HARDY, WILSON, GORLEY SCORE EARLY ACM WINS

At the Academy of Country Music Awards pre-telecast events, Lainey Wilson and HARDY won the Best Visual Media of the Year award for the video for their collab "Wait in the Truck" and Ashley Gorley and HARDY were surprised with Songwriter of the Year trophies.

Wilson and HARDY performed at the 5/10 Lifting Lives benefit concert, after which SiriusXM's Storme Warren presented them with their ACMs.

Earlier that day, the Academy held the ACM Songs and Stories event, in conjunction with The Bluebird Cafe and Nashville Songwriters Association International, which brought Songwriter of the Year nominees Gorley, Nicolle Galyon, Chase McGill and Hunter Phelps to an intimate celebration featuring acoustic performances. After the show, Gorley was presented with the ACM for Songwriter of the Year, and after that, Gorley handed HARDY the ACM for Artist-Songwriter of the Year.

The free fan festival ACM Country Kickoff (5/9 & 10) saw the participation of New Male Artist of the Year nominees Dylan Scott and Nate Smith, New Female Artist of the Year nominee Caitlyn Smith, Music Event of the Year nominee MacKenzie Porter & Chayce Beckham, Chapel Hart, Hannah Ellis, Tiera Kennedy, Catie Offerman, Josh Ross and MaRynn Taylor.

On 5/9, Zach Bryan and Hailey Whitters were awarded hardware for Male and Female New Artist of the Year.

Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch will livestream the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, beginning at 7pm ET/4pm PT.

Pictured top: Wilson and HARDY
Bottom: Gorley