genre country

Two of pop and country’s most established vocal groups, Backstreet Boys and Rascal Flatts, shared the stage to wrap the 60th annual ACMs by joining forces. Trading off verses among so many vocalists proved slightly rocky at times on “What Hurts The Most,” and Rascal Flatts’ voices sounded muddled on their rendition of “I Dare You.” But by the time Backstreet Boys’ performed “Larger Than Life,” their voices sounded clear and energized as they got the crowd singing along. From there, they rejoined Flatts for “Life Is a Highway,” with everyone’s voices melding on the crowd-pleasing chorus.

Blake Shelton had the perfect song to perform during an awards show held in the Lone Star State. Shelton, whose album For Recreational Use Only drops May 9, took the main stage to perform his song “Texas.” The song is at No. 2 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and the performance sounded every bit the radio hit, though the audio technical problems that impacted multiple singers throughout the evening made Shelton’s voice seem to overpower the music at moments.

Jelly Roll’s preacher-meets-rock n’ roller performance was filled with fervor as he performed “Heart of Stone” from his Billboard 200-topping album Beautifully Broken. From there, the camera panned to “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” hitmaker Shaboozey, who began singing “Amen” on the satellite stage in the midst of the crowd. Dressed in all white and joined by dancers, he turned in a tightly choreographed performance, before he was joined by Jelly Roll as they teamed up on the jaunty, prayer-pleading “Amen.”

Kelsea Ballerini brought a notion from her headlining tour to the ACMs stage, performing surrounded by a towering pile of luggage as she sang “Baggage” from her album Patterns. Wearing a sparkly silver jumpsuit, she commanded the stage with a performance that felt free-spirited and allowed Ballerini to put her effervescent performance style on full display.

Cody Johnson, who picked up a win for song of the year for the Josh Phillips-written “Dirt Cheap” at this year’s ACMs, knows a thing or two about selecting solid songs. For his ACM Awards performance, he turned in another stellar song, performing “The Fall” from the deluxe version of his album Leather.

Feeling a bit reminiscent of Garth Brooks’ “The Dance,” “The Fall” finds Johnson singing about being grateful for both the highs and lows that come his way, knowing that they are intertwined. As always, he knows how to bring out every last bit of emotion in a performance.

Church performed a song from his newly released album Evangeline Vs. The Machine, the life-pondering “Hands of Time.” Similar to the ceremony’s ethos, Church also paid homage to enduring songs such as “Back in Black” and “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love).” Backed by powerful backup singers, Church approached the song with his signature swagger.

Ella Langley was the most-nominated artist heading into this year’s ACM Awards, with eight nominations. She delivered two performances during this year’s show, including commanding a satellite stage to perform her current single, championing free-spirited tendencies on “Weren’t For The Wind.” Clad in black leather, wielding a tambourine and fusing her performance with megawatt confidence, she brought a rock star energy and Southern twang to her performance, one that proved why she ended up being one of the evening’s top winners, taking home accolades including single of the year, new female artist of the year and visual media of the year.

Lainey Wilson emerged as one of the top winners Thursday night, taking home the coveted entertainer of the year as well as album of the year and female artist of the year honors. Her solo performance during the evening was just as winning. Clad in a black leather and fringe outfit, Wilson poured on her signature charisma, playing to the camera and the audience in a performance of “Whirlwind,” the title track to her current album. Backed by lights and a smoky ‘whirlwind,’ her performance blended her unmistakable vocal twang and indefatigable energy, upping the ante on the love-filled song.

Zach Top has had a stellar year, with his fanbase and sold-out shows surging as he lobs hits including “Sounds Like the Radio” and “I Never Lie” up the charts. Instead of performing his current hit “I Never Lie,” he used his spot on the ACMs stage to perform another song from his ACM album of the year-nominated debut album, Cold Beer and Country Music. He offered up the fan favorite “Use Me,” a stone-cold country ballad he expertly rendered, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar.

This year, Lambert celebrates 20 years since the release of her debut album Kerosene. For her ACMs performance, she highlighted her past and present. Clad in jeans and a bright pink fringe jacket, she sang “Run” from her recent album Postcards From Texas, turning in a performance both vulnerable and confident. To honor Kerosene, Lambert welcomed Ella Langley to join her in performing “Kerosene.” Langley, paying homage to Lambert’s video for “Kerosene,” wore a white tank top emblazoned with “Mama Tried,” a nod to the Merle Haggard classic. Together, they turned in a truly rollicking, fiery performance that celebrated confident, visionary women in an evening where women performers ended up taking the lion’s share of the awards.

As the 60th annual ACM Awards continued toggling between new songs and classic hits, Brooks & Dunn turned in an audience-revving version of their 2003 hit “Red Dirt Road” alongside Cody Johnson. Following Johnson’s performance of “The Fall,” he immediately joined B&D for the performance. The trio got the crowd on its feet thanks to the song’s still fresh-sounding storyline and the performers’ Texas-sized jolt of energy.

The 60th annual ACMs launched in an appropriately commemorative mood, as an array of artists took the stage for a 12-minute performance highlighting country hits from six decades. The evening’s host Reba McEntire began by performing Merle Haggard’s 1969 hit “Okie From Muskogee.” From there, Clint Black performed “Rhinestone Cowboy,” which Glen Campbell turned into a smash hit in 1975, while Wynonna Judd paid tribute to the lasting legacy she built alongside Naomi Judd, turning in a powerful rendering of The Judds’ 1984 hit “Why Not Me.” From a satellite stage, LeAnn Rimes performed a tender version of her 1996 version of “Blue,” backed by lush strings. Sugarland had been slated to perform during this segment, but, as Sugarland’s Kristian Bush revealed later in the show, Jennifer Nettles had fallen sick the day of the awards show. The decades-honoring segment got a double-shot of 2010s hits, with Little Big Town performing their 2014 hit “Girl Crush,” while Dan+Shay performed their 2018 hit “Tequila.”

Megan Moroney, Chris Stapleton and Brothers Osborne feted Keith Urban as the winner of coveted Triple Crown award, which an artist becomes eligible for when they have won the ACM’s entertainer of the year, male or female artist of the year and new artist of the year.

First up, Moroney performed an intimate rendering of Urban’s “Stupid Boy,” then Stapleton wowed the audience with his soulful, bluesy take of “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” followed by Brothers Osborne giving a high-octane performance of “Where The Blacktop Ends.” T.J. Osborne’s burly voice was a perfect match for the song, whereas later in the performance, Urban took up his guitar and joined them onstage as John Osborne and Urban engaged in a blistering guitar duel, making for one of the evening’s top moments.

Three generations of women country hitmakers took the stage to tip their hats to trailblazers and ceiling breakers on a night when women, including Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley, took home several top honors.

Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Wilson joined forces to premiere their collaboration that recognizes fierce women who are unafraid to pursue dreams and knock down obstacles to ensure the generations of women following them are rightfully honored and accepted. McEntire’s verses honored forebears including Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline as she sang, “They gave me a seat at the table and I’m saving one for you.” A heartfelt collaboration from three women artists who are always at the top of their games.

Country Music Hall of Fame member Alan Jackson was honored as the namesake and inaugural winner of the Alan Jackson lifetime achievement award. He stood center stage to perform a rendition of his 2003 hit “Remember When.” As he sang, the music video for “Remember When” played on the screen behind him, including photos and footage of Jackson with his family. Snapshots of his wedding day and photos of him with his wife and children were displayed on the screens behind him. His voice is still in fine form and he delivered a touching rendition of the song, one that had many in the audience swaying along to the endearing, romantic tune.

Chris Stapleton and his wife/fellow artist Morgane Stapleton shared the ACMs stage for a performance of the heartfelt, soulful “It Takes a Woman.” The song’s sultry, slow groove and the pairing of Stapleton’s gritty, bluesy vocal with Morgane’s ethereal, soothing voice momentarily made the massive ACMs stage seem cozy and intimate. No pyro or flashy lighting needed — just two enthralling vocalists and a straightforward, powerful love song made for the night’s strongest performance.