydeCarly PearceLainey Wilson
Analysis: Last year, Wilson picked up two ACM Awards wins — new female artist of the year and song of the year (for “Things a Man Oughta Know”). She is poised to up the ante this year, with six nominations overall. Additionally, she launched a recurring role on the hit television series Yellowstone, released her Bell Bottom Country album, headlined her own Country With a Flare tour, and opened for Luke Combs’ world tour. She also earned two top five Country Airplay hits with “Heart Like a Truck” and “Wait in the Truck” (a collab with HARDY). Reigning ACM entertainer of the year Lambert released the album Palomino, earned a top 10 Hot Country Songs hit with “If I Was a Cowboy,” and led a string of dates on her Velvet Rodeo Las Vegas residency. Meanwhile, McBryde and reigning ACM female artist of the year Pearce saw their collaboration “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” top the Country Airplay chart in May 2022; the song was nominated for two ACM Awards last year, and won the music event of the year trophy. In 2022, Ballerini released the album Subject to Change, spearheaded by the top 25 Country Airplay hit “Heartfirst.” Every artist here has notched stellar career milestones, but Wilson’s career is firing on all cylinders.
Will win: Lainey Wilson
Male Artist of the Year
Kane BrownLuke CombsJordan DavisChris StapletonMorgan Wallen
Analysis: Stapleton is the reigning winner in this category, while Combs previously won this honor in 2020. They are competing against three first-timers in the category: Brown, Davis and Wallen. With Brown and Combs being labelmates, and given Wallen’s stronghold on the sales chart, Wallen could take home the win here.
Will win: Morgan Wallen
Duo of the Year
Brooks & DunnBrothers OsborneDan + ShayMaddie & TaeThe War and Treaty
Analysis: Brothers Osborne regained this accolade last year, after Dan+Shay had held the winner’s circle for the previous three years. (Brothers Osborne had taken home the honor for two years before that.) This year, they have competition from Country Music Hall of Famers Brooks & Dunn (who have taken home the win 16 times in their career), as well as Maddie & Tae (who released the two-volume Through the Madness project last year) and husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty, who released their EP Blank Page in November 2022, followed by their full-length project Lover’s Game this year. With their strong following, look for Brothers Osborne to retain their title.
Will win: Brothers Osborne
Group of the Year
Lady ALittle Big TownMidlandOld DominionZac Brown Band
Analysis: Old Dominion has taken home this honor the past five consecutive years and have a top 15 Country Airplay hit with “Memory Lane.” Zac Brown Band earned a top 15 Country Airplay hit with “Out in the Middle.” Though all the nominees here had top-notch years, it looks to be a race between Old Dominion and ZBB.
Will win: Old Dominion
Album of the Year
Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville —Ashley McBryde; Producer: John Osborne; Label: Warner Music Nashville
Bell Bottom Country — Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Label: Broken Bow Records
Growin’ Up — Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Label: Columbia Records
Mr. Saturday Night — Jon Pardi; Producers: Jon Pardi, Bart Butler, Ryan Gore; Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Palomino — Miranda Lambert; Producers: Jon Randall, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Mikey Reaves; Label: Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville
Analysis: This year’s album race features a slew of chart-toppers in a range of styles, with Lambert’s freewheeling musical travelogue, Wilson’s hippie-country project, Pardi’s ‘90s country-inspired album and Combs’s hit-filled collection all vying for the win. However, voters could lean toward the out-of-the-box ethos of McBryde’s collaborative, Dennis Linde-inspired project.
Will win: McBryde’s Lindeville
Single of the Year
“Heart Like a Truck” — Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Label: Broken Bow Records
“Never Wanted To Be That Girl” — Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde; Producers: Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally; Label: Big Machine Records/Warner Music Nashville
“She Had Me at Heads Carolina” — Cole Swindell; Producer: Zach Crowell; Label: Warner Music Nashville
“Thank God” — Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown; Producer: Dann Huff; Label: RCA Nashville
“’Til You Can’t” — Cody Johnson; Producer: Trent Willmon; Label: Warner Music Nashville/CoJo Music
Analysis: Each nomination gained considerable traction on the Country Airplay chart, while “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” earned a Grammy win, Johnson’s “’Til You Can’t” is a previous CMA Award winner, and the Kane/Katelyn collab won big at last month’s CMT Music Awards. In terms of overall commercial success, Swindell’s “Carolina” notched four weeks atop Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, and got an extra boost via a remixed version featuring Jo Dee Messina.
Will win: Swindell’s “She Had Me at Heads Carolina”
Song of the Year
“Sand in My Boots” — Morgan Wallen; Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Josh Osborne, Michael Hardy; Publishers: Relative Music Group; Sony/ATV Accent, Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, Sony/ATV Tree Publishing
“She Had Me at Heads Carolina” — Cole Swindell; Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Cole Swindell, Jesse Frasure, Mark D. Sanders, Thomas Rhett, Tim Nichols; Publishers: Ashley Gorley Publishing Designee, Be a Light Publishing, Colden Rainey Music, EMI Blackwood Music, Songs of Roc Nation Music, Sony Tree Publishing, Telemitry Rhythm House Music, Universal Music, WC Music, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing
“’Til You Can’t” — Cody Johnson; Songwriters: Ben Stennis, Matt Rogers; Publishers: Anthem Canalco Publishing, Dead Aim Music, The Stennis Mightier Music
“wait in the truck” — HARDY featuring Lainey Wilson; Songwriters: Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt, Michael Hardy, Renee Blair; Publishers: Humerus Publishing Global, Nontypical Music, Pile of Schmidt Songs, Rednecker Music, Relative Music Group, Round Hill Verses Publishing, Sony/ ATV Accent, Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, The Money Tree Vibez, WC Music, Who Wants To Buy My Publishing
“You Should Probably Leave” — Chris Stapleton; Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Chris DuBois, Chris Stapleton; Publishers: One77 Songs, Sea Gayle Music, Songs of Southside Independent Music Publishing, Spirit Two Nashville, WC Music
Analysis: Songwriter Ashley Gorley co-wrote three of the contenders for this year’s song of the year honor, while Michael Hardy (HARDY) is a contributor to two of this year’s final nominees. Three of these contenders first charted in 2021, thus proving their enduring quality. Lyrically, the songs cover a range of topics including heartbreak (“Sand in My Boots”), making the most of each day (“‘Til You Can’t”), revenge (“wait in the truck”), temptation (“You Should Probably Leave”) and music-fused love (“She Had Me at Heads Carolina”). Given the gritty nature of “wait in the truck” and its addition to country music’s long history of murder ballads, look for it to win here.
Will win: “Wait in the Truck”
Music Event of the Year
“At the End of a Bar” — Chris Young with Mitchell Tenpenny; Producers: Chris DeStefano, Chris Young; Label: RCA Nashville
“She Had Me at Heads Carolina [Remix]” — Cole Swindell & Jo Dee Messina; Producer: Zach Crowell; Label: Warner Music Nashville
“Thank God” — Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown; Producer: Dann Huff; Label: RCA Nashville
“Thinking ’Bout You” — Dustin Lynch featuring MacKenzie Porter; Producer: Zach Crowell; Label: Broken Bow Records
“wait in the truck” — HARDY featuring Lainey Wilson; Producers: Derek Wells, HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt; Label Big Loud Records
Analysis: This year’s category gets competition with the Chris Young/Mitchell Tenpenny collab “At the End of a Bar,” the nostalgic Swindell/Messina musical moment of “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” the husband-wife duet “Thank God” with Kane and Katelyn Brown, the intense murder ballad “wait in the truck” from HARDY and Wilson, and the Dustin Lynch/MacKenzie Porter duet “Thinking ‘Bout You,” which was a six-week Country Airplay chart-topper in 2021. Look for the stirring “Thank God” to take home the win.
Will win: Kane Brown and Katelyn Brown, “Thank God”
As Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside prepares for the 58th edition of the ACM Awards to return to Amazon’s Prime Video on May 11, he says lessons learned from the 2022 edition are guiding this year’s show.
Last year, the ACM Awards became the first major awards ceremony to switch from broadcast to a streaming platform. “There was a chunk of people that didn’t know we moved from CBS,” Whiteside says. “What we’ve learned is we have to really lean into our core country audience and make sure they’re aware the show is happening. For anybody that is not a regular Prime Video user, we need to bring them into the Prime Video ecosystem and show them how simple it is.”
To make it as accessible as possible, Amazon is offering the show for free to subscribers and non-subscribers alike across more than 240 countries and territories via Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. The full show will stream the next day for free on Amazon Freevee.
(Though rare, Prime Video has offered livestreams in the past, including for Kanye West and Drake‘s “Free Larry Hoover” benefit concert in 2021. Amazon could not be reached for comment by press time.)
It helps that this year, the show’s co-hosts are two of the biggest stars in the world: Dolly Parton (who hosted last year with Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett) and Garth Brooks. Whiteside says he’s still “pinching myself” that the music icons are emceeing the two-hour show, which will stream commercial-free from the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Tex.
After Parton hosted last year, “Our goal right away was ‘How can we get Dolly back involved again?’” Whiteside says. Once she was on board, the idea came to pair her with Brooks, who has never hosted an awards show before. “They’re close friends, admirers of each other, so it was actually very organic,” he continues. “We couldn’t have a better pair than the two of them to be the face of the show because we’re a global show and they’re global superstars.”
This year’s show has been thrown the curveball of the Writers Guild of America strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which started at midnight Tuesday (May 2). However, a source tells Billboard that the script was completed before the strike began and the show is not expected to be affected even if the strike is still ongoing.
This year marks the ACM Awards’ return to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex for the first time since its 50th anniversary show in 2015 (last year’s ceremony was held at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium). The show’s host venue, the Ford Center at the Star, serves as the world headquarters for the Dallas Cowboys, who are partners for this year’s event. “Ever since I took this job [in 2019], my board said we need to work with the Cowboys again,” Whiteside says. “They’re amazing partners and Texas is a great market.”
HARDY leads all nominees at this year’s show with seven nods, followed by Lainey Wilson with six. Cole Swindell, Kane Brown, Luke Combs and Miranda Lambert each have five, while Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen landed four.
This year’s awards will feature several changes. The songwriter of the year category has been split into songwriter of the year and artist-songwriter of the year awards, while the criteria for album of the year eligibility shifted from 51% to 75% previously unreleased material. Most notably, the entertainer of the year category has expanded from five to seven nominees.
“We have so many amazing entertainer nominees that we’d like to showcase more of a breadth of them and [the expansion] gives more opportunity for more artists to have that spotlight,” Whiteside says. “It gives seven artists now the opportunity to say, ‘I’m an entertainer of the year nominee.’ So, it was to diversify, but also to give more artists the opportunity to be able to wear that badge of honor.”
The show, which is produced by Dick Clark Productions, also has a new executive producer in Raj Kapoor, who takes over for R.A. Clark, who “was ready to pass the baton,” Whiteside says. “We love him and never want to see him go, but we’re really excited about Raj,” who has worked on projects including the Academy Awards, the Grammy Awards and numerous Las Vegas residencies. “He’s got a really good sense of what country is about and who the artists are, but at the same time, he’s also got this experience from all these other shows,” Whiteside adds. “He’s got his finger on the pulse of pop culture and what the public wants.”
Kapoor is joined by fellow executive producers Barry Adelman and Fonda Anita as well as co-executive producer Patrick Menton. Whiteside serves as executive producer for the Academy.
Performers slated for the event include Jason Aldean, Brown, Combs, Lambert, Wilson, Swindell, Wallen, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban and Bailey Zimmerman.
For the first time since the pandemic began, the ACM Awards will return to a full slate of activities for the week. These include the ACM Lifting Lives benefit on May 10, featuring Wallen, Wilson, HARDY, ERNEST and Zimmerman and hosted at the golfing green of Topgolf the Colony.
For the streaming audience, another goal was figuring out how to enhance the show’s ability to push viewers to participating artists’ Amazon Music accounts. “There’s going to be this uber-location where we can push our viewers to discover everything about the [participating] artists,” Whiteside says. “We can literally within the show push people right into streaming music. I’m excited to see how that’s going to lift artists’ streaming numbers and sales numbers after the show.” Ahead of the ceremony, Amazon Music is offering an ACM Awards playlist celebrating this year’s nominees.
This year’s show concludes the ACM Awards’ initial two-year pact with Amazon, but Whiteside is optimistic that the two partners will find a way to move forward. “Streamers are very much about the metrics, and they do a lot of evaluating around how the show performs,” he says, but adds, “[Amazon is] hugely excited about this show. It’s a tentpole priority for them. We’ve been having discussions about ’24 and ’25. We’re really just focused on another stellar year and growing from last year. We’re hopeful this is a long-term partnership.”
The 58th ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldredge, a unit of Billboard’s parent, Penske Media Company.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Dolly Parton has something special in store for Amazon Pet Day. The country legend is teaming with Amazon for the two-day sale event launching next Tuesday (May 2).
Parton and her god-dog, Billy the Kid, will join Amazon Live both days to share their Pet Day favorites with audiences. “We’re gonna celebrate the pets that we all love,” Parton told Billboard during a phone interview this week.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Prime members will be able to shop “two wonderful days” of sales, which includes 20% off Parton’s pet products line, Doggy Parton.
“We’ve gotten such wonderful responses [from] people,” Parton said of the pet line, consisting of clothes, hats, scarves, toys, leashes, collars and harnesses. Parton plans to expand the pet line to feature clothes for larger dogs and eventually items for cats.
Amazon’s 48-hour sale, which coincides with National Pet Month, will feature deals on treats, toys and supplies, along with home, electronics and personal care products to pamper your beloved pets.
Pet Day kicks off at midnight PT on Tuesday (May 2) and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on Wednesday (May 3). Pet lovers can save 20% off select Purina pet food and treats, 20% off Blue Buffalo treats, 30% off Furbo dog cameras, 30% off all Frontline Plus Flea and Tick products, and other savings.
And it’s not just products: Save up to 50% on select pet movies and shows on Prime Video during Pet Day too.
Pet Day is open to all Amazon shoppers, but Prime members get fast and free shipping on pet supply orders over $25 (visit Amazon’s Pet Day page to shop early deals).
Parton has had several pets over the years, though she’s currently without a dog of her own. “I lost my last little dog just a few years back and I haven’t had time to pick another one and take it on the road with me. I’ve been so busy, but I love everybody’s animals, and Billy the Kid,” she said of the adorable French bulldog. “We’re together all the time! I got so attached to Billy we thought, ‘Well, we’re just gonna have to make a show out of him!’ So that’s kind of what we’ve done.”
Parton’s manager’s dog, Billy the Kid, inspired her new children’s book, Billy the Kid Makes It Big.
Amazon
$17.99 $19.99 10% Off
Billy the Kid Makes It Big is about a dog who dreams of making it big in Nashville. “[Billy] meets up with some other friends with the same kind of dreams and they set out together to win the big contest in Nashville,” Parton explained. “Everybody [said] they couldn’t do it, but they kept on, kept the faith and stood up to bullies.”
In addition to Pet Day, and promoting her books and Duncan Hines cake mixes, Parton is gearing up to take the stage for the 2023 ACM Awards on Prime Video next month. Parton and Garth Brooks are set to host the awards show live from The Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas. Parton will also debut the lead single from her upcoming rock album during the show.
“I’m just looking so forward to working with Garth because he’s just a legend and he is one of the nicest people ever. He and Trisha [Yearwood] are two people I really love and admire,” said Parton, who hosted the show last year.
“I always get a little nervous because you want to do well and hit your marks, and hope everything goes good. The lighting, the sound, you hope your [microphone] works and all that.
“I’m not scared to death,” she joked. “But I’m always scared just enough to do well because it makes me try harder. It’s more like having butterflies until you get started and then you’re off and running.”
The 58th annual ACM Awards will stream live on Prime Video and the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch on May 11 at 8 p.m. ET.
The Academy of Country Music announced the first round of performers on Thursday (April 27), as well as that the 2023 ACM Awards will be free to stream live globally on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 11. The full rebroadcast will stream the next day for free on Amazon Freevee.
This is the show’s second year on Prime Video. The show, now in its 58th year, aired on CBS from 1998 to 2021 and before that aired on ABC and NBC.
In addition to co-hosting this year’s show with Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton is set to close the show by performing the lead single from her forthcoming rock album. The Country Music Hall of Famer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year.
The show will also will feature performances by Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Jo Dee Messina, Ashley McBryde, Jelly Roll, Cole Swindell, Keith Urban, Morgan Wallen, The War And Treaty, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman.
In an unusual move, the ACM announced that these will be the “only televised country music awards performances of the season” by Aldean, Combs, Lambert, Wallen, The War and Treaty, and Zimmerman. The ACM also says additional performers (including, presumably, Brooks), presenters and ancillary events will be announced.
The show is set to stream at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. A limited number of tickets have been added and are available for purchase on SeatGeek, with prices starting at $446 (and going up to $2,820).
Previous Amazon Music Breakthrough Artists Gabby Barrett and BRELAND will introduce Zimmerman as the next Breakthrough Artist from Amazon Music. Breakthrough is the emerging artist program from Amazon Music, aimed at amplifying the best new talent and championing them at key moments early in their careers.
Fans can listen to special guest features from Zimmerman, Parton and Brooks on “Country Heat Radio” in DJ Mode, along with new Country Heat Weekly podcast episodes hosted by Amber Anderson and Kelly Sutton on Amazon Music, where fans can tune in to in-depth conversations with guests, including Zimmerman and Brooks.
Fans can also stream the ACM Awards playlist available now on Amazon Music in celebration of this year’s nominees. Fans can listen to country music’s top stars on the Amazon Music app.
The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions, with Raj Kapoor, Barry Adelman and Fonda Anita serving as executive producers, and Damon Whiteside serving as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music. Patrick Menton is co-executive producer. (DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.)
Who will win entertainer of the year at the 58th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on May 11?
Miranda Lambert could win for the second year in a row, which would make her only the third woman to win more than once in this category, following Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift.
Either Underwood or Jason Aldean could take it for the fourth time, a total reached by only three acts in ACM history – Garth Brooks, who leads with six awards; Alabama, which is second with five wins; and Kenny Chesney, who has won four times. If Underwood wins, she would extend her lead as the woman with the most wins in the category.
Or we could see a first-time winner.
Kane Brown could make history as the first Black or biracial entertainer of the year winner. (Charley Pride won entertainer of the year at the CMA Awards, but not here, despite three nominations.) Either Brown or Morgan Wallen would also be the first male artist to win before turning 30 since Brooks in 1991. (Wallen hits the Big 3-0 two days after the ceremony.) A win for Wallen would cap a fast comeback from the career crisis caused by his videotaped use of a racial slur in early 2021.
Luke Combs, who has won the CMA award for entertainer of the year the last two years, could finally win the top prize at this show. Chris Stapleton, a three-time ACM winner for male artist of the year, could finally win entertainer of the year on his fifth try in the category.
The show will be hosted by two former entertainer of the year winners – Dolly Parton (who in 1978 became the second woman to win the award) and Brooks. It will be held at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Tex. and will stream on Amazon Prime.
Twenty-seven artists have won the ACM Award for entertainer of the year since the award was introduced on the 1971 telecast. Here’s a complete list, showing the year(s) in which they won, other ACM Awards they won that year in competitive categories (if any), their total number of ACM entertainer of the year nominations; and, just for fun, their highest-charting hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Merle Haggard
Image Credit: Fotos International/GI
Winner in: 1971
Other ACM wins that year: Top male vocalist
Total entertainer of the year nods: 5
Top Hot 100 hit: “If We Make It Through December” (No. 28 in 1974)
Notes: Haggard was nominated in this category every year from 1971-75. He died in 2016 at age 79.
Freddie Hart
Winner in: 1972
Other ACM wins that year: Album, single record and song of the year, all for “Easy Loving” and the album of the same name, and top male vocalist
Total entertainer of the year nods: 2
Top Hot 100 hit: “Easy Loving” (No. 17 in 1971)
Notes: Hart was nominated again the following year. He died in 2018 at age 91.
Roy Clark
Winner in: 1973, 1974
Other ACM wins those years: Television personality (1973)
Total entertainer of the year nods: 6
Top Hot 100 hit: A tender version of “Yesterday, When I Was Young,” co-written by Charles Aznavour (No. 19 in 1969)
Notes: Clark, who was as well-known as a TV personality as a musician, thanks to his co-hosting role on Hee Haw, was the first repeat winner. He co-hosted the 1979 ACM Awards. He died in 2018 at age 85.
Mac Davis
Winner in: 1975
Other ACM wins that year: None
Total entertainer of the year nods: 1
Top Hot 100 hit: “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me” (No. 1 in 1972)
Notes: Davis is the only person to win on his or her one and only nomination in this category. He co-hosted the ACM Awards in 1984 and 1986. He died in 2020 at age 78.
Loretta Lynn
Winner in: 1976
Other ACM Awards that year: Album of the year (Feelin’s with Conway Twitty), top female vocalist of the year, top vocal group (with Twitty)
Total entertainer of the year nods: 8
Top Hot 100 hit: “After the Fire Is Gone,” collab with Twitty (No. 56 in 1971)
Notes: Lynn was the first woman to win in this category. Fifteen years later, Sissy Spacek won an Oscar for playing the country legend in Coal Miner’s Daughter. Lynn was named the ACM’s artist of the decade for the 1970s. She co-hosted the ACM Awards three times from 1975 to 1985. She died in 2022 at age 90.
Mickey Gilley
Image Credit: Disney General Entertainment Content via GI
Winner in: 1977
Other ACM Awards that year: Top male vocalist of the year
Total entertainer of the year nods: 2
Top Hot 100 hit: A remake of Ben E. King’s 1961 classic “Stand by Me” (No. 22 in 1980)
Notes: Gilley, whose honky tonk Gilley’s was featured in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy, co-hosted the ACM Awards in 1982. Gilley, shown here with Loretta Lynn, died in 2022 at age 86.
Dolly Parton
Winner in: 1978
Other ACM Awards that year: None
Total entertainer of the year nods: 6
Top Hot 100 hits: “9 to 5” (No. 1 in 1981) and “Islands in the Stream,” a collab with Kenny Rogers (No. 1 in 1983)
Notes: Parton was just 32 when she won, making her the youngest winner to that point. She hosted the ACM Awards in 2000, co-hosted in 2022 and is scheduled to co-host in 2023.
Kenny Rogers
Winner in: 1979
Other ACM Awards that year: Top male vocalist
Total entertainer of the year nods: 6
Top Hot 100 hits: “Lady,” written by Lionel Richie (No. 1 in 1980) and “Islands in the Stream,” a collab with Dolly Parton, written by Bee Gees (No. 1 in 1983)
Notes: Rogers was nominated six years in a row from 1978-83. He co-hosted the ACM Awards in 1978. He died in 2020 at age 81.
Willie Nelson
Winner in: 1980
Other ACM Awards that year: None
Total entertainer of the year nods: 7
Top Hot 100 hits: “Always on My Mind” (No. 5 in 1982) and “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” a collab with Julio Iglesias (No. 5 in 1984)
Notes: Nelson received an Oscar nomination for “On the Road Again,” which he wrote for the 1980 film Honeysuckle Rose, in which he starred.
Barbara Mandrell
Winner in: 1981
Other ACM Awards that year: None
Total entertainer of the year nods: 4
Top Hot 100 hit: A remake of Luther Ingram’s 1972 R&B hit “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right” (No. 31 in 1979)
Notes: Mandrell co-hosted the ACM Awards in 1978 and 1979.
Alabama
Winner in: 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986
Other ACM Awards those years: Album of the year in 1982 (Feels So Right), 1984 (The Closer You Get…) and 1985 (Roll On); top vocal group: all five years
Total entertainer of the year nods: 10
Top Hot 100 hit: “Love in the First Degree” (No. 15 in 1982)
Notes: Alabama was the first group to win, and the first act of any type to win more than twice. They remain the only act to win five years in a row. They were the first act to be nominated in this category nine years in a row, a record that has been tied but not surpassed. Alabama was named the ACM’s artist of the decade for the 1980s. The group co-hosted the ACM Awards in 1990. Group member Randy Owen co-hosted in 1993. Alabama was formed by guitarists Owen and Jeff Cook and bassist Teddy Gentry, cousins born and raised near Fort Payne, Ala. Mark Herndon, a rock drummer, later completed the classic lineup.
Hank Williams Jr.
Winner in: 1987, 1988, 1989
Other ACM Awards those years: Country music video of the year in 1989 (“Young Country”)
Total entertainer of the year nods: 7
Top Hot 100 hit: “Long Gone Lonesome Blues” (No. 67 in 1964)
Notes: Williams, the son of country legend Hank Williams, was the first solo artist to win three times. He co-hosted the show in 1988, marking the first time someone won entertainer of the year and hosted on the same show.
George Strait
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via GI
Winner in: 1990, 2014
Other ACM Awards those years: None
Total entertainer of the year nods: 14
Top Hot 100 hit: “She’ll Leave You With a Smile” (No. 23 in 2002)
Notes: Strait has the longest gap between wins – 24 years. Strait was 61 at the time of his second win, older than any entertainer of the year winner in ACM history. Strait has amassed more nominations in this category than anyone else. He was named the ACM’s artist of the decade for the 2000s. Strait co-hosted the show five times between 1989 and 1997, including 1990, marking the second time someone won entertainer of the year and hosted on the same show.
Garth Brooks
Winner in: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999
Other ACM Awards those years: Single record of the year (“Friends in Low Places”), album of the year (No Fences), song of the year (as the artist on “The Dance”), country music video of the year (“The Dance”), and top male vocalist, all in 1991; top male vocalist (1992), video of the year (“We Shall Be Free,” 1994).
Total entertainer of the year nods: 13
Top Hot 100 hit: “Lost in You” by Garth Brooks as Chris Gaines (No. 5 in 1999)
Notes: Brooks was the first solo artist to win four times. He has won six times, more than anyone else. He was just 29 at the time of his first win, making him the youngest winner to that point. He was nominated nine years in a row in this category, matching Alabama’s record. (Luke Bryan has since also equaled the feat.) Brooks was named the ACM’s artist of the decade for the 1990s. He is scheduled to host the ACM Awards in 2023.
Reba McEntire
Winner in: 1995
Other ACM Awards that year: Top female vocalist
Total entertainer of the year nods: 9
Top Hot 100 hit: “What Do You Say” (No. 31 in 2000)
Notes: McEntire has amassed more nominations (nine) and more consecutive nominations (six) in this category than any other woman. She finally won on her seventh try, which was a record at the time. McEntire has hosted or co-hosted the ACM Awards 16 times between 1986 and 2019, more than anyone else in the show’s history.
Brooks & Dunn
Winner in: 1996, 1997, 2002
Other ACM Awards those years: Top vocal duet (all three years); video of the year (“Only in America” (2002)
Total entertainer of the year nods: 12
Top Hot 100 hits: “Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You” (No. 25 in 2001) and “Red Dirt Road” (No. 25 in 2003)
Notes: Kix Brooks & Ronnie Dunn are the only duo to win. They co-hosted the 1996 show, marking the third time someone won entertainer of the year and hosted on the same show.
Shania Twain
Winner in: 2000
Other ACM Awards that year: None
Total entertainer of the year nods: 2
Top Hot 100 hit: “You’re Still the One” (No. 2 in 1998)
Notes: Twain, from Canada, was the first artist born outside the U.S. to win.
The Chicks
Image Credit: J. Vespa/WireImage
Winner in: 2001
Other ACM Awards that year: Top vocal group, video of the year (“Goodbye Earl”)
Total entertainer of the year nods: 3
Top Hot 100 hit: “Not Ready to Make Nice” (No. 4 in 2007)
Notes: The Chicks, previously called Dixie Chicks, are the only female group or duo to win. Sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer founded the band in 1989. Natalie Maines joined in 1995.
Toby Keith
Winner in: 2003, 2004
Other ACM Awards those years: Album of the year (Shock‘n Y’all), top male vocalist of the year, ACM/Launch video of the year (“Beer for My Horses,” with Willie Nelson), all 2004
Total entertainer of the year nods: 8
Top Hot 100 hit: “Red Solo Cup”(No. 15 in 2012)
Notes: Keith was nominated six years in a row – 2001 to 2006.
Kenny Chesney
Winner in: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Other ACM Awards those years: Vocal event of the year (“Find Out Who Your Friends Are” with Tim McGraw and Tracy Lawrence) (2008)
Total entertainer of the year nods: 10
Top Hot 100 hit: “Out Last Night” (No. 16 in 2009)
Notes: Chesney and Garth Brooks are the only solo artists to win in this category four years in a row.
Carrie Underwood
Winner in: 2009, 2010, 2020
Other ACM Awards those years: Top female vocalist (2009)
Total entertainer of the year nods: 6
Top Hot 100 hit: “Inside Your Heaven” (No. 1 in 2005)
Notes: Underwood was the first woman to win twice, and remains the only woman to win three times. She was just 26 at the time of her first win, making her the youngest winner to that point.
Taylor Swift
Winner in: 2011, 2012
Other ACM Awards those years: None
Total entertainer of the year nods: 5
Top Hot 100 hits: Swift has amassed nine No. 1 hits on the Hot 100, most recently with “Anti-Hero” (eight weeks on top from 2022-23).
Notes: Swift was the second woman to win twice. She was just 21 at the time of her first win, making her the youngest winner in ACM history.
Luke Bryan
Image Credit: Kevork Djansezian/GI
Winner in: 2013, 2015, 2021
Other ACM Awards those years: Vocal event of the year (“The Only Way I Know,” with Eric Church and Jason Aldean, 2013, and “This Is How We Roll,” with Florida Georgia Line, 2015)
Total entertainer of the year nods: 9
Top Hot 100 hit: “Play It Again” (No. 14 in 2014)
Notes: Bryan won entertainer of the year three times but never twice in a row. He’s the only person who can make that claim. Bryan was nominated nine years in a row, tying the record set by Alabama and equaled by Garth Brooks. He co-hosted the show five years in a row from 2013-17. He is the only person to win entertainer of the year twice on shows he or she hosted.
Jason Aldean
Winner in: 2016, 2017, 2018
Other ACM Awards those years: Male vocalist of the year (2016), video of the year (the all-star “Forever Country,” 2017)
Total entertainer of the year nods: 9
Top Hot 100 hit: “Dirt Road Anthem” (No. 7 in 2011)
Notes: Aldean and Underwood are the only three-time ACM entertainer of the year winners who have yet to win the CMA Award in that category. Aldean was named the ACM’s artist of the decade for the 2010s.
Keith Urban
Winner in: 2019
Other ACM Awards that year: None
Total entertainer of the year nods: 9
Top Hot 100 hit: “Kiss a Girl” (No. 16 in 2009)
Notes: Urban, born in New Zealand, was the second act born outside of the U.S. to win. He finally won on his ninth try, which is a record in the category. He was 51 when he won, older than anyone else winning the award for the first time. He hosted the show in 2000 and co-hosted in 2001.
Thomas Rhett
Winner in: 2020
Other ACM Awards that year: Video of the year (“Remember You Young”)
Total entertainer of the year nods: 2
Top Hot 100 hit: “Die a Happy Man” (No. 21 in 2016)
Notes: Rhett, the son of 1970s country star Rhett Akins, won in a tie with Carrie Underwood – the only tie in the category’s history.
Miranda Lambert
Winner in: 2022
Other ACM Awards that year: Video of the year (“Drunk (and I Don’t Wanna Go Home),” with Elle King)
Total entertainer of the year nods: 7
Top Hot 100 hit: “Somethin’ Bad,” collab with Carrie Underwood (No. 19 in 2014)
Notes: Lambert finally won on her sixth try, which puts her behind just Urban and McEntire as the artist with the most losses before finally winning.
The Academy of Country Music enlisted a raft of country artists, including Lainey Wilson, Breland and Jelly Roll, to help reveal the winners of the 2023 ACM Radio Awards. The artists tossed a radio from one to another in a clever two-minute video in which the winners’ names were flashed on the screen. The video was posted on the Academy’s official social media pages on Tuesday (April 25). Other artists who participated included Priscilla Block, Russell Dickerson, Parker McCollum, Frank Lay, Lily Rose, Brooke Eden and LoCash.
Winners announced include two first-time on-air personality honorees, Elaina Smith of With Elaina for national weekly on-air personality of the year, and Julie and DJ of Julie and DJ in the Morning for medium market on-air personality of the year.
WIVK-FM in Knoxville, Tenn. and WYCT-FM in Pensacola, Fla. both take home their fifth total ACM Awards for medium market radio station of the year and small market radio station of the year, respectively.
Additional winners include George, Mo, and Erik of The Morning Bullpen with George, Mo, and Erik on KILT-FM in Houston and Big Dave, Stattman, and Ashley of The Big Dave Show on WUBE-FM in Cincinnati for major market and large market on-air personality of the year, respectively.
“The Academy congratulates all of our ACM Awards radio winners for championing the artists that make up the soundtrack of country fans’ lives,” Damon Whiteside, ACM CEO said in a statement. “Country radio has always been and continues to be one of the most important ways for today’s favorite artists to connect with fans, and for fans to find up-and-coming acts to fall in love with.”
The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards is set to take place on Thursday, May 11 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, TX. Country legends Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks are set to host the show, which bills itself as “country music’s party of the year.” The two-hour show will stream live without commercial interruption on Prime Video worldwide for the second year in a row.
The show will stream at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. A limited number of tickets are available for purchase on SeatGeek.
The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions, with Raj Kapoor, Barry Adelman and Fonda Anita serving as executive producers. Damon Whiteside is executive producer for the ACM. Patrick Menton is co-executive producer.
Below is a complete list of the radio award winners for the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards:
On-air personality of the year winners:
National daily – Big D, Bubba, Patrick Thomas, Carsen | The Big D and Bubba Show
National weekly – Elaina Smith | With Elaina
Major market – George, Mo and Erik | The Morning Bullpen with George, Mo, and Erik – KILT – Houston
Large market – Big Dave, Stattman & Ashley | The Big Dave Show – WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio
Medium market – Julie Kansy and Dale Sellers | Julie and DJ in the Morning – WPCV – Lakeland, Fla.
Small market – Steve Waters and Tiffany Kay | Steve & Tiffany in the Morning – WFLS – Fredericksburg, Va.
Radio station of the year winners:
Major market – KKBQ – Houston
Large market – WSIX – Nashville
Medium market – WIVK – Knoxville, Tenn.
Small market – WYCT – Pensacola, Fla.
Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, hosts of the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards, star in a fun and playful promotional video for the 2023 ACMs that was released on Tuesday (April 18). The 45-second spot, titled “First Time,” plays off the fact that Parton is an experienced host and this is Brooks’ first time as a host.
The scene takes place in Parton’s dressing room. Parton asks, “Are you ready for our big night?”
“Yeah, I’m a little nervous to be honest,” Brooks responds. “First time and all.”
Parton seeks to reassure her skittish partner by saying “Oh, don’t be nervous, I’m going to be right here with you.”
Brooks asks, “You’ve done this before, right?”
Parton responds, “Oh, I’ve done this before. Plenty of times – plenty of people.”
This, of course, makes Brooks even more nervous. “Really?”
“And I personally am going to make this the best night of your life,” Parton promises.
After a beat, Brooks asks, “We’re talking about hosting the ACM award show, right?”
Parton and Brooks handle the script’s comic double-entendres like the pros they are. The spot concludes with Parton saying, “If you have any problem, you just look at me.”
“Yes ma’am,” Brooks responds.
“Up here,” Parton reminds him.
The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards, dubbed “country music’s party of the year,” will stream live exclusively for a global audience on Prime Video on Thursday, May 11 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
Established in 1966, the ACM Awards is the longest-running country music awards show. The show made history in 2022 as the first major awards ceremony to exclusively livestream, in partnership with Prime Video.
Watch the promotional video below.