Talk about starting off with a bang. The 60th annual ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, kicked off with a 12-minute “Songs of the Decades” medley featuring tunes from both classic and contemporary artists.
First-time nominee and most nominated artist of the night, Ella Langley earned five wins from her eight nominations, including Single, Music Event, and Visual Media for her collaboration with Riley Green on “You Look Like You Love Me.” Lainey Wilson took home four ACM trophies, including three of the biggest awards of the night – Entertainer, Female Artist, and Album of the Year for Whirlwind.
Brooks and Dunn earned their 17th Duo of the Year trophy and Old Dominion won their ninth Group of the Year trophy, making each of them the most winning artists in their respective categories.
One of the most memorable and tender moments of the night came when Alan Jackson was awarded the newly named Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award. The normally stoic Alan was emotional as he thanked important people in his career, including his wife Denise.
Congratulations to all of the winners and nominees.
WINNERS:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
- Lainey Wilson
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
- Lainey Wilson
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
- Chris Stapleton
DUO OF THE YEAR
- Brooks & Dunn
GROUP OF THE YEAR
- Old Dominion
NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
- Ella Langley
NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
- Zach Top
NEW DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
- The Red Clay Strays
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
- Lainey Wilson – Whirlwind
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
- Ella Langley and Riley Green – “You Look Like You Love Me”
SONG OF THE YEAR
- Cody Johnson – “Dirt Cheap”
MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR
- Ella Langley and Riley Green – “You Look Like You Love Me”
VISUAL MEDIA OF THE YEAR
- Ella Langley and Riley Green – “You Look Like You Love Me”
ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
- Lainey Wilson
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
- Jessie Jo Dillon
ALAN JACKSON LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
- Alan Jackson
TRIPLE CROWN AWARD
- Keith Urban
PERFORMANCES:
- Opening Medley: Reba McEntire – “Okie From Muskogee,” Clint Black – “Rhinestone Cowboy,” Wynonna Judd – “Why Not Me,” LeAnn Rimes – “Blue,” Little Big Town – “Girl Crush,” Dan and Shay – “Tequila”
- Eric Church – “Hands of Time”
- Miranda Lambert – “Run”
- Ella Langley and Miranda Lambert – “Kerosene”
- Zach Top – “Use Me”
- Blake Shelton – “Texas”
- Lainey Wilson – “Whirlwind”
- Kelsea Ballerini – “Baggage”
- Chris Stapleton – “It Takes a Woman”
- Ella Langley – “Weren’t for the Wind”
- Alan Jackson – “Remember When”
- Jelly Roll and Shaboozey – “Heart of Stone” and “Amen”
- Triple Crown medley: Megan Moroney – “Stupid Boy,” Chris Stapleton – “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” Brothers Osborne and Keith Urban – “Where the Blacktop Ends”
- Cody Johnson – “The Fall”
- Brooks and Dunn with Cody Johnson – “Red Dirt Road”
- Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Lainey Wilson – “Trailblazer”
- Rascal Flatts with Backstreet Boys – “What Hurts the Most,” “I Dare You,” “Larger Than Life,” “Life is a Highway”
