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While some have speculated that streaming might be a way to save the awards shows, whose TV ratings have declined across the board, time will tell — there were certainly some growing pains as the ACMs changed the format for the first time in years, squeezing the show into two hours without commercials. to go But producers made sure to bring in the star power, enlisting country icon Dolly Parton to co-host alongside rising stars Jimmy Allen and Gabby Barrett.
In a rare move for a country music awards show, which usually prefers you not talk about anything relevant, Parton brought up Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “I don’t want to be political, and neither is this; I’d rather pass a kidney stone than do that,” said Parton, who often steers clear of politics. “But I want us to send our love and hope to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine.”
Other than Parton, only Old Dominion lead singer Matthew Ramsey mentioned the attack, saying in his group’s acceptance speech that it felt strange to celebrate when “people are fighting for their lives right now.” Everyone else stuck to the usual script.
Carly Pearce continued her career-defining year by landing the trophy for Female Vocalist, including Music Event of the Year, for her duet with Ashley McBride. Newcomer Lenny Wilson tied Pierce for the win, taking home the New Female Artist award, and a surprise win for Song of the Year for her first No. 1 radio hit, “Things a Man Out Knows.”
And if it wasn’t already obvious, much of the industry is ready to move on from the controversy surrounding Morgan Wallen, who was caught on camera saying the N-word last February. In his first awards show appearance since the incident, Wallen won album of the year for 2021’s best-selling record, “Dangerous,” and thanked “everyone who has guided me.”
Later, Miranda Lambert (who also took home two awards) became the ninth female artist in the show’s 57-year history to win the year’s biggest prize, the entertainment award — although she had to accept it practically because she was traveling in Europe. Here are some more best and worst moments, with the full list of winners and nominees below.
Duet by Carly Pearce and Ashley McBride
Few things get the audience absolutely fired up about slowing things down during a live TV performance — and that’s what happened when Pearce and McBride sang an acoustic version of their hit duet, “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.” (Pierce sings from the perspective of the girl he’s cheating on; McBride is the girl the guy’s cheating on.) Although they performed the same track at the Country Music Association Awards in the fall, they put a completely different spin on it this time around, and it’s easily was one of the highlights of the night.
Clarkson’s attempt at a country music career didn’t really work out, but the pop superstar turned daytime talk show host proved she can crush any voice in any genre. Her soaring rendition of “I Will Always Love You” at the end of the telecast was a bit sloppy but brought the house down and an onstage hug with original songwriter Parton. “I was backstage with my false eyelashes so I wouldn’t cry!” Parton shouted.
Starring Jimmy Allen and Gabby Barrett
Hosting is often a thankless job, and Allen and Barrett hung in there gamely, even though they clearly knew their role was to act as Parton’s sidekick. (Which, yes, probably legally requires Allen to joke about how, while Parton has the stamina of the Energizer Bunny, he looks a lot like the Playboy Bunny. Never gets old!) But the two up-and-coming co-hosts of Elvis’ “Viva Las After jump-starting the show with “Vegas”, they had just the right amount of energy as they opened the show with “Let’s Go To Vegas” by Faith Hill.
Speech directed by Brothers Osborne
Acceptance speech can be extremely boring, but Brothers Osborne know what people want. “About a week ago, they pulled our single from country radio, so I needed a little wind in our sails,” TJ Osborne said when the Maryland siblings won Duo of the Year. Although his record label would probably have preferred if he hadn’t aired the behind-the-scenes issues publicly, fans love that kind of candor. The pair closed out the night with an electrifying performance of their song “Skeleton,” followed by a collaboration with fellow Marylander Britney Spencer on Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Were Made for Walkin’.”
Starring Thomas Rhett
Rhett, a longtime industry favorite, is going strong as a live performer; He threw himself into his latest single, “Slow Down Summer,” starting with the piano. He added a burst of enthusiasm with an appearance during newcomer Breland’s “Press the Lord,” easily one of the catchiest songs of the night.
Lenny Wilson’s big night
Wilson, who releases his first major-label album in 2021, was as shocked as anyone that he beat out competition in a tough category to win song of the year for “Things A Man Out Knows.” “Holy moly, everybody,” he said as he accepted the trophy, adding that country music had been his life since growing up in rural Louisiana. He noted that the lyrics should be a lesson for everyone in general, not just men: “This song is about treating people right.”
Performance by Chris Stapleton
Stapleton released “Watch You Burn” — an angst-filled track aimed at the mass shooter at the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival in Las Vegas in 2020. Where the massacre happened.
Weird production problem
Any new version of the awards show has to make adjustments, but there were certainly some hiccups — watching the show in a stadium instead of its former home at the MGM Grand Garden Arena was annoying, especially since it was still light outside when it started. The sound seemed off in several early performances, and unfortunate camera angles during Walker Hayes’ “AA” and his smash “Fancy Like” made it clear that there were too many empty seats; Additionally, the shaky camera following him was a recipe for motion sickness. Also, one of the best parts of celebrity-packed trophy shows is seeing the artist’s reactions when their famous peers perform (like Kelly Clarkson’s Carrie Underwood looking amazing), but producers mostly focus on dancing in the crowd of random fans.
Eric Church’s odd choice in the medley
Church became known as a superstar with a 16-year career, and while he had plenty of hits, he decided to play more than a dozen snippets. It was strangely frustrating to start songs like “Drink in My Hand”, “Springsteen” or “Love Your Love the Most”, only for Church to suddenly stop a few lines into another.
Confusion over Luke Bryan
Many fans on social media were surprised to see Bryan perform “Up” and his hit “By Dirt” with Jordan Davis, as the “American Idol” judge was scheduled for a big concert Monday night at the Houston Rodeo. A spokesperson for the show later confirmed that Bryan pre-recorded the performance … but if you’re promoting a live show, it’s probably best to release it to the audience. (The spokesperson added this was mentioned in a previous news release.)
Miranda Lambert was not actually present for her win
It’s one of those things that’s really no one’s fault (again, Lambert is on tour in Europe) but it definitely ended the show when the biggest award was accepted via remote screen.
Miranda Lambert – Winner
Female Artist of the Year
Chris Stapleton – Winner
Brothers Osborne – Winner
New Female Artist of the Year
New Male Artist of the Year
Parker McCollum – Winner
“29: Written in Stone,” Carly Pearce
“Country Again: Side A,” Thomas Rhett
“Dangerous: The Double Album,” Morgan Wallen – Winner
“Famous Friends,” Chris Young
“The Marfa Tapes,” Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, John Randall
“Buy Dirt,” Jordan Davis feat. Luke Bryan
“Fantastic Choice,” Walker Hayes
“Famous Friends,” Chris Young and Ken Brown
“If I Didn’t Love You,” Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood – Winner
“You should probably leave,” Chris Stapleton
“Buy Dirt,” Jordan Davis feat. Luke Bryan (Written by Davis, Jacob Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins)
“Fancy Like,” Walker Hayes (Written by Hayes, Cameron Bartolini, Josh Jenkins, Shane Stevens)
“7 Summers,” Morgan Wallen (written by Wallen, Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally)
“Things A Man Should Know,” Lenny Wilson (Written by Wilson, Jason Nix, Jonathan Singleton) – Winner
“To Know You,” Kenny Chesney (Written by Adam James, Brett James, Kat Higgins)
“Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” Carly Pearce and Ashley McBride
“If I Didn’t Love You,” Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood
“Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home),” Ellie King and Miranda Lambert – Winner
“Famous Friends,” Chris Young and Ken Brown
“I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version),” Taylor Swift credits. Chris Stapleton
“Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” Carly Pearce and Ashley McBride – Winners
“If I Didn’t Love You,” Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood
“Famous Friends,” Chris Young and Ken Brown
“Buy Dirt,” Jordan Davis feat. Luke Bryan
“Half of My Hometown,” credits Kelsey Ballerini. Kenny Chesney
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