ACM Awards
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Ed Sheeran‘s heartbreaking Subtract ballad “Life Goes On” is one of his most vulnerable songs yet, and the 32-year-old crooner added an additional layer of emotion on Thursday night (May 11) when Luke Combs joined him onstage to perform the track at the 2023 ACM Awards. The unlikely duo’s voices blended seamlessly as they traded […]
The 2023 ACM Awards took over the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday (May 11) – and when a country music awards show hits the Lone Star State, it’s only fitting for Willie Nelson to get a shoutout. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and […]
The 58th annual Academy of Country Music Awards launched with a G.O.A.T. — both literally and figuratively.
Six-time ACM entertainer of the year winner Garth Brooks kicked off the 2023 ACM Awards by paying homage to legendary country music artists, including Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Charley Pride and Texas’ own “King George,” George Strait.
“These musical gods create the foundation for the next generation to stand on forever, building the legacy we so proudly call country music,” he said, welcoming the crowd to Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
“When you break it down, what makes up the G.O.A.T. [greatest of all time] — picking, singing, musicianship,” he said, noting that “adding the last category — time, length of career — I’m not so sure that last one doesn’t make the king of country music a female.”
At that, his co-host for the evening, Dolly Parton, took the stage … wheeling behind her a pink wagon holding a goat.
“A goat? This is Claire. Everybody, say hi to Claire,” Parton said. “Are you excited for the big show tonight, Claire? I think somebody needs to come take her baaack,” she added with a laugh. “I’m sorry, that was such a bad joke.”
She noted that this year marks Brooks’ first time hosting an awards show.
“You know what they say: You never forget your first time,” Parton said. “I’ll never forget when Garth came on the scene and just changed the game of country music forever. Like, in a flash, Garth became one of the biggest stars of all time. I remember when I came along, people were saying that I’m two of the biggest stars in music — I’m still milking it,” Parton joked.
The innuendos kept coming. “I saw you online telling all those nice people that I’m your hall pass,” she said, to the laughter of the audience. “I know why you are doing that GOAT thing,” she added in a nod to the co-hosts’ mutual love for Brooks’ wife and fellow country artist Trisha Yearwood. “And I heard that I’m Trisha’s hall pass as well …. I don’t know why you’re doing that GOAT thing. I think that stands for ‘Garth Organizes a Threesome.’
“I thought I couldn’t love you any more,” Brooks shot back.
“She said I could hug on you and rub on you a little, which is easy to do, because you are so sweet,” Parton added.
This year’s ACM Awards are streaming live on Amazon’s Prime Video.
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 Eldridge. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.
Trisha Yearwood has had a successful, decades-long career so far, and on Thursday (May 11), she celebrated a few of her hits from the ’90s during the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards at Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. But the singer-actress, who was glowing in a hot pink outfit, didn’t go it alone. Carly […]
05/11/2023
Who will win big? Follow along with Billboard all night to find out.
05/11/2023
TETRIS KELLY: Ice Spice is Billboard’s newest cover star! The ‘Princess of Rap’ opened up about some of the biggest collaborations in her career so far, making TikToks with Kim Kardashian’s daughter North West and more! Ed Sheeran discusses the ‘Thinking Out Loud’ copyright trial and reveals that it caused him to miss his grandmother’s funeral. We are breaking down what fans should expect from the Academy of Country Music Awards tonight. And more!
I’m Tetris and let’s get into today’s top story. Beyoncé kicked off her Renaissance World Tour in Sweden last night and we’ve got to talk about it. Beyonce performed a three-hour set and her first show in Stockholm comprised of 40 songs. Noticeably missing from the setlist: ‘Single Ladies’, ‘If I Were a Boy’, and ‘Halo,’ but she did sample my girl Britney with a little ‘Toxic’. I won’t spoil too much of the show. You can see all the videos online for that but Bey did post the highlight reel showing the high tech extravaganza. I mean, she brought out a giant mirrorball covered horse. Oh yeah, and she flew across the crowd on a horse a la Donna Summer. See you in September, Bey!
From a Queen to a Princess. Let’s check out our new cover star, Ice Spice. “I did manifest being successful. I would always be on Google as a kid and looking up how to be rich. And like careers that pay the most. So like growing up, I was like, okay, should I be a doctor? Or should I be a lawyer? You know what I’m saying? I just wanted to make a lot of money, but I just love music. So I guess that’s how it just fell into place.
ICE SPICE: “I love the Princess label. I feel like I let the fans pick that one. Because I didn’t like claim her until I saw like all my supporters being like ‘she’s the People’s Princess. She’s Princess Diana.’ At first I was confused. I was like, Oh, Princess Diana, like out everybody? But I was like she’s iconic. So yeah, Princess Diana it is.
“I’ve been a fan of Nicki my whole life. I feel like I was always manifesting like working with her and meeting her one day and stuff like that. So, I mean, I guess it’s just perfect timing.”
TETRIS: I feel like I need to meet Ice Spice. But I also need to hang out with Ed Sheeran, because he can teach me some things about music.
ED SHEERAN: “This is my, like, livelihood. And this is a thing that I’ve worked my entire life to do, and to have someone like disbelieve it and diminish it and just say that you’ve stolen it. I really felt like I had to take a stand and go to it.”
TETRIS: Ed Sheeran spoke out, saying he felt he had to take the stand during his copyright trial when he stopped by the ‘Howard Stern Show’ on Wednesday. The singer songwriter showed the radio host the mix of songs he played for the jury all using similar chord progressions.
Ed said there was 101 songs they found with similar chord sequences going back as far as the 1700s. He ultimately won his case and doubled down saying if he lost, he would have quit music
Now let’s talk to one of Billboard’s best about what’s going down in country. Country stars descend on Dallas tonight for the Academy of Country Music Awards. Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton take the stage together to host one of country music’s biggest nights, and Billboard’s Executive Editor for Nashville, Melinda Newman, fills us in on what to expect.
MELINDA NEWMAN: One of the biggest things people are looking forward to for tonight at the Academy of Country Music Awards is Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks are co-hosting. Dolly has hosted before but Garth has never hosted an awards show. So, you have arguably two of the biggest stars in the world hosting this event together and they’re longtime friends so it should be very fun to see how they interact with each other.
TETRIS: Morgan Wallen had to pull out of performing due to vocal issues. But who are some of the big performers we’re expecting to see tonight?
MELINDA: The good news is the show was so packed full with performances that they’re not even scrambling to replace him. Earlier, today they announced that Ed Sheeran will be performing so it will be Ed’s first performance since he won his landmark court case. And then there are also a number of performances that people are looking forward to including some collaborations like Carly Pearce and Trisha Yearwood. Ashley McBryde has got a whole bunch of people performing with her. Luke Combs is performing. You have artists who aren’t nominated showing up and performing just because it’s going to be a great evening.
TETRIS: Entertainer of the Year is ACM biggest award. Is there a clear front runner in that category?
MELINDA: This year, the ACM has expanded it from five nominees to seven but it’s a really tough slate. Even with the expansion, it’s hard to figure out who’s going to go home. But Jessica Nicholson, my colleague at Billboard, predicted Luke Combs will win.
TETRIS: Thanks, Melinda and good luck to all the nominees.
Now. I’m always down to learn some new slang and today I’m getting it from Evaluna.
EVALUNA: Hi, my name is Evaluna. And my favorite Venezuelan slang is ‘Cayendo y corriendo como la iguana.’ I don’t know why I love it. It means like, ‘we’re doing this fast.’ Like we got to, you know, to get there and we do our thing. When we leave. I just I love it. My mom always says like, “Okay, let’s go. Cayendo y corriendo.” Another word that I love is cónchale, which in Argentina might be a little weird, but I just say for everything. It’s like, “cónchale, man!” Like, “dang it!” And that was my favorite Venezuelan slang.
TETRIS: That’s the show. Come back tomorrow for our Tour Stop with ENHYPEN. plus all your new music. This is Billboard News.
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.
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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.
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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”