Boring, Nondescript 2024 ACM Awards Offer Little Life
See a full list of winners at bottom.
The 2024 ACM Awards broadcast Thursday evening (5-16) via Amazon Prime had many pondering the question, is it better for an awards show to be bad for the inadvertent entertainment value as opposed to being so boring and nondescript you want to gouge your eyeballs out?
The 2024 ACMs definitely gave some of the worst award show presentations in country history a run for their money with the monotonous, predictable, and generally lifeless presentation, relegated to an online streaming channel, broadcast from a practice facility as opposed to an actual arena, and cut short by an hour since there just wasn’t enough talent to showcase, including skipping the genre’s most popular stars, Luke Combs, Zach Bryan, and Morgan Wallen, none of whom were in attendance.
Lainey Wilson started off the presentation performing two songs, including “God Blessed Texas,” and her new almost purely rock song “Hang Tight Honey.” It ended up being Lainey’s night as she walked away with Female Artist of the year and the coveted Entertainer of the Year. But even that felt like par, and a punt on the ACM’s part for not wanting to put any attention on who wasn’t there as opposed to who was.
Reba McEntire hosted, and said in her monologue that Lainey Wilson is giving Dolly Parton a “run for her money.” Let’s maybe slow the roll on those pronouncements a little bit. Lainey Wilson is exciting, but she’s got about 55 years of experience to get to Dolly’s level. The comparison went over about as well as Reba’s dumb donkey jokes. The ACM’s austerity measures didn’t just stop at the venue, the performers, or the two-hour run time. They clearly cut their budget for writers.
When Jordan Davis won the first award for Song of the Year, you knew this was going to be a rough night. “Next Thing You Know” isn’t a terrible song, but to say this is the “best” song in country music and pass over the Luke Combs version of “Fast Car” really speaks to how the ACMs are all about who the major labels want to push as opposed to the will of the fans being codified by meaningful accolades.
This was doubled down when Dan + Shay won the second award, Duo of the Year. Not that there was any real competition in that category. Giving it to Brooks & Dunn after butchering the Toby Keith tribute on the CMT Awards earlier this year would have been bad form.
Jelly Roll sang an unreleased song “Liar” in a performance that felt super deflating, and from a guy that usually rises to awards show moments. Why Noah Kahan was on the presentation was a legitimate question. He insists he doesn’t want to be considered country, but there he was singing “Stick Season” with Kelsea Ballerini, double clutch her microphone like Carrie Underwood, but she doesn’t have the voice nor the gams to replace Underwood on these award shows.
There are a few things you can count on in life. The rise and fall of the sun, the changing of the seasons, and Old Dominion winning a country music Group of the Year Award even though 95% of America couldn’t pick them out of a lineup, or name one song from them. The 2024 ACMs didn’t disappoint in this department.
It took 40 minutes into the presentation before we heard a bona fide original country song performed when Cody Johnson decided to deliver “Dirt Cheap” on a stool in a stripped-down presentation. It was a good, sentimental performance, but helped underscore the snooze fest aspect that would prevail for most of the night.
Miranda Lambert’s new song “Wranglers” was supposed to re-introduce her to the country world, and be reminiscent of her “light stuff on fire” era. But it’s just a lot of bark, and very little bite, rendering yet another “mid” moment. Everything just felt like it was going through the motions during the night, but even the motions were weird. Crowd shots showed the audience looking around aloof. Winners didn’t know where to go to exit the stage. Everything felt performative and uninspired.
Ashley McBryde and some Amazon star did have a fun little moment where they sang parodied songs making fun of the Single of the Year nominees, with McBryde singing in a jingle, “the nominees were all guys again.” It strangely was one of the best moments of the night.
Luke Combs ended up winning Single of the Year with “Fast Car,” but of course, just like the rest of country music’s top talent, he was not there to accept.
The War & Treaty introduced Kane Brown to sing “Georgia” in tribute to Ray Charles, but it should have been Kane Brown introducing The War & Treaty to sing “Georgia” in tribute to Ray Charles. Kane turned in a super mid version, while The War & Treaty would have brought the house down.
Thomas Rhett sang a new song that sounds like every single other Thomas Rhett song. It was about a girl, maybe his wife, or something. The reason performers like Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan are doing so well right now because they are everything a performer like Thomas Rhett isn’t.
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani got in on the action, offering a deflating radio-pushed single with their wilted “Purple Irises.” It surely will get the Stans singing their praises, but had others fishing for the remote, and figuring out how better to spend their Thursday evenings.
The Bobby Bones backstage moments made for the perfect opportunities to punch out. You really have to tip your hat to Bones and his incredible gift at turning any topic or conversation back to being all about him.
Everything felt as perfunctory as Chris Stapleton winning Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year again. Which of course, he did.
Jason Aldean tributing Toby Keith isn’t the kind of tease that would get older, traditional country fans to tune in to an awards show. But his rendition of “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” with just acoustic guitars accompanied by a string quintet was actually one of the best moments of the night. He figured out how to allow the emotion to meet the moment, unlike what happened at the CMTs. Aldean deserves a hat tip for tipping his hat properly to Toby.
On of the most awkward moments of the night was when Reba was introducing Chris Stapleton, and got cut off half way. Then instead of seeing Stapleton, we saw pop star Dua Lipa, who sang a good half of “I Think I’m In Love With You.” No offense to Dua Lipa, but in a presentation already criticized for showcasing so many pop stars instead of country ones, it was yet another pop star put in the mix, while Stapleton’s wife Morgane who normally sings with Chris stood there like a third wheel.
Then Post Malone came out, and unequivocally played the most country song of the night, with a country band of steel guitar and fiddle dressed in Dallas Cowboys uniforms. Then he played his massive new single with Morgan Wallen “I Had Some Help,” sans Morgan Wallen. Because I guess Morgan is still too verboten to put on the ACM Awards stage.
Then Malone and Reba sang a quick, acapella stanza of “Ramblin’ Man” in tribute to Dickey Betts. Once again, it was an interlude that was much better than many of the ultra-produced performances, including Parker McCoullum’s lifeless acoustic version of “Burn It Down,” and the plastic, contrived performance coupling Nate Smith and Avril Levine.
Reba McEntire closed the show out after Lainey won Entertainer of the Year, and everyone stood up, looked left, looked right, and wondered if they couldn’t have spent their time better, including this reporter.
The ACMs used to be the strong #2 awards show to the CMAs. Now they feel like they’re holding on for dear life. Ultimately, Luke Combs, Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, and everyone else who skipped it made the right decision. Don’t be surprised if more and more people make that decision with the ACMs as fans suffer from awards fatigue, and the CMT awards on CBS actively look to supplant the ACMs as the #2 awards show in country behind November’s CMAs.
WINNERS:
Entertainer of the Year – Lainey Wilson
Album of the Year – Chris Stapleton – Higher
Female Artist of the Year – Lainey Wilson
Male Artist of the Year – Chris Stapleton
Group of the Year – Old Dominion
Duo of the Year – Dan + Shay
Song of the Year – Jordan Davis – “Next Thing You Know”
Single of the Year – Luke Combs – “Fast Car”
New Female Artist of the Year – Megan Moroney
New Male Artist of the Year – Nate Smith
New Duo or Group of the Year – Tigerlily Gold
Artist-Songwriter of the Year – Chris Stapleton
Music Event of the Year – Jelly Roll & Lainey Wilson – “Save Me”
Visual Media of the Year – Parker McCollum – “Burn It Down”
Songwriter of the Year – Jessie Jo Dillon
Group of the Year – Old Dominion
Duo of the Year – Dan + Shay
Song of the Year – Jordan Davis – “Next Thing You Know”
Single of the Year – Luke Combs – “Fast Car”
New Female Artist of the Year – Megan Moroney
New Male Artist of the Year – Nate Smith
New Duo or Group of the Year – Tigerlily Gold
Artist-Songwriter of the Year – Chris Stapleton
Visual Media of the Year – Parker McCollum – “Burn It Down”
Songwriter of the Year – Jessie Jo Dillon
May 16, 2024 @ 8:09 pm
I have to agree that one of the best moments was Ashley McBrydes monologue. It was a lot of fun and brought some actual comedic relief to the night. It reminded me of the days of Carrie and Brad hosting the CMAs and singing their jabs. Post Malone standing with Reba and showing his nerves was kind of endearing to me, and he did a great job overall. Jason Aldean, and Kane Brown not singing their own material was a blessing for all that watched! It was great to see Randy Travis, and Charley Prides wife on presenting. That stuff hits me in the feels! Also, I just can’t with this Nate Smith guy. I know so many people who like his stuff, and all I hear is a throwback to the Creed and Nickelback era. No.Thank.You! Overall it wasn’t the best, but it could have been much worse.
May 17, 2024 @ 6:37 am
Spot on with the Creed comparison. Nate Smith sounds just like Scott Stapp, which probably isn’t a good thing for country music. I’m surprised Chayce Beckham wasn’t nominated in that category. His voice is more interesting, more country than Nate’s or any of the other nominees, save for Ernest.
May 16, 2024 @ 8:10 pm
I actually watched a WNBA game on Amazon Prime tonight instead of the ACMs. It’s a shame what they’ve become compared to the CMAs
May 18, 2024 @ 7:02 am
Geez. The awful ACMs are still better than the WNBA.
May 16, 2024 @ 8:11 pm
I’m not wondering if I could have spent my time better because I didn’t watch. Doing anything else had to be a better option. Thanks as always for the recap.
May 16, 2024 @ 8:16 pm
It was excruciating.
And I love Lainey, but again we see her winning the Entertainer of the Year award over much more deserving artists.
Luke Combs needs a word about right now.
May 16, 2024 @ 8:32 pm
The 2024 ACMs were the industry trying to wrangle back control from the fans to tell them who THEY think should be popular as opposed to who actually is.
I really like Lainey Wilson, but she is becoming overexposed and polarizing with the massive amount of attention and opportunities she is receiving. They needed to allow her to develop more organically, and now a lot of folks are developing a bad tastes in their mouths that’s not really justifiable, but also understandable.
May 17, 2024 @ 8:46 am
I agree. Love Lainey, but despite being in Nashville for a long time, it seems like she just popped up out of nowhere (and leapfrogged over others like Ashley McBryde and Carly Pierce). Same with Chris Stapleton and Jelly Roll. There needs to be a settling in period before these artists reach top-tier status. They run the risk of flaming out too soon, in favor of the next rocket ride.
May 18, 2024 @ 3:51 pm
Actually Chris Stapleton has been around for a long time. You’ve heard of The Steeldrivers, right? He was with them as their lead singer when they signed with Rounder Records back in 2008. Before that they were playing at bluegrass festivals for years. He has paid his dues.
May 17, 2024 @ 9:54 am
Also agreed. I liked Bell Bottom Country, but there are other women in country music making better records.
May 19, 2024 @ 8:17 pm
It’s BS really. To win CMA EOTY before Carrie or Miranda, what is that? Especially when you’re just an opening act. It makes the CMAs & other awards shows look petty & hateful towards more established & deserving artists. Carrie should have won in 2016, she was robbed of it that year. No idea why CMAs hate her so much but she’ll never win it now & I think she knows that. She didn’t even attend last year & good on her, she owes them nothing. I like Lainey, but she needs to earn her stripes & on winning these EOTY awards I just don’t think she’s there yet.
May 17, 2024 @ 7:20 am
What a mess the industry is in, and it’s largely of their own making! ????
Their biggest star by far is Wallen, and number 2 ain’t even close. But, it isn’t politically allowed to televise him, let alone award him anything. So more hardware for Stapleton who is great, but c’mon, get real…he’s won EVERYTHING under the sun so many times over it’s pointless. Miranda is no longer the go to. They are forcing Lainey as the heir apparent, and she is pretty good, but entertainer of the year? Too new. Old Dominion? Dan & Shay? NOBODY listens to them. Literally nobody. Hahahaha.
Combs needed to be there as he’s the other big name in the industry right now. What a trainwreck!
In a just world you would be seeing Turnpike, Colter Wall, Strings, 49 Winchester, Zach Top, Crockett, Marty Stuart, and that’s not to mention a guy I don’t care for Zach Bryan, but you gotta admit he’s selling out everywhere. But of course non of these folks save Marty are ” of the industry” so you won’t be seeing any of them. What a dilemma the industry faces, real country fans are listening to artists they refuse to acknowledge. Hahahahahaha! So rich!
Scorched earth rant over….
May 16, 2024 @ 11:17 pm
At least Jelly roll was there he’s always the life of the party
May 17, 2024 @ 6:23 am
I actually liked the new song quite a bit — more pop/soul than country but catchy tune and Jelly was in good voice. I can’t say anything about the show as a whole as I’m not a subscriber to the channel that streamed it. I’ve been spending most of the morning finding performances from it on YouTube and listening to those.
May 17, 2024 @ 1:01 am
I’was wishing someone besides Chris Stapleton would win male vocalist or album of the year. Cody z Johnson should have won male vocalist and Morgan Wallen for album of the year.
May 17, 2024 @ 8:33 am
I was really pulling for CoJo for AOTY. “Leather” is a fantastic album, and hopefully will be recognized by the CMAs or Grammys. I knew Stapleton would win that and male artist. I hope we’re not in a similar situation where Lainey Wilson wins everything for years on end; she’s great, but there’s too much talent out there, and they should spread the love around.
May 17, 2024 @ 4:37 am
Noah Reid is not “some Amazon star.”
May 17, 2024 @ 8:36 am
AGREED. He was “The Best” on Schitt’s Creek. (Where is his country album?) Noah and Ashley should host together sometime.
May 17, 2024 @ 8:47 am
Well, I don’t know him from Adam, and they introduced him literally as the “star of Amazon original series…” which was the only reason he was there, underscoring the infomercial aspect of this presentation.
Granted, I’m out-of-touch. Also, he did a good job with Ashley. One of the few good moments on the show.
May 17, 2024 @ 3:04 pm
At least when the show was in Vegas, there were some real stars that helped present, like Celine Dion and Cher. Now, we will be stuck with Amazon actors most of us have no clue about or virtually anyone from Texas (Cody and George aside). I wish the show would return to network TV. Charley Pride’s family was a nice touch and it would be great if they would include more country veterans.
May 17, 2024 @ 5:20 am
A few thoughts:
I wonder what the real audience number was, and will it justify Amazon running this next year?
Isn’t a Dua Lipa a shitty Italian economy car? I’m confused here.
Reba deserves better, but then again she should know better.
Kudos to Trigger for his use of the word “gams”. Excellent. Prediction: somebody is going to take you to task over that on Facebook or Twitter.
May 17, 2024 @ 5:28 am
Why so much Post Malone? He dominated the show and Reba fawning all over him with her “posty”. Then Nate Smith and Avril Lavigne??? Jellyroll’s new song is a rip off of another song I can’t think of–maybe Crazy by Gnarls Barkley?
May 17, 2024 @ 8:49 am
It could have been worse. (Cough*Beyonce*Cough)
May 18, 2024 @ 7:05 pm
Beyonce will be there next years and win all kinds of awards for her shitty pop music tha tis now considered country. ????
May 17, 2024 @ 5:39 am
Hang Tight Honey is an absolute banger thought. It hit my Spotify yesterday and really hasn’t left since.
May 17, 2024 @ 6:13 am
Sadly, yet never mentioned (but justifiably, because it’s probably unknown by almost everyone), is that the entire “ACM organization” was created, almost 60 years ago…”to promote country music on the West coast.” Now the award show has left “the West coast,” presumably forever. (Although THE ACADEMY is still headquartered at its original home in Los Angeles. Bizarre). In addition, the ACMs actually PREDATE the CMAs. What a HUGE fall-from-grace for a once-proud award show. Sad.
The ACMs have now been in six different venues, (technically more, because in 2020 and 2021 it took place in three different venues IN Nashville, but I counted them all “as one”), in three different states, during four different months, in the last nine years. With the exception of 2020, for Covid, the CMAs have been in the same place, since 2006. (And they’ve been held in November, since 2001.) The ACMs aren’t on TV anymore, and they’re being held in a football practice facility. Until they moved it to The Raiders’ football stadium in Sin City, I went to the last five ACMs held in Vegas. The whole weekend was always a blast. Now we know who won the long-running “CMAs vs. ACMs” battle. CMAs call themselves: “Country Music’s Biggest Night.” ACMs call themselves: “Country Music’s Biggest Party.” Nope. Not anymore they’re not. Again, truly sad to see what the ACMs have become.
May 17, 2024 @ 6:25 am
Lainey is definitely overexposed. Carly is probably jealous. Miranda is like Shania in trying to relight a fire that has burned out. Jelly Roll has become a nuisance. Ashley McBryde is treated like a person who stands on the sidelines and raises her hand asking the coach to play and get just enough notice to keep her on the team.
Cody is always good. Kane sucks.
And I didn’t even watch! Did I get it right??
May 18, 2024 @ 7:08 pm
Unlike Shania, Lambert has actually released country music during her career. Twain is a creation of Mutt Lange. Her music, even her lame, before Mutt, debut was never country. A token fiddle and steel guitar doesn’t make someone country.
May 17, 2024 @ 6:28 am
I feel for Luke Combs and Cody Johnson. They put out excellent mainstream albums in a year that Chris Stapleton also chose to put out an album. Chris is always a lock for AOY, but “Gettin’ Old” and “Leather” were both more interesting than “Higher,” which, while it had a couple of standout tracks, didn’t really catch fire and was too much more-of-the-same.
May 17, 2024 @ 7:12 am
Looking at that list it seems to be the usual cast of characters at these award shows. I guess in a year or two Old Dominion will have won Group of The Year more than any other group which says a lot about today’s mainstream country music.
May 17, 2024 @ 12:29 pm
What the hell is Tigerlily Gold?????
Also, fuck Kane Brown.
May 17, 2024 @ 1:53 pm
Didnt watch but i did watch a video of the stapleton song with that girl. Didnt care for it but im not a huge stapleton fan. Liked his early stuff but not his later stuff. Wallen should have won album of the year. The only way ill watch a show is if they have a show with just artist outside mainstream like crockett, bryan, and others.
May 18, 2024 @ 7:03 am
I love Dua Lipa, but all of these pop stars have no business being on country awards shows.
May 18, 2024 @ 6:26 pm
Terrible. Half the music was not country. They even ruined Toby Keith’s song. Just sad sad sad
May 18, 2024 @ 7:18 pm
My prediction is that AI Randy Travis wins song and ETOTY next year. ????
May 20, 2024 @ 7:24 am
Truly Lainey Wilson is already overexposed and is not exactly connecting as Nashville wants people to believe. She’s just the safer choice among nominees. I hope for her sake that her new album does well because other than her winning these awards, her records aren’t exactly selling. I’m not trying to compare her to Carrie or Miranda but her records barely go gold and I know she’s on tour but how exactly are her tours selling because I could be wrong but I am yet to see her name in boxscore reports.
May 21, 2024 @ 9:52 am
Thank you for keeping this REAL. I can hardly think of a worse time for Nashville and Country Music in general, which in less than 3 years has degraded to this mess…especially with the ladies. If Lainey Wilson is the best of the best, then that is really scrapping “the bottom of the barrel” (and which that phrase could become a verse in one her boring semi-plagerized song lists). Considering the sheer song writing skills or Miranda or Marin or Brandy or Kasey or the vocal talents of Carrie, Miranda, Marin or Brandy or Kasey or Ashley…..this “cleaning of the personality shelf” is pretty much what we are left with. We totally are in need of Carly or a renaissance in general to step up their game and write some better stuff and a lot more other gals not afraid to push the envelope to do it. Lainey is safe….she is unpolitical (absolutely)…and she is canned and corny and non-threatening. That does a disservice to country women singers in general. We all know that as some of the real talent of women singers and songwriters are recording under different types, banging on the glass ceiling, and saying “woke” things that make the Nashville gentry uncomfortable, this now lypo-sucked second rate gal walks away with diluted goods. If Lainey kept her butt in tact she would have been maybe more admirable. But the end result is blah….blah award shows that seem to think coming to Texas is going to save them….when Austin and Frisco could barely pack any seats. Blah. I could be critical enough of the “boys” we have in so-called Country Music now, but they barely open their mouths when they sing or yell….they ain’t even worth the talk.
May 21, 2024 @ 5:20 pm
I agree with your report Trigger. So disappointing. The ACM awards used to be the grand daddy of em all, with good competition. Now it is just deflated. Why do they keep pushing gwen/Blake songs, ugh, had to walk away when that came on. I watched the show for free and still felt robbed. Why are they upset with Luke Combs, and way overdue to give Morgan Wallen his props.