ACM awards highlighted by Killer Ed Sheeran/Luke Combs duet while Lainey Wilson, Hardy and Chris Stapleton take top honors

Skyred3 weeks ago

At the 58th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, the top prize, Entertainer of the Year, went to Chris Stapleton, while Lainey Wilson and Hardy won in the most categories, four each – two of which they shared for the duet “Wait in the.” truck”.

Technically, Hardy walked away with six trophies, as the ACMs award dual awards to artists who co-write their nominated songs.

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Accepting the Album of the Year award, Wilson said, “I’ve written 300 songs during the pandemic.” Noting that some fans said listening to her album Bell Bottom Country saved their lives, Wilson said: “Writing these songs saved mine.” She quoted one of her own phrases: “Be who you are because everyone else is taken.”

The two categories shared by Wilson and Hardy were Visual Media of the Year and Music Event of the Year. Separately, Wilson was named Artist of the Year and Hardy was named Best Artist and Songwriter.

(Scroll down to see a photo gallery of the winners, nominees and artists.)

Meanwhile, the unofficial award for the night’s most eye-catching collaboration may have gone to Ed Sheeran and Luke Combs, who sang each other on Sheeran’s latest single “Life Goes On,” a ballad about accepting death as a part of life. The pop star’s performance was announced a few days in advance, but not with whom he would sing or what song. Fans of either or both immediately began clamoring for an official release of a duet version. Of course, that was foreseen, and at midnight ET a Combs/Sheeran duet hit the DSPs.

The ceremony was streamed live on Prime Video and Amazon’s Twitch channel from the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. It can be viewed again on Amazon Freevee starting Friday evening.

“I can’t believe I just met Dolly Parton,” said Lainey Wilson as she accepted the award for best artist. “I’m up here because people like Dolly Parton are leading the way.” She also praised her fellow nominees, who have missed a lot of weddings and funerals — not that I want to go to all of them anyway.” She encouraged “little girls” who were watching to believe in her dreams, with one caveat: “If you wanna be a dreamer, you better be a doer.”

Hardy, along with Wilson, the artist of her doubly successful song “Wait in the Truck,” agreed, saying, “Thanks Lainey, you absolutely nailed it.” There was no doubt that you were always the one who inspired people to do it made me believe that song.” On the subject of the number, Wilson said, “I think it’s really important to sing about things that are hard to talk about.” I didn’t want people to dwell on this song identify, but a lot of people do, and this one’s for all of you.”

Best Male Artist went to Morgan Wallen, who had to pull out after being imposed a singing hiatus that he announced this week would force him to cancel around six weeks of performances, as well as his appearance on ACM. Winning it and not being here has to kill him,” Brooks said. “Let’s all celebrate for him tonight.”

After an opening number by Keith Urban, “Texas Time,” hosts Brooks and Parton performed an opening comedy routine that really got off the ground when Brooks dubbed his co-host “The GOAT.” She ushered out a real goat on a cart, then got a little spunky as she explained that Brooks had made an arrangement with his wife, Trisha Yearwood, that Parton could be her “hall pass,” and that Yearwood supposedly deserved the same pass. The punchline landed with the “T” in Goat, which stands for “three”.

To make it even healthier, the mention of the greats who died in the past year, including Parton’s friend Loretta Lynn, prompted the singer to appear to spontaneously strike up an a cappella “Precious Memories.” “I just felt like I should sing that,” Parton explained. “Jiminy Christmas, we are so lucky to have you in this format,” Brooks replied.

Highlights of his performance included Cody Johnson’s “Mammas, Don’t Let Your Boys Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” after a brief exchange between Willie Nelson and the hosts (with a particularly strong endorsement from the young Brooks star); Cole Swindell is joined on “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” by the original singer of the interpolated “Heads Carolina, Tails California”, Jo Dee Messina; and a duet between last year’s Singer of the Year, Carly Pearce, and Yearwood; and IRL duo The War and Treaty, who hit several duets out of the park every night on tour.

Wilson also proved to be a big hit with her own “Cookin’ With Grease.” Closing the show, Parton introduced her own new single, “World on Fire,” from her upcoming Rockstar album.