STAPLETON LEADS
ACM AWARDS NOMS
Chris Stapleton has secured eight nominations to lead the way at the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards. Thomas Rhett nabbed six, Keith Urban and Shane McAnally scored five each, and Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris have four apiece.
Reba McEntire will return as the host, her 15th time as emcee, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on 4/15. CBS will air the show.
Among Stapleton’s noms is his first-ever entry in the all-male Entertainer of the Year category with Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan and Urban. Up for the Male Vocalist trophy, he is also nominated, as artist and producer, for Album of the Year and Single Record of the Year, and as artist and songwriter in the Song of the Year category for “Whiskey and You.”
Rhett is also up for Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year and in the running for Vocal Event of the Year for “Craving You” with Morris and Music Video of the Year.
Urban is up for Entertainer of the Year for the eighth time and Male Vocalist for the 11th; he’s also contending for Song of the Year for “Female,” and Vocal Event of the Year category for “The Fighter” featuring Carrie Underwood.
Lambert, the reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, and Morris are up for the award this year in a class with Kelsea Ballerini, McEntire and Underwood. Lambert is also up for Song of the Year and Video of the Year; Morris is nominated twice for Vocal Event of the Year.
McAnally is nominated for Songwriter of the Year, against Rhett Akins, Ashley Gorley, Hillary Lindsey and Josh Osborne, nominated twice for Song of the Year and up for Album of the Year (Old Dominion’s Happy Endings) and Single Record of the Year (Midland’s “Drinkin’ Problems”).
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Jason Aldean
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Jason Aldean
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
Chris Young
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
LOCASH
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady Antebellum
LANCO
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
NEW FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Lauren Alaina
Danielle Bradbery
Carly Pearce
Raelynn
NEW MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Devin Dawson
Russell Dickerson
Brett Young
NEW VOCAL DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
High Valley
LANCO
LOCASH
Midland
Runaway June
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Breaker - Little Big Town
Producer: Jay Joyce
Capitol Nashville
California Sunrise - Jon Pardi
Producers: Bart Butler, Jon Pardi
Capitol Nashville
From A Room Vol. 1 - Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
Mercury
Happy Endings - Old Dominion
Producer: Shane McAnally
RCA
Life Changes - Thomas Rhett
Producers: Julian Bunetta, Jesse Frasure, Dann Huff, Joe London, Thomas Rhett
Valory
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR
"Better Man" - Little Big Town
Producer: Jay Joyce
Capitol Nashville
"Body Like a Back Road" - Sam Hunt
Producer: Zach Crowell
MCA Nashville
"Broken Halos" - Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
Mercury
"Drinkin’ Problem" - Midland
Producers: Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
Big Machine
"I’ll Name the Dogs" - Blake Shelton
Producer: Scott Hendricks
Warner Bros.
SONG OF THE YEAR
"Body Like a Back Road" - Sam Hunt
Songwriters: Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
Publishers: Universal Music Corp./Sam Hunt Publishing, Highly Combustible Music/I Love Pizza Music,/Songs of Southside Independent Music Publishing/Who Wants to Buy My Publishing/Atlas Music Publishing, Anderson Fork In The Road Music/Smackville Music/Smack Songs LLC, Smack Hits
"Female" - Keith Urban
Songwriters: Ross Copperman, Nicolle Galyon and Shane McAnally
Publishers: EMI Blackwood Music Inc./Rezolant Music/Plain Jane Songs, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./A Girl Named Charlie (BMI), Smack Hits/Smack Songs LLC (GMR)
"Tin Man" - Miranda Lambert
Songwriters: Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert Jon Randall
Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing/Pink Dog Publishing (BMI), Beat Up Ford Publishing (BMI), BMG Platinum Songs (BMI)/SWMBMGBMI/Lonesome Vinyl Music
"Whiskey and You" - Chris Stapleton
Songwriters: Lee Thomas Miller, Chris Stapleton
Publishers: WB Music Corp./New Sea Gayle Music (ASCAP), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./New Sea Gayle Music (BMI)
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"Black" - Dierks Bentley
Director: Wes Edwards
Producer: Max A. Butler
"It Ain’t My Fault" - Brothers Osborne
Director: Wes Edwards, Ryan Silver
Producer: Tiffany Davies
"Legends" - Kelsea Ballerini
Director: Jeff Venable
Producer: Ben Skipworth
"Marry Me" - Thomas Rhett
Director: TK McKamy
Producer: Dan Atchison
"We Should Be Friends" - Miranda Lambert
Director: Trey Fanjoy
Producer: April Dace
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Rhett Akins
Ashley Gorley
Hillary Lindsey
Shane McAnally
Josh Osborne
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR]
"Craving You" - Thomas Rhett Featuring Maren Morris
Producers: Julian Bunetta, Dann Huff, Joe London, Thomas Rhett
Valory
"Hate" - Maren Morris featuring Vince Gill
Producers: Brad Hill, Maren Morris
Columbia Nashville
"Funny (How Time Slips Away)" - Glen Campbell And Willie Nelson
Producer: Carl Jackson
UMe
"The Fighter" - Keith Urban featuring Carrie Underwood
Producers: Busbee, Keith Urban
Capitol Nashville
"What Ifs" - Kane Brown Featuring Lauren AlainaProducer: Dann Huff
RCA Nashville
