The Academy of Country Music Awards kicks off Sunday with a slew of famous faces in the genre, while a handful of others are missing.
Some of the genre’s biggest stars and toppers like Morgan Wallen and Luke Bryan will not be in the building when the 2021 show begins.
Wallen, whose latest album and singles have been hugely successful on both country and pop charts, was declared incompetent by the ACMs after being caught on camera earlier this year by a racial statement. Bryan, meanwhile, backed the opportunity because he recently tested positive for the coronavirus. The diagnosis also prevented him from appearing as a judge on the first live show of the season for ‘American Idol’.
Bryan is nominated for the top prize – entertainer of the year – where Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church and Thomas Rhett, who won the honor last year in a draw with Carrie Underwood, were nominated.
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All of the entertainer of the year nominees, with the exception of Bryan, will perform – most of them recorded at various venues in Nashville, Tennessee, including the Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe. The audience will be small and consist of medical and health workers.
Morgan Wallen will not appear at the 2021 ACM Awards.
(Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP, file)
“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 on Saturday. “So it’s an honor to be back at the ACMs, nominated in the same category, is just super special. And something I’ll never take for granted in a million years and will just be super honored to be here. to be.”
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Some artists will join forces on stage: Underwood sings with gospel legend CeCe Winans; Maren Morris will perform with her husband Ryan Hurd; Dierks Bentley sings U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love)” with husband and wife duo The War and Treaty; and Miranda Lambert and pop-rock singer Elle King will kick off the show with their new duet “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”.
Other artists include Blake Shelton, Alan Jackson, Dan + Shay, Lady A, the Osborne brothers and Ashley McBryde. The quartet Little Big Town will also be performing although band member Phillip Sweet will not be participating as he also recently tested positive for COVID-19.
Luke Bryan puts out a recent episode of ‘American Idol’ due to a positive coronavirus test.
(ABC / Brian Bowen Smith)
Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton host for the first time, and they are also expected to perform on stage.
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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.
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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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.