The nominees for this year’s Academy Of Country Music Awards were recently revealed and since I’ve been showcasing such items and the eventual winners rundown, I wanted to present them to you down below. Let’s take a look.

Entertainer Of The Year:
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

Female Artist Of The Year:
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

Male Artist Of The Year:
Dierks Bentley
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

Duo Of The Year:
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
LOCASH
Maddie & Tae

Group Of The Year:
Lady Antebellum
LANCO
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion

New Female Artist Of The Year:
Danielle Bradbery
Lindsay Ell
Ashley McBryde
Carly Pearce

New Male Artist Of The Year:
Jimmie Allen
Luke Combs
Jordan Davis
Michael Ray
Mitchell Tenpenny

New Duo Or Group Of The Year:
High Valley
LANCO
Runaway June

Album Of The Year: [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
Dan + Shay – Dan + Shay
– Producers: Scott Hendricks / Dan Smyers / Matt Dragstrem
– Record Label: Warner Music Nashville
Desperate Man – Eric Church
– Producers: Jay Joyce / Arturo Buenahora Jr.
– Record Label: EMI Records Nashville
From A Room: Volume 2 – Chris Stapleton
– Producers: Dave Cobb / Chris Stapleton
– Record Label: Mercury Nashville
Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
– Producers: Ian Fitchuk / Daniel Tashian / Kacey Musgraves
– Record Label: MCA Nashville
The Mountain – Dierks Bentley
– Producers: Ross Copperman / Jon Randall Stewart / Arturo Buenahora Jr.
– Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

Single of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
Down to the Honky Tonk – Jake Owen
– Producer: Joey Moi
– Record Label: Big Loud Records
Heaven – Kane Brown
– Producer: Dann Huff / Polow Da Don
– Record Label: RCA Nashville
Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
– Producer: Wilshire for Rock The Soul Ent
– Record Label: Warner Bros. Records
Most People Are Good – Luke Bryan
– Producers: Jeff Stevens / Jody Stevens
– Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Tequila – Dan + Shay
– Producers: Scott Hendricks / Dan Smyers
– Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

Song Of The Year: [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
Break Up In The End – Cole Swindell
– Writers: Jessie Jo Dillon / Chase McGill / Jon Nite
– Publishers: EMI April Music Inc. / Nite Writer Music (ASCAP) / Songs of Universal, Inc. / Plum Nelly (BMI) / Big Music Machine (BMI)/ Big Ass Pile Of Dimes Music (BMI)
Broken Halos – Chris Stapleton
– Writers: Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton
– Publishers: WB Music Corp./House of Sea Gayle Music, admin. by ClearBox Rights/Spirit Catalog Holdings, S.a.r.l. admin. by Spirit Two Nashville (ASCAP); Straight Six Music (BMI)
Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
– Writers: David Garcia, Tyler Hubbard, Joshua Miller, Bebe Rexha
– Publishers: BMG Platinum Songs/Kiss Me If You Can Music (BMI) (all rights administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC) Big Loud Mountain (BMI) and T Hubb Publishing (BMI). All Rights Administered by Round Hill Works. Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. on behalf of itself and Songs of the Corn and Jack 10 Publishing. Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing (ASCAP) D Soul Music (ASCAP) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com)
Space Cowboy – Kacey Musgraves
– Writers: Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves
– Publishers: Smack Hits/Smack Songs, admin by Kobalt Music Group ltd. (GMR); Universal Music Works/We Are Creative NBaSmack Hits/Smack Songs, LLC, admin. by Kobalt Music Group Ltd. (GMR); Universal Music Works/We Are Creative Nation/Jake and Mack Music, admin. by Universal Music Works; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./351 Music (BMI).
Tequila – Dan + Shay
– Writers: Nicolle Galyon / Jordan Reynolds / Dan Smyers
– Publishers: Beats and Banjos (ASCAP), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP), A Girl Named Charlie (BMI) / Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI) / Buckeye26 (ASCAP) / Jreynmusic (ASCAP)
Yours – Russell Dickerson
– Writers: Casey Brown / Russell Dickerson / Parker Welling
– Publishers: BMG Platinum Songs/Kailey’s Dream / So Essential Tunes / Not Just Another Song Publishing / Hillbilly Science and Research Publishing/Trailerlily Music

Video of the Year [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
Babe – Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift
– Producer: Roger Hunt
– Director: Anthony Mandler
Burn Out – Midland
– Producer: Ben Skipworth
– Director: TK McKamy / Cameron Duddy
Burning Man – Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
– Producer: Nate Eggert
– Director: Wes Edwards
Drunk Girl – Chris Janson
– Producer: Ben Skipworth
– Director: Jeff Venable
Shoot Me Straight – Brothers Osborne
– Producer: April Kimbrell
– Director: Wes Edwards / Ryan Silver
Tequila – Dan + Shay
– Producer: Christen Pinkston
– Director: Patrick Tracy

Songwriter of the Year:
Ross Copperman
Ashley Gorley
Shane McAnally
Chase McGill
Josh Osborne

Music Event of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
Burning Man – Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
– Producers: Ross Copperman / Jon Randall Stewart / Arturo Buenahora Jr.
– Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Drowns the Whiskey – Jason Aldean featuring Miranda Lambert
– Producer: Michael Knox
– Record Labels: Macon Music, LLC; Broken Bow Records; BBR Music Group; BMG
Everything’s Gonna Be Alright – David Lee Murphy featuring Kenny Chesney
– Producers: Buddy Cannon / Kenny Chesney / David Lee Murphy
– Record Label: Reviver Records
Keeping Score – Dan + Shay featuring Kelly Clarkson
– Producers: Scott Hendricks / Dan Smyers
– Record Label: Warner Music Nashville
Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha Featuring Florida Georgia Line
– Producer: Wilshire for Rock The Soul Ent
– Record Label: Warner Bros. Records

INDUSTRY AWARDS:

Casino Of The Year – Small Capacity:
Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant, OK
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort – Cherokee, NC
The Joint: Tulsa – Tulsa, OK
Peppermill Reno – Reno, NV
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort – Mt. Pleasant, MI

Casino Of The Year – Large Capacity:
Casino Rama – Orillia, ON
Grand Casino Hinckley – Hinckley, MN
Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, CT
Sandia Casino Amphitheater – Albuquerque, NM
WinStar Global Event Center – Thackerville, OK

Festival Of The Year:
Boots & Hearts – Oro-Medonte, ON
Faster Horses – Brooklyn, MI
Stagecoach – Indio, CA
Tortuga Music Festival – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Windy City Smokeout – Chicago, IL

Nightclub Of The Year:
Dusty Armadillo – Rootstown, OH
Grizzly Rose – Denver, CO
Joe’s on Weed St – Chicago, IL
Joe’s Live – Rosemont, IL
Stoney’s Rockin’ Country – Las Vegas, NV

Venue Of The Year – Small Capacity:
House of Blues – Anaheim, CA
House of Blues – Boston, MA
Floore’s – Helotes, TX
Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
Surf Ballroom – Clear Lake, IA

Venue Of The Year – Medium Capacity:
Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NH
Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TN
The Wharf Amphitheater – Orange Beach, AL
The Anthem – Washington, DC

Venue Of The Year – Large Capacity:
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
BOK Center – Tulsa, OK
Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON
PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ
Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center – Noblesville, IN

Don Romeo Talent Buyer Of The Year:
Todd Boltin – Variety Attractions
Billy Brill – Billy Alan Productions
Gil Cunningham – Neste Event Marketing
Kell Houston – Houston Productions
Nicole More – Wilson Events, Inc.

Promoter Of The Year:
Brent Fedrizzi – AEG Presents
Stacy Vee – Goldenvoice
Ed Warm – Joe’s Bar
Adam Weiser – AEG Presents
Jason Wright – Live Nation

STUDIO RECORDING AWARDS:

Bass Player Of The Year:
Mike Brignardello
JT Cure
Ian Fitchuk
Tony Lucido
Glenn Worf

Drummer Of The Year:
Matt Chamberlain
Ian Fitchuk
Evan Hutchings
Aaron Sterling
Nir Z

Guitar Player Of The Year:
Tom Bukovac
Jedd Hughes
Danny Rader
Adam Shoenfeld
Ilya Toshinsky
Derek Wells

Piano/Keyboards Player Of The Year:
Dave Cohen
David Dorn
Ian Fitchuk
Tony Harrell
Charlie Judge
Gordon Mote

Specialty Instrument(S) Player Of The Year:
Ian Fitchuk
Jenee Fleenor
Carl Miner
Mickey Raphael
Ilya Toshinsky

Steel Guitar Player Of The Year:
Dan Dugmore
Steve Hinson
Mike Johnson
Russ Pahl
Justin Schipper

Audio Engineer Of The Year:
Craig Alvin
Ryan Gore
Jeff Juliano
Vance Powell
F Reid Shippen

Producer Of The Year:
Buddy Cannon
Ian Fitchuk
Dann Huff
Jay Joyce
Michael Knox

*** end of list ***

Piercing Ken Thoughts: As you might already know, I don’t listen to a whole lot of Country Music but I do like the occasional chance I get since it takes me out of my established zone and let’s me enjoy a completely different vibe. Its often very appealing and who knows, perhaps I will start pitching my photographer and journalist skills to some reps and cover those kinds of shows over here. As I close up, I wonder which of the artists you might want to win in a few of the big categories. Are all of your own Country Music artist favorites among the nominated or are there some who you felt were cheated of the honor? Chime in down below and don’t forget to watch the website in early April when the broadcast takes place and we line out the winners for you.

Official Website: https://www.acmcountry.com/