Keith Urban, Kacey Musgraves, Thomas Rhett Among ACM Award Victors
Urban was named Entertainer of the Year at the Las Vegas event, where Rhett won the Male Artist category and there was double success for Musgraves.
Keith Urban won the prestigious Entertainer of the Year Award at last night’s 54th ACM (Academy of Country Music) Awards, repeating his feat at last November’s CMA Awards. Urban, who was present with his wife Nicole Kidman, thus also receives the ACM Triple Crown Award, having previously won New Male Vocalist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year.
Jason Aldean won the Artist of the Decade title at the glittering event, hosted by Reba McEntire at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Aldean guested on Florida Georgia Line’s opening performance of ‘Can’t Hide Red.’ Kacey Musgraves was triumphant as both Female Artist of the Year, her first such ACM award, and with her Golden Hour winning Album of the Year. Thomas Rhett took the Male Artist of the Year title for the second time.
It was also a triumphant night of triple victory at the ACM Awards for breakthrough duo Dan + Shay, who became Duo of the Year as their smash hit ‘Tequila,’ written by Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds and Dan Smyers, took home Song of the Year and Single Record of the Year.
Luke Combs and Ashley McBryde consolidated their remarkable rises over the past 12 months by winning the respective Best New Artist trophies, with McBryde delivering a powerful solo acoustic performance of her ‘Girl Goin’ Nowhere.’ Those awards were announced in advance of the event, as was LANCO’s victory as New Group of the Year.
Old Dominion were named Group of the Year, while Chris Janson’s promo clip for his ballad ‘Drunk Girl’ won the video category. Dierks Bentley’s ‘Burning Man,’ featuring Brothers Osborne, was Music Event of the Year. Prolific hitmaker Shane McAnally was Songwriter of the Year.
McEntire, who had been critical of the lack of female artists in the biggest ACM category, made light of the fact in a quip about the weather in Las Vegas, where it recently snowed. “It was so cold it froze us women out of entertainer of the year,” she said. Another of the show’s memorable duets saw George Strait pairing with Miranda Lambert for a duet version of his 2001 hit ‘Run.’
There was also a live performance debut for Chrissy Metz, the star of the hit series This Is Us, who sang ‘I’m Standing With You’ from the new film Breakthrough, joined by Carrie Underwood, Lauren Alaina, Mickey Guyton and Maddie & Tae. Urban, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Maren Morris and Brooks & Dunn, with Luke Combs, were among the night’s other performers.
Explore our Keith Urban Artist Page.
UK English
