The 2018 ACM Awards Complete Preview
(Tune in Sunday night for Saving Country Music’s LIVE Blog of the ACM Awards)
THE 53rd ANNUAL ACM AWARDS
• When: 7 PM Central, 8 PM Eastern Sunday, April 15th, 2018 on CBS.
• Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
• Host: Reba McEntire.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• Since the ACM Awards are held in Las Vegas, and it was the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Vegas that was the site of the worst massacre in modern United States history, you can be assured this will be a recurring theme throughout the night. The show is rumored to open with a tribute, while many survivors and first responders will be in attendance. Expect the tone to be sad to start, but then switch to one of strength and perseverance. And don’t expect it to get too political. Host Reba McEntire has already said she will be avoiding politics.
• Chris Stapleton is up for a whopping eight awards in five separate categories, setting him up for yet another major awards show night, including being up for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year. Expect him to be a front runner in all of these categories except the final one.
• There are a ton of performances scheduled, including a tribute to 1993, and of course the Harvest Festival tribute(s), so expect a lot of 30-second hooks from smaller stars as the presentation cuts to commercial break, and very few complete songs as they try to cram all the performers in. See full list of performances below.
• Don’t be surprised if the Wal-Mart Yodeling Boy stops by. He showed up to nearby Coachella, has played the Opry, and would be a fun, last-minute edition if the powers that be can pull it off.
THE PRESENTERS
Non-musician presenters include actors David Boreanaz, AJ Buckley, Max Thieriot, Sam Elliott, and Ashton Kutcher, quarterback Drew Brees, rapper and actress Eve, TV host Nancy O’Dell, actress Rebecca Romijn, and Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn.
Musician presenters include Cam, Dustin Lynch, and Sugarland.
THE PERFORMERS
• A Tribute to 1993 Will Include:
- Alan Jackson performing “Chattahoochee” with Jon Pardi
- Toby Keith performing “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” with Blake Shelton
- Reba McEntire performing “Does He Love You” with Kelly Clarkson
• Blake Shelton will also perform “I Lived It” solo.
• Carrie Underwood will perform her new single “Cry Pretty”
• Kenny Chesney will perform his new single “Get Along”
• Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina will perform together on “What Ifs”
• Lauren Aliana will also perform “Doin’ Fine” solo
• Keith Urban with sing with pop star Julia Michaels on the duet “Coming Home”
• Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha will perform their their now historic #1 “Meant To Be”
• Dan + Shay will play their new song “Tequila”
• Jason Aldean performs new single “You Make It Easy”
• Dierks Bentley performs “Woman, Amen”
• Lady Antebellum will perform “Heart Break”
• Chris Young performs “Losing Sleep”
• Miranda Lambert will perform her current single “Keeper of the Flame.”
• Little Big Town performs Elton John’s “Rocket Man”
• Brett Young performs “In Case You Didn’t Know”
• Maren Morris will perform her current single “Rich.”
• Kelsea Ballerini will perform “I Hate Love Songs”
• Darius Rucker will perform “For The First Time”
• Luke Bryan will perform “Most People Are Good,” and it could include a Route 91 Harvest Fest tie-in.
• Thomas Rhett will perform “Marry Me”
• Midland will also perform
• Chris Janson will have the final performance with “Redneck Life”
AWARD NOMINEES
***Read Saving Country Music’s Picks & Prognostications***
Many Awards Have Already Been Handed Out:
- New Male Vocalist of the Year – Brett Young
- New Female Vocalist of the Year – Lauren Alaina
- New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year – Midland
- Vocal Event of the Year –
- Single of the Year –
- Songwriter of the Year – Rhett Akins
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 – WINNER
• Danielle Bradbery
• Carly Pearce
• Raelynn
NEW MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
• Kane Brown
• Luke Combs
• Devin Dawson
• Russell Dickerson
• Brett Young – WINNER
NEW VOCAL DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
• High Valley
• LANCO
• LOCASH
• Midland – WINNER
• Runaway June
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
• Breaker – Little Big Town
Producer: Jay Joyce
• California Sunrise – Jon Pardi
Producers: Bart Butler, Jon Pardi
• From A Room Vol. 1 – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
• Happy Endings – Old Dominion
Producer: Shane McAnally
• Life Changes – Thomas Rhett
Producers: Julian Bunetta, Jesse Frasure, Dann Huff, Joe London, Thomas Rhett
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR
- Better Man – Little Big Town
- Body Like A Back Road – Sam Hunt
- Broken Halos – Chris Stapleton
- Drinkin’ Problem – Midland
- I’ll Name The Dogs – Blake Shelton
SONG OF THE YEAR
• Body Like a Back Road – Sam Hunt
Songwriters: Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
• Female – Keith Urban
Songwriters: Ross Copperman, Nicolle Galyon and Shane McAnally
• Tin Man – Miranda Lambert
Songwriters: Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall
• Whiskey And You – Chris Stapleton
Songwriters: Lee Thomas Miller, Chris Stapleton
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
- Black – Dierks Bentley
- It Ain’t My Fault – Brothers Osborne
- Legends – Kelsea Ballerini
- Marry Me – Thomas Rhett
- We Should Be Friends – Miranda Lambert
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
• Rhett Akins – WINNER
• Ashley Gorley
• Hillary Lindsey
• Shane McAnally
• Josh Osborne
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
- Craving You – Thomas Rhett Featuring Maren Morris
- Dear Hate – Maren Morris featuring Vince Gill
- Funny (How Time Slips Away) – Glen Campbell And Willie Nelson
- The Fighter – Keith Urban featuring Carrie Underwood
- What Ifs – Kane Brown Featuring Lauren Alaina
Ryan
April 15, 2018 @ 8:53 am
Why no Eric church? No nominations? He should be up for entertainer.
Trigger
April 15, 2018 @ 9:10 am
Entertainer would be about all he woulds be eligible for. He’s out of his album release cycle now. I’d suspect we see something new from him in the fall.
Derek Sullivan
April 15, 2018 @ 10:19 am
Eric Church would have been up for video of the year for Round Here Buzz which I thought was well done.
Mary
April 15, 2018 @ 9:00 am
Is Chris Stapleton going to show up. He is not listed among the performers.
Trigger
April 15, 2018 @ 9:12 am
I’m sure he’ll be there, but yes, strange with so many other performers, he isn’t. A couple of years ago Kacey Musgraves was up for some awards and didn’t perform. It later came out she didn’t want to perform unless she could play a full song. And with the amount of performances slotted for this year, I’d be surprised if any more than three to five performers get full songs.
Adam
April 15, 2018 @ 9:12 am
Kee Kee Falcarommi is a dog faced gremlin
Dick Hollopeter
April 15, 2018 @ 9:35 am
Gonna be hitting the mute button for a few of them.
DJ
April 15, 2018 @ 9:52 am
In other, real, “news”- I read last week a post office in Bakersfield was named for Merle Haggard-
Fuzzy TwoShirts
April 15, 2018 @ 9:55 am
Dumb. Dumb.
happy birthday Roy Linwood Clark, may you get so drunk that you don’t remember this huge pile of shit.
So glad I’ll be playing quiplash with Hund while this trainwreck dumpster fire with cheese is taking place.
Also here;s hoping Fluke Bryan falls off the stage again and lands of something painful.
King Honky Of Crackershire
April 15, 2018 @ 10:18 am
We’re so far past the existence of Country Music as a commercially viable, mainstream art form, that these shows are getting harder and harder to be angry about.
I just don’t care anymore. I haven’t watched in years, and likely will never watch again.
The folks I hated 20 years ago are now being trotted out as traditional tokens.
The folks I hated 15 years ago are quickly coming to the end of their commercial viability.
Without people being raised on Country Music, how can it ever be popular again? It’s currently only popular among people who are new to it, and enjoy it due to it’s perceived “alternative” nature.
It’s over. It’s been over for a long, long time.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
April 15, 2018 @ 10:49 am
Exactly! I remember thinking “gosh Miranda Lambert is awful” eight years ago and I’m actually uncomfortable that people are still talking about her.
I’d have expected her fifteen minutes to be up seven years ago. Blake Shelton’s not even relevant anymore as an artist. he’s devolved into that “famous for being famous” subcategory with Piers Morgan and Gary Busey that people know about him because he’s on TV but his career is effectively over and he’s now “just” a celebrity. Luke Bryan is all the rage among a subset of very vocal dunderheads but outside of his niche he’s not taken seriously. Most people don’t know have of the “major” “Country” stars by name since so many of them are just nobodies being marketed as superstars.
Alan Jackson? PFFT! I enjoy a couple Alan Jackson albums but remind me when he started being considered a legend? from my end of the spectrum he’s just another one of those 90s guys who came out alongside John Conlee (also overrated) and Clint Black.
Traditional Country singers are folks like aforementioned Roy Clark, Willie Nelson, people from before 1975.
1975 was the halfway point in a decade of changes and when the 80s came in every Country singer was Doctor Hook.
Gatlin Brothers? Kenny Rogers? BAD Doctor Hook impersonators!
REAL Country Music from the likes of Don Walser has been a sideline market for thirty years.
Ken
April 15, 2018 @ 11:43 am
John Conlee was hardly a 90’s guy. His last No 1 single was mid 80’s and since then nothing of note. Alan Jackson’s career and music most certainly earns him the title of being a country legend when you compare him to artists such as Blake Shelton and Clint Black. Apart from that I agree with everything else you say.
Mike W.
April 15, 2018 @ 10:51 am
I would agree, I expect soon we will see both the CMA’s and the ACM’s to be removed from network television and moved to CMT or GAC, simply because the interest/demand/ratings is no longer existent.
Trigger
April 15, 2018 @ 12:41 pm
As long as major networks stock stars from their shows as presenters, the CMAs and ACMs aren’t going anywhere. It’s an infomercial for the networks too. Awards shows are gravy trains. That’s why they promote them so hard.
Mike W.
April 15, 2018 @ 3:34 pm
Perhaps, but if ratings continue to decline, especially amongst the age demographics that advertisers/the networks crave, I could see them being shuttered off to “smaller” cable networks, rather than ABC/CBS.
McLurg
April 15, 2018 @ 4:24 pm
Your boys Midland will be there, honky. Probably wearing some really pretty costumes too. You should watch.
King Honky Of Crackershire
April 15, 2018 @ 6:13 pm
Are you still upset that I don’t like your favorite singer?
Derek Sullivan
April 15, 2018 @ 10:21 am
Can anyone tell me if music journalists looked into why there are only four single of the year nominees and one of the songs is a remake from three years ago? Does anyone care?
Trigger
April 15, 2018 @ 11:01 am
Same reason there were only four New Female Artist of the Year nominees instead of five like the males, which is no reason at all. The ACMs really need to get their house in order just with basic consistency. Perhaps when Pete Fisher gets entrenched in there, things will change, except he’s Pete Fisher.
seak05
April 15, 2018 @ 11:29 am
I’d expect Miranda to take it easily btw. Chris’ nomination is a years old album cut. Plus the other 3 songs are UMG, so vote splitting will happen.
Clint
April 15, 2018 @ 11:00 am
Looks like a good show.
Desperado Destry
April 15, 2018 @ 11:09 am
Was just wondering here why Johnny Cash’s “Forever Words” wasn’t up for something. There’s probably a logical answer I’m sure but with all the artists that worked on that album (Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Kacey Musgraves, Ruston Kelly, Brad Paisley, Allison Kraus, Rosanne Cash, etc.) I was just curious.
Trigger
April 15, 2018 @ 12:42 pm
“Forever Words” was was released months after the nominations were announced. I wouldn’t hold your breath for next year either. Maybe it will get some love from the Grammys. Maybe.
seak05
April 15, 2018 @ 11:17 am
Miranda is doing Keeper of the Flame (per interview), Luke is doing Most people are Good per rehearsals, Blake is doing I Lived it (in addition to TK) acoustic according to his fiddle players page.
seak05
April 15, 2018 @ 11:18 am
Chris has performed the last several awards shows, can’t really see him doing a Kacey either. When is Morgane due? Maybe he didn’t want to commit?
Bear
April 15, 2018 @ 11:36 am
I feel sorry for Reba having to host a shot largely filled with awful “country”. And I feel REALLY bad for whoever ha to introduce the performance of Kane Brown. If they can do it without laughing they have superpowers.
James Ewell Brown
April 15, 2018 @ 12:07 pm
IIRC I spent a good part of 1993 with Dwight Yaokam playing, think I’ll spend this evening the same.
Looking at tonight’s “talent”, I’m not certain if Things Change, or that It only hurts when I cry…
Corncaster
April 15, 2018 @ 12:12 pm
I’ll be listening to my new Western Centuries CD and staring out the window.
Better show.
Bigfoot is Real (now that's country!)
April 16, 2018 @ 7:48 am
Western Centuries is without a doubt the best country music band in the world right now.
Abel
April 15, 2018 @ 12:47 pm
And now, ladies and gentlemen- the performers of the evening!
A few washed-up pop stars!
Multiple talentless dopes!
Alan Jackson,
A lady folk singer,
Aaaaaand… the best darn Southern Rocker of the past 30 years.
Anything country here? Not other than Alan and Reba. Can’t Chris Stapleton just play all the song slots so I can enjoy the show?
Raymond
April 15, 2018 @ 1:47 pm
Excited to see Lauren Alaina perform she’s so talented!!
sbach66
April 15, 2018 @ 2:19 pm
The fact that “Whiskey and You,” a song that is 11 years old, is up for Song of the Year illustrates perfectly what a joke this show and organization really are.
Fuck the ACM. Fuck them in their goat ass.
Donny
April 15, 2018 @ 2:32 pm
This looks like its gonna be fuckin brutal.
Strait Country 81
April 15, 2018 @ 4:53 pm
Yeah just finishing up painting the living and gonna watch the paint dry instead.
GrantH
April 15, 2018 @ 2:39 pm
That’s just a ridiculous amount of performers for one show. For years I feel like the country industry just “pads stats” with all these awards and appearances to make their new entertainers seem more legit, but all it really does is just devalue awards. Hence why having a #1 hit on the country airplay chart doesn’t mean squat anymore.
Derek Sullivan
April 15, 2018 @ 3:40 pm
Looks like Brothers Osborne won duo and video of the year. Too bad they aren’t performing I’m really enjoying their new music.
Stinks
April 15, 2018 @ 4:06 pm
Country music is back! Look at that list of performers! Pure talent, baby. Record ratings for this broadcast. Well done, music row
CountryKnight
April 15, 2018 @ 5:03 pm
How does Lauren Alaina fell under new female vocalist? She has been around for a while.
GrantH
April 16, 2018 @ 7:51 am
Just more awards to pad stats. Meaningless
Music Jedi
April 16, 2018 @ 10:22 am
Well the ACMs, meaningless as they were, certainly helped the featured artists’ songs on iTunes this morning. From iTunes TOP 10 songs today, here the listing:
#1) Carrie Underwood – Cry Pretty
#2) Jason Aldean – You Make it Easy
#3 Bebe Rexha – ….. you know the rest
#5 Luke Bryan – Most People Are Good
#6) Kenny Chesney – Get Along
#7) Blake Shelton – I Lived It
#9) Kane Brown – What Ifs (feat Lauren Alaina)
#10 Dan + Shay – Tequila