NEW YORK (AP) – Miranda Lambert, the most decorated artist in the history of the Academy of Country Music Awards, began the 2021 show with rock-pop singer Elle King for a fun, energetic performance of their new duet.
Lambert and King wore matching outfits – an all-black ensemble with a pink crest hanging from Lambert’s leather jacket and blue from King’s – and sang the folk song “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” from the Grand Ole Opry House 10 weather forecast for Nashville, Tennessee. The performance, like many Sunday nights, was pre-recorded at various venues in Nashville, including the Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe, in front of small audiences composed of medical and health workers.
More collaborative moments will take place during the three-hour show. Underwood will sing along with gospel legend CeCe Winans; Maren Morris will perform with her husband Ryan Hurd; and Dierks Bentley sing U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love)” with husband and wife duo The War and Treaty. Other artists include Blake Shelton, Alan Jackson, Dan + Shay, Lady A, the Osborne brothers and Ashley McBryde.
Lambert is nominated for five honors and has the chance to extend her record. She does not compete for the leading prize of the show of the year, where all the nominees are male artists. Among the nominees for Artist of the Year are Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church and Thomas Rhett, who won the honor last year in a draw with Underwood.
“To come in and find out that you’re winning the Entertainment Person of the Year with Carrie Underwood is just that – it’s just adrenaline to keep you going all year long,” Rhett said in an interview Saturday. ‘So it’s an honor to be back at the ACMs, which were nominated in the same category, is just super special. And something I will never take for granted in a million years and will just feel very honored to be here. ”
Bryan, who would perform at the awards, withdrew the opportunity because he recently tested positive for the coronavirus. All the other nominees for the artist of the year will perform.
Another big name in country music is also missing in the program: Morgan Wallen. The singer, whose latest album and singles have been hugely successful on both country and pop charts, has not been declared eligible by the ACMs after being caught on camera earlier this year with a racial interruption.
Phillip Sweet of Little Big Town will also not be participating in the show, as he recently tested positive for COVID-19, and his orchestra will perform without him.
Stapleton and Morris are the best nominees with six each. Stapleton’s nominations include album, song and male artist of the year. Morris’ nominations include the single and female artist of the year. She also cut a group of the year as a member of the Highwomen, the supergroup with Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby.
Some of the ACM winners have been announced in advance, including Gabby Barrett (new female artist), Jimmie Allen (new male artist) and Kane Brown (video of the year). Carly Pearce and Lee Brice’s platinum hit “I Hope You’re Happy Now”, co-written by Combs, won the music event of the year.
____ AP Entertainment Writer Kristin M. Hall contributed to this Nashville report.