The 2025 ACM Awards LIVE Blog
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the 2025 ACM Awards LIVE Blog! As the event transpires, we’ll be following along in real time, razzing on folks for poor performances and life choices, and giving credit where it is due. The ACM Awards are streaming on Amazon. They say no account is required.
To a see a run down of the nominations, CLICK HERE.
All times Central time.
WINNERS:
Entertainer of the Year – Lainey Wilson
Album of the Year – Lainey Wilson, Whirlwind
Female Artist of the Year – Lainey Wilson
Male Artist of the Year – Chris Stapleton
Duo of the Year – Brooks & Dunn
Group of the Year – Old Dominion
Musical Event of the Year – “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green
Single of the Year – “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green
Song of the Year – “Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson
New Male Artist of the Year – Zach Top
New Female Artist of the Year – Ella Langley
New Duo or Group of the Year – The Red Clay Strays
Visual Media of the Year – “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley & Riley Green
Artist-Songwriter of the Year – Lainey Wilson
Songwriter of the Year – Jesse Jo Dillon
10:09 – Well, they could have been worse, but we’ve seen only a few better. The 2025 ACMs had some excellent performances from LeAnn Rimes and Zach Top to start, tons of classic and true country performances, a few moments to wince through in-between, but then an abominable boy band train wreck at the end as Rascal Flatts and the Backstreet Boys took the stage. But we’ve got a new Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award that is definitely earned, and the 2025 ACM Awards delivered some memorable moments.
Lainey Wilson once again had a massive night, and though she’s hard to hate, it’s also hard to see how all of this awards show hardware is measurably helping her career. She’s locking Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen out of top spots, but they’re the ones with the big fan bases, and Cody Johnson is the one who feels like he deserves something more than he’s getting. But that’s the way these awards go.
Unlike the last couople of years of ACM Awards that felt like an afterthought streaming on Amazon, this one did feel like there was a lot of participation, and a piercing into the zeitgeist, perhaps in part due to the popularity of country at the moment. Young, old, and in-between had something to root for.
9:54 – Thanks everyone for stopping by! Gonna compose some final thoughts, and run down the winners!
9:52 – Canceling my Amazon Prime subscription, just because of that.
9:50 – Can we cut back to Bobby Bones awkward talking to the audience again as opposed to this?
MAKE IT END!
9:49 – You could have the best meal of your life. But if the last bite is your server’s fake nail wrapped in hair, that’s what you’re going to remember.
What a horrible, horrible decision by the ACM Awards to trainwreck and otherwise pretty good awards show at the very end with a falsetto boy band chode extravaganza.
9:47 – Seriously, The Red Clay Strays, Tyler Childers, Ty Myers, Hudson Westbrook, etc. are multipliers more popular in America, especially in the key demographic than Rascal Flatts. Nobody’s nostalgic for ’00s boy band country.
9:45 – Oh by the way, Nick Carter of The Backstreet Boys just got accused by a FOURTH woman of sexual assault, and this one says he gave her an STD that resulted in cervical Cancer. That puts Carter in the lead over Nelly and Diplo for sexual predator country interlopers. So screw this dude and his frosted tips.
9:44 – Dude, give it up Rascal Flatts. Go back to the buffet! These dudes don’t deserve to be playing anything bigger than a motor inn lounge on the outskirts of Vegas.
9:42 – Another big win for Lainey. It just feels a little safe and predictable. She’s winning all the awards, but is it really lifting her career significantly?
9:41 – WINNER – The 2025 ACM Entertainer of the Year goes to Lainey Wilson.
9:35 – Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and Reba McEntire take the stage to debut “Trailblazer,” tributing the women of country women. Not a bad song so far. Country!
9:33 – By the way, Ella Langely comes across as very high and completely out of it, and kind of unlikeable. Don’t know if it’s true, but that’s the take from internet.com. It’s like Kacey Musgraves frown smiles X10.
9:31 – Usually they give this award away before the telecast. Aaron Raitiere gets a shout out.
9:30 – WINNER – The Award for Musical Event of the Year goes to “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green
9:29 – Nice! Lee Ann Womack!
9:24 – Entirely too much Bobby Bones. I swear he’s hogging the mic as the producers are trying to cut away.
9:23 – Cody Johnson, “Ladies and gentlemen, two legends, make some noise!”
9:19 – Brooks & Dunn join Cody Johnson on stage. Good to see Ronnie Dunn looking okay. He was in bad shape for a bit. They’re singing “Red Dirt Road.”
9:17 – Cody Johnson does have a great talent for putting the power and emotion of a song into the performance. He doesn’t perform songs. He becomes them.
9:16 – Cody Johnson takes the stage to sing “The Fall.”
One last award to give out, and Cody has to be considered a big contender for it.
9:14 – Album of the Year: Could have been Jelly Roll, should have been Zach Top’s Cold Beer & Country Music, which is setting records at the moment. Lainey is becoming one of those automatic winners like Stapleton.
9:13 – WINNER – The 2025 ACM Album of the Year goes to Wirlwind by Lainey Wilson
9:10 – Dasha sucks.
9:08 – So just want to underscore again now that it’s won Single of the Year, why did Ella Langley and Riley Green NOT perform “You Look Like You Love Me”? Not some fanboy of the song, but this is a great example of how these awards shows are so often out of step with the moment.
9:05 –
9:04 – I’m pretty sure the version of Nicole Kidman in attendance is AI-generated.
9:03 – One word Keith: undershirt.
9:02 – Just for context, Keith Urban actually won the ACM “Triple Crown” in 2019. Why are they just giving it to him now? Because they needed an incentive to lure him to this presentation. You hold this thing in Texas, and even George Strait can’t be bothered to show up.
9:01 – All this Keith Urban tribute is underscoring to me is how mild Keith Urban’s legacy is. He does have some good songs, but most of them came super early.
He is a good guitar player though.
8:59 – Chris Stapleton’s all, “Yeah, I can sing a Keith Urban song .. about a million times better than Keith Urban can. Oh, and hold my beer, I’ll rip guitar like him too.”
8:57 – Megan Moroney very visibly struggles at these award show performances. This one wasn’t terrible, but it was like you were holding on, waiting it to train wreck. Performed Keith’s “Stupid Boy.”
8:56 – Hold on, heading into the Keith Urban tribute.
8:54 – I am definitely saying a prayer for Jelly Roll. And here he had to shoehorn his shake shack preacher bit into the last seconds of his performance since he keeps getting shut out for awards.
8:53 – It all seriousness, I think Saboozey’s brand of Zach Bryan/Lumineers knock-off emo folk pop is fine.
8:52 – Sorry folks, gonna half to pause the live blog for a second. I’ve got to go take a Shadoozey.
8:51 – Every Jelly Roll song is about the exact same thing. It’s this redemption stuff. It was cool in 2021. Now, it’s tired.
8:50 – Jelly Roll’s lost 350 pounds in the last year, and still can fit Reba’s entire wardrobe tonight in the creases of his front butt.
8:48 – Lainey Wilson: “The girls are kicking down some barn doors, and I like it! Thank you Jesus … here’s to the girls!”
8:46 – WINNER – The 2025 ACM for Female Artist of the Year goes to Lainey Wilson.
8:45 – The Female Artist of the Year nominees are each being introduced by legendary country women. An interesting wrinkle for this award.
8:43 – Gretchen, you’re 51. Just saying …
8:42– The CMAs also have a Lifetime Achievement Award, named after Willie Nelson.
8:41 – Really cool moment for Alan Jackson. I was ready to go apoplectic that the honoree tonight was going to be Keith Urban when Alan Jackson was in the house. The ACMs kept that honor close to the vest.
8:34 – Alan Jackson: “A few years ago, a fan named their dog after me, and I thought that was something … I especially want to thank my fans.”
8:31 – Also, pretty sure that was Kaitlin Butts we saw on the screen for a brief moment, teary-eyed.
8:30 – Alan Jackson takes the stage to sing “Remember When.”
“Play that steel guitar. That’s real country music.”
8:28 – Not only does Alan Jackson take the stage, it’s announced that he is the first recipient of the ACM Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award.
8:26 – Ella Langley name dropping David Allan Coe and Conway Twitty when talking about talking in a country song, and how it was inspired by classic country.
8:26 – WINNER – The 2025 ACM Single of the Year goes to “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green
8:22 – Still don’t understand how “You Look Like You Love Me” got nominated for FOUR ACMs, won one already, and you have Langley singing some other song.
Also, not convinced yet she’s not just killer bangs, Nashville stage moves, and mild songs.
8:20 – Ella Langley take the stage in the center of the audience. It really feels like the up-and-comers and oldtimers are truly the stars in country music at the moment.
8:16 – Ooh, Alan Jackson coming up!
8:15 – Anything Chris Stapleton sings, he’s gonna kill. He chose “It Takes a Woman Here,” but it could have been the F-section of the Dallas, TX phone book.
8:11 – The Kelsea Ballerini performance really emphasizes how overproduction just is not really the way to go in these award show moments. They’re the performances that end up forgettable.
8:10 – I’m pretty sure the roller luggage Delta lost of mine in 2017 is somewhere in that pile behind Kelsea Ballerini.
Those dicks.
8:09 – Brooks & Dunn really is being set up for a big resurgence. We just need a new original album from them with ’90s country drip.
8:08 – Ronnie Dunn, “God bless country music!”
8:06 – WINNER – The ACM for Vocal Duo of the Year goes to Brooks & Dunn.
8:03 – Pretty lame In Memoriam segment if I can say so. Maybe five names mentioned. Why has this become such an afterthought for the CMAs and ACMs? The Grammys do a better job featuring country artists. Lame.
7:59 – Always hard to argue with Chris Stapleton winning anything. Always predicable and somewhat deflating when he does. Thought maybe Cody Johnson would get it this year, but at least we were spared another shake shack preacher sermon from Jelly Roll if he’d won.
7:56 – WINNER – The ACM for the 2025 Male Artist of the Year goes to Chris Stapleton.
7:55 – Lukewarm on the Lainey Wilson performance. Not bad. But I liked her better when she kept it country and wasn’t on Ozempic.
7:52 – Lainey Wilson going with the sadomasochist dominatrix look for her ACM performance.
7:50 – Blake Shelton reading the room worse than Jon Pardi. Keep the sainted name of “Texas” out of your damn mouth if you’re making a song with bullshit electronic beats and backing tracks. Terrible.
7:48 – Bobby Bones is the Old Dominion of DJs.
7:47 – Been writing about country music for 20 years. Legitimately can’t name one Old Dominion song off the top of my head.
7:46 – Props to the audio engineer for shading Old Dominion and cutting their mic.
This run of them winning this award over and over is completely stupid.
The Red Clay Strays got screwed.
7:44 – WINNER – The 2025 ACM for Group of the Year goes to Old Dominion.
7:43 – The Oak Ridge Boys! I could listen to Richard Sterban speak for hours. Such a rich voice.
7:42 – That’s Saving Country Music’s reigning Artist of the Year, singing SCM’s favorite song, “Use Me.”
EXCELLENT performance. Right up there with LeAnn Rimes for the performance of the night so far.
7:41 – Ladies and gentlemen, this is Zach Top. He’s an actual country music artist. He’s the present, and the future of country music, while representing everything great about the past. Take notice.
7:38 – Zach Top!
7:35 – Remember when folks thought Bobby Bones was going to be the next Dick Clark? 10 years later and he’s the TEMU version of Ryan Seacreast.
7:33 – I’d rather be interviewed by my doctor about why I have warts on my genitals than field questions from Bobby Bones.
7:31 – Little surprised that “You Look Like You Love Me” is the most nominated song of the night, and it doesn’t appear they will be performing it, even though Ella Langley and Riley Green are both in the house.
Here Ella is singing “Kerosene” with Miranda.
7:29 – Miranda Lambert comes out to sing “Run,” which incidentally, is the best song on her latest album Postcards from Texas, and once again, a mainstream solo write, written by Miranda herself.
Classy awards show moment for Miranda.
7:26 – Erich Church comes out to sing “Hand of Time,” arguably the best song on his album. Joanna Cotten rejoins him on stage for backing vocals.
7:25 – This is a good sign that Cody Johnson could have a big night tonight. He’s also up for male Artist and Entertainer of the Year.
7:24 – Written by Josh Phillips … a rare solo write in the mainstream. “Long live country music, man,” he says.
7:22 – WINNER – The 2025 ACM for Song of the Year goes to “Dirt Cheap” by Cody Johnson.
7:20 – Why is Lionel Richie relevant here? He’s trying to tell us his country bonafies, but it feels like a shoehorn of a celebrity.
7:19 – Alan Jackson’s in the house! Better get his ass up on the stage.
7:17 – Whatever powder Reba takes for her pep, sign me up for some. She’s 70 and could pass for being in her late 30s.
7:15 – Overall, can’t complain too much about the opening performances. LeAnn Rimes is the leader in the clubhouse for the evening, and was good to see some actual country featured starting off a country music awards show.
7:14 – Not sure if it was Dan or Shat, but he held out a note for extra long and the crowd lost their shat. Easily entertained, I guess.
7:12 – The tariffs have more fans at this point than Dan + Shay. Who still listens to this adult contemporary schlock? This is music to light scented candles to.
This opening medley really illustrates the dramatic slide in country music over the years.
7:11 – Dan + Shat
7:10 – …and now we get to the 2010’s and Little Big Town’s pseudo-controversial “Girl Crush.” There are worse songs.
7:08 – Wow, LeAnn OWNING this moment. Slowing the song down, performing it with live strings, this is INCREDIBLE. She just set the bar for the rest of the night.
They also gave her a bit more time than most “medleys.”
7:06 – Man, great stuff so far as the ACMs run through past Song of the Year winners commemorating their 60th. Now we get LeAnn Rimes singing her spectacular “Blue.”
7:05 – Wynonna sings “Why Not Me,” an underrated country classic with an excellent, simple melody.
7:04 – Love Wynonna. But these days she’s sporting more bronze than Rodin’s “The Thinker.”
7:02 – Clint Black comes out in blue crushed velvet to sing Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy.” The strings are definitely canned.
7:01 – Gotta love how “Marijuana” is one of the first few words to be heard on the 60th Annual ACM Awards as Reba McEntire opens singing Merle Haggard’s “Okie From Muskogee.”
7:00 – Here we go!
6:55 – So what we know about the presentation is that it will start off with a 12-minute medley of previous Song of the Year winners.
We also know that the big guest of honor with be *cough* Keith Urban *cough* to accept a “Triple Crown” Award.
What to be excited for? Clint Black will perform as part of the opening medley. Zach Top will be performing, probably his song “I Never Lie” that might go #1 on radio next week. Cody Johnson will be performing with Brooks & Dunn. Host Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson will also perform a new song called “Trailblazer.”
6:53 – Early winners include:
New Male Artist of the Year – Zach Top
New Female Artist of the Year – Ella Langley
New Duo or Group of the Year – The Red Clay Strays
Visual Media of the Year – “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley & Riley Green
Artist-Songwriter of the Year – Lainey Wilson
Songwriter of the Year – Jesse Jo Dillon
May 8, 2025 @ 4:59 pm
After reading through all the expected performances I’m actually way more excited than I thought I’d be. There’s really only one that sticks out that will be terrible
May 8, 2025 @ 7:17 pm
Cojo is awesome. Very happy he’s playing The Fall.
May 8, 2025 @ 5:10 pm
They’re really following that up with Girl Crush?
May 8, 2025 @ 5:10 pm
Great opening!
May 8, 2025 @ 5:11 pm
Killer start! Wynonna hasn’t lost one ounce of it.
May 8, 2025 @ 5:12 pm
Can’t help but notice that they completely skipped over the 2000s to do 2 songs from the 2010s
May 8, 2025 @ 5:13 pm
Yup.
May 8, 2025 @ 5:58 pm
I think Sugarland was supposed to perform instead of little big town.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:02 pm
Yes, I had Sugarland on the docket too. Wonder what happened.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:19 pm
I don’t know but you know the duo award is bad and a complete joke when it has you pining for the days of Sugarland!
May 8, 2025 @ 6:21 pm
Sorry, I meant duo or group.
May 8, 2025 @ 9:14 pm
UPDATE: Jennifer Nettles was sick.
May 8, 2025 @ 5:19 pm
Love the early standing ovation for Alan
May 8, 2025 @ 5:21 pm
Poor Alan Jackson being sat next to that goofy fuck Jelly Roll and his wife
May 8, 2025 @ 5:37 pm
I imagine Jelly Roll has an odor.
May 9, 2025 @ 6:18 am
that’s the smell of his bones dying from all the Ozempic
May 13, 2025 @ 5:29 am
Smells like weed, cheese and beer
May 8, 2025 @ 5:39 pm
Miranda said in an interview the other day that she wrote that about 10 years ago… that’d make it about her and Blake probably? If so… such a great healing song for her.
May 8, 2025 @ 5:49 pm
Yes, I think it’s probably about Blake or maybe Anderson East. Great, honest song.
May 8, 2025 @ 5:41 pm
Use Me! One of Zach Top’s best songs. Surprised he did that one and not I Never Lie.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:03 pm
My favorite Zach Top song.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:26 pm
Trig…you just said it was “Tell Me” on this here blog
(Had to!!)
May 8, 2025 @ 8:02 pm
Yeah, I screw this up every single time. My favorite Zach Top song, and I have country music dyslexia over the name for some reason.
May 8, 2025 @ 5:52 pm
That might be a real moment for Zach Top. Great song and an incredible performance
May 8, 2025 @ 6:03 pm
He definitely let an impression. He went classy with it, and it paid off.
May 8, 2025 @ 5:55 pm
I’ve noticed more independent and independent-leaning artists getting nominated the last few years. Feels like only a matter of time before Charles Wesley Godwin gets nominated for something
May 8, 2025 @ 5:58 pm
At this point, someone needs to send Reggie Jackson to kill Old Dominion
May 8, 2025 @ 6:08 pm
Whhaatttt? Muscadine Bloodline was nominated?!!??
Oh. That excitement was short-lived.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:11 pm
Why did they hand Ballerini a guitar to hold and not play?
May 8, 2025 @ 6:12 pm
Just sittin’ here waiting for a wardrobe malfunction
May 8, 2025 @ 6:12 pm
Side note, Finish This Drink is a fun song and surprisingly country from Brothers Os orne. I hope that’s what they perform later
May 8, 2025 @ 6:25 pm
Never heard of Ella Langley before tonight.
May 9, 2025 @ 8:07 am
Ella “out of” Langley just sort of appeared.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:26 pm
Way out of touch when I’ve never heard of the “Single Of The Year”
May 9, 2025 @ 8:47 am
This is the third or so time you’ve said this. Do you really believe she is a CIA plant? If not it doesn’t seem clever enough to keep saying. Wouldnt the CIA come up with a less forgettable song and mustache partner? Who was the woman standing with her wearing sunglasses and the corset ?
l Honest question, does the CIA have a history of making pop acts? You’ve actually convinced me, I could totally see Toby Keith shilling for the CIA.
May 9, 2025 @ 9:02 am
Ummm. This is the first and only time I’ve said this. Don’t know what CIA nonsense you are talking about….but thanks for sharing I guess. I think you’re into something a little too deep.👍🏼
May 9, 2025 @ 9:04 am
I think The DevilYouKnow was probably trying to respond to a different comment.
May 9, 2025 @ 9:13 am
Me too, but scrolled thru and couldn’t figure out what. 🤷🏻♂️😂
May 8, 2025 @ 6:28 pm
Anyone else notice Ella Langley has kind of had a scowl on her face the entire night? And that performance was pretty shaky…
May 8, 2025 @ 6:31 pm
That Kelsea’s performance was bad and she couldn’t hit a single note right! How’s she still selling out arenas
May 8, 2025 @ 6:43 pm
They curtain off major portions of arenas so they can say it’s a full house. She is less than an afterthought.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:56 pm
I work across the street from the Ford Center where this is being held. Watched the pre events the last 2 days, and today watched folks filing in. Been in the venue numerous times for graduations and events. Nothing appears to be “curtained off” except the stage side and opposite stage because there are no seats just glass door entrance. It’s been packed in the area for days.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:05 pm
I read that wrong Wayne and fat thumbed type that whole thing for nothing sir.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:52 pm
She looks really thin. It’s a little concerning.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:32 pm
If ella didn’t perform as much I think her sound would be great
May 8, 2025 @ 6:33 pm
Tear-jerked by Alan Jackson’s “Remember When” and not afraid to admit it. Thank you ACM for keeping the spirit of REAL country music alive.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:52 pm
That was awesome.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:55 pm
This was the peak moment in tonight’s presentation.
In my opinion.
Hands down.
Alan Jackson is country music.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:37 pm
Yes, that was Kaitlin Butts. Camera keeps finding her.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:40 pm
Yeah, same thing happened during the Grand Ole Opry 100th Anniversary thing.
Maybe she’s got a buddy on a production crew. That’s one way to get onto the ACMs!
May 8, 2025 @ 6:55 pm
Isn’t that Rachel Brooke next to Wynonna?
May 8, 2025 @ 7:01 pm
Probably not, but I didn’t see the shot.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:39 pm
That Alan Jackson performance gave me goosebumps. That’s Country Music.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:42 pm
Hell yes, it was.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:42 pm
The Bobby Bones segments add nothing.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:49 pm
He is so freaking annoying. When will he go away.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:50 pm
Thank you to Ronnie Dunn for the appropriate and cowboy response response to that ____….
May 9, 2025 @ 2:55 pm
I think it was a sign of a bad production overall. They seemed to use him while changing sets, which should have been seamless. Also, the sound was awful for most segments.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:45 pm
Man you can tell how much this all still means to AJ. Greatest of all time. Gotta feel like this is one of the last times we get to see him like that.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:46 pm
Can anyone tell me the difference between the ACM lifetime achievement award and all the other icon, pioneer, spirit, etc awards they’ve given through the years?
May 8, 2025 @ 6:48 pm
Kinda tired of Stapleton being the automatic awards winner year after year. But it could be worse.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:09 pm
Every Stapleton win is one less old dominion award. Be grateful. Lol
May 8, 2025 @ 6:52 pm
Jellyroll is not a good singer. He has no pitch, no range, nothing.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:52 pm
Neither were exactly good, but I’d say Shaboozey’s performance was better than Jelly Roll’s
May 8, 2025 @ 9:18 pm
It’s easy to hate on Shaboozey, but there is something more behind his music.
May 9, 2025 @ 8:21 pm
I am kind of stunned about Shaboozey, I was expecting the worse and he was not bad, I think he might have been even better without JR.
May 8, 2025 @ 6:58 pm
“Jelly Roll’s lost 350 pounds in the last year, and still can fit Reba’s entire wardrobe tonight in the creases of his front butt.”
This is the best Trigger comment ever!
May 8, 2025 @ 7:01 pm
I think Megan’s performance was very good. A big improvement from her other awards show performances imo
May 8, 2025 @ 7:03 pm
I wouldn’t mind Keith Urban if he would just stick to being a kickass guitar player
May 13, 2025 @ 5:33 am
He really needs help with fashion he looks like somebody’s lesbein grandma
May 8, 2025 @ 7:06 pm
“Megan Moroney very visibly struggles at these award show performances.”
From my personal viewpoint, this plagues women singers more than men.
May 9, 2025 @ 11:07 am
Because a singer has to sing at these things and women like Moroney were signed because of their looks first.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:11 pm
Keith’s still so good on the guitar.
Just so a country rock album at this point. He’d crush it. At this point in his career he needs to lean into it.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:11 pm
Reba (70), Brooks (soon 70) and Dunn (71), AJ (66) all sounded better than anyone less than half their age.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:13 pm
I will say nothing bad about dasha she bought out a bar I was at and took shots with us until her handlers took her away. Forever respect lol.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:22 pm
She’s probably good people. That “Austin” song just annoys me.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:33 pm
No doubt terrible lol. I made a few jokes about it to her lol.
May 9, 2025 @ 11:08 am
Easily impressed there.
Bread and circuses.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:15 pm
I’m already more tired of Wilson winning than I am Stapleton. And Carly has already been out on the proverbial back-burner, which is ok.
May 9, 2025 @ 3:20 pm
I really like her, and it’s not as if she’s not deserving…but it’s all happening too fast. She runs the risk of overexposure, especially with all the collaborations. Stapleton is on the verge of being shut out soon…someone else inevitably will win. I don’t get all the trophies for Old Dominion. Sorry, they’re not Alabama…not even close.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:17 pm
God bless the ACM voters for handing country music awards to REAL country music artists. Proof that God is still looking over all of this for us as we kid ourselves along this senseless odyssey we perceive as reality ….
May 8, 2025 @ 7:19 pm
Dunn and Dunn now performing.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:22 pm
Alright, laughed at that one.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:25 pm
It’s great that we can mute Bobby Butthole.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:27 pm
Seems like Alan left early lmao. Some pink-haired girl is in his seat.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:34 pm
Gotta love ole’ Alan.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:13 pm
That’s just Alan in a wig bro
May 8, 2025 @ 7:29 pm
I’m already throwing up in my mouth over the impending Rascal Flatts/Backstreet Boys collab performance. Thank God again for ACM having enough forethought for knowing that real country music fans may tune out – having seen the REAL show – before this SHITSHOW transpries. Yay for pop artists trying to revive their career’s on the caboose of the country music train.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:40 pm
My predictions were timestamped before the atrocity happened, for the record.
Nonetheless, a TON of timeless moments transpired in this show for REAL country music.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:47 pm
What hurts the most is a good song. Can do without the rest.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:32 pm
I mean….
Other than Bobby Bones and Ballerini, this has been a good show. I didn’t mind the Urban tribute. Even Blake didn’t bother me. That’s how good this vibe is tonight.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:41 pm
Last award ends in a dud.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:42 pm
I’m more tired of Lainey Wilson than Chris Stapleton
May 8, 2025 @ 7:45 pm
Look, I am tired of Lainey too.
But if you didn’t get choked up watching her pay tribute to Miranda right there in person, you ain’t human.
Good show over all.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:46 pm
What the fucking fuck?? This was an above average awards show. And absolutely shit the fucking bed at the end.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:46 pm
Lainey winning this much feels like it’s hurting her career rather than lifting it. Shes becoming more and more seen as a gimmicky industry plant that is platformed by Nashville. Because every win just feels so safe and unearned vs the relevant talent rn.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:49 pm
Was there a firing squad off camera view making the audience stay present for this SHITSHOW ending?
May 8, 2025 @ 7:52 pm
The only highlight of the finale was Life is a Highway. Other than that, horrible.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:10 pm
Chris LeDoux would have been the better option for this song choice ending. What’s done is done, however. Just feels like a big FART ending after what was an otherwise great meal of country music.
May 11, 2025 @ 6:48 pm
I like his cover better, too. But Chris LeDoux died 20 years ago.
May 13, 2025 @ 5:36 am
His zombie corps singing would have been better than anything that has to do with rascal flat ass’s
May 8, 2025 @ 7:53 pm
Just saw Cleto and Kaitlin dancing in confetti.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:54 pm
Thank you for taking the time to do another ACM.
May 8, 2025 @ 7:57 pm
Yikes, Trig is shading Jon Pardi now.
To be fair, his new album is pretty good. It’s as “country” as his California Sunrise album, which had some elec snaps on that too (see Heartache on Dance Floor)
May 8, 2025 @ 7:57 pm
Why end the night like this……
May 8, 2025 @ 7:57 pm
Okay, so that last performance was a train wreck.
But enjoyed almost everything else.
Good show – but that last crap was, well – CRAP.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:01 pm
Highlights for me were Stapleton, AJ, CJ, RDR, Trailblazer, and the powerhouse older women singers. I like Rascal Flatts but that last medley was not country, and basically very anti-climactic.
Overall, I’ve seen worse.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:02 pm
COJO should’ve won EOTY. That guy goes non stop from the time he starts the show until the end. He’s this generations Chris LeDoux. Lainey is excellent in concert and she puts on a good show but CoJo was robbed on this one. Just sayin’
May 8, 2025 @ 8:07 pm
Was really rooting for CJ or Luke Combs this time.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:10 pm
Luke Combs is WAY past due.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:12 pm
Luke is in semi retirement mode.
Wouldn’t surprise me if he pulled a 2001 Garth retirement announcement and took a decade off and focused on his kids.
Good for him if he does that tho. He mentioned recently that he’s scaling back his touring commitments
May 8, 2025 @ 8:15 pm
Feel like neither COJO nor Luke have truly gotten their flowers. It’s a shame.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:06 pm
My husband and I were in agreement that this ACM show was pretty good… Then that ending happened. In my hubby’s words: “Why the fuck is Rascal Flatts on here singing the song from Cars?!”
May 8, 2025 @ 8:09 pm
How much TV ad time $$ have the ACMs lost? On TV, they would have 7 million eyeballs easily watching. But live streaming …. I bet only 300k accounts at best watched tonight..
I don’t understand why moviing to streaming was a good business move.
Old people love these type of award shows. And old people don’t want to be bothered with 8 different streaming accounts.
LINEAR TV is still a powerful and accessible platform.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:18 pm
It was free, no reason to subscribe but a lot of people prob didnt know it
May 8, 2025 @ 8:36 pm
You would still need wifi and a smart TV to watch?
Some ppl don’t have such luxuries
May 9, 2025 @ 10:22 am
Homeless people can get wifi dude lol
May 8, 2025 @ 9:22 pm
I have complained about this the last couple of years, and it felt like the ACMs were losing viewers. This year I’m not sure that’s the case. With NFL games and other stuff moving online, people know the drill now. There was a LOT more interest in the ACMs this year than the previous two. Might have also helped it was a 60th Anniversary.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:15 pm
Well i fast forwarded through all the parts i didnt like which meant most of it until i cau ght up to live. To me it was mostly crap. Reba isnt bad, dont care for her doing a haggard song. Loved alan, that video behind him was great. I thought the brooks n dunn part was good except johnson being in there. Johnsons song wasnt bad but he just overperforms. Only thing else i cared for was the trailblazer song, surprisingly i liked it. The ending was just atrocious, i kind of figured one directiion was going to show up. Zach topp chose to perform the one big song by him that i dont like. Overall alan saves it from being a F but thats about it.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:34 pm
You’re not the only one who is surprised you liked Trailblazers. I am so shocked I almost spilled my beer and fell out of my chair.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:23 pm
Did Turnpike, Stu, Crockett, Ferrell or Childers play?
No?
Fuck them fancy awards. I wouldn’t piss on em if they were on fire.
May 8, 2025 @ 8:47 pm
It’s the Academy of Country Music, not the Academy of Folk. We got Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Zach Top, Reba, Leann Rimes, Clint Black, Wynonna Judd… much better than the Americana crew you listed
May 9, 2025 @ 4:27 am
But we also got Jelly Roll, Shaboozy, Rascal Flatts, Backstreet Boys and Dan+Shay. I guess it’s also the Academy of Crappy Pop Music.
May 9, 2025 @ 5:25 pm
At least we can appreciate the huge difference from just a few years ago. The ratio now is like 80-20 country to pop, which is completely flipped from what it was for many years.
May 9, 2025 @ 5:41 am
Kelsea ballerina for entertainer of the year? Something doesn’t look like the other in that nominee group. Who and why is she still being so heavily pushed? I’m not specifically against her, but she’s fairly forgettable pop tart and her seeming industry status doesn’t match the general public yawning at her, year after year record after record.
May 9, 2025 @ 5:54 am
I didn’t watch but after reading through this post I’m ok I didn’t. It seems to me the winners here are part of the scripted show and have nothing to do with reality. I like Lainey Wilson but how she wins Entertainer and album of the year is beyond my understanding. My opinion is that Whirlwind was a dud and she probably not in the top 10 for ability to sell tickets. The problem is artists that actually sell tickets or made a great album in the past year don’t make the script. Like Wallen, Bryan, Childers, Ferrell and RCS. I like Stapleton too, but could say the same thing about him.
May 9, 2025 @ 7:31 am
“Whirlwind”currently sits at #59 on the charts, a few spots behind Lainey’s own “Bell Bottom Country.” It wasn’t really critically-acclaimed either. I like Lainey Wilson, but this is a safe pick by the industry trying not to give Morgan Wallen awards, and bored with Chris Stapleton and Luke Combs. There is nothing viral or organic behind Lainey, and these wins are making her polarizing.
May 9, 2025 @ 7:18 am
What hurts the most
Is being so close …
To a good ACM awards ending
May 9, 2025 @ 10:21 am
I watched the Lainey performance of Whirlwind and it seems very obvious that backing tracks were heavily used. The lyrics of Whirlwind perfectly sum up why I find Lainey Wilson so freakin’ boring. The lyrics are just a bunch of random wordy nonsense phrases crammed into a song. The way she manuevers her body during performances is so weird. She’s such a try hard. Everything about her is a gimmick to distract people that her songs just suck.
May 9, 2025 @ 11:11 am
I would have watched if I had known Alan was being honored.
The Ella/Riley tune is insufferable.
More evidence for the Lainey is a plant theory.
“Dirt Cheap” is pandering garbage.
Zach Top is the man.
May 9, 2025 @ 2:59 pm
“shake shack preacher sermon from Jelly Roll ” — Quote of the year!
Lainey Wilson is a safe pick and a stale pick. Stapleton too.
Nice to see Crystal Gayle – it’s time to give her some legend and HOF props.
Clint Black looked cool singing Rhinestone Cowboy.
Wynonna – yikes – what’s up with the crayola orange look?
Leann Rimes – not a big fan, but this was a stellar performance for her. Kudos!
And Ella – well, the look on her face when she was being introduced in the female category appeared to be “I know…I’m all that.”
May 9, 2025 @ 5:46 pm
I could be wrong, but I believe the video of the year (visual media whatever it’s called now) was awarded to the directors as well as the artists, and those directors were Wales Toney and John Park. A fun tidbit: John Park is the son of Elliott Park, who wrote the #1 song “I Loved Her First”, along with Josh Turner’s “Your Smile” and a few other songs.
May 9, 2025 @ 6:46 pm
I just want to have been a fly on the wall in this meeting:
“It’s the 60th AMC’s, let’s start by showcasing some of the best songs in country music history”
“Hell yeah, and we’ll have a pretty standard broadcast in the meantime, but throw in some well deserved legends cause its the 60th”
“…and to to bring it all home, the Backstreet Boys”
Cause nothing says 60 years of country like Backstreets Back, Alright,
May 9, 2025 @ 8:37 pm
I know they are hated on this forum, and rightfully so, this is a Country Music site. But with all the huge acts (U2, Phish, Dead, etc) that have played the Sphere, the Vegas word is by Showtime, the BSB Residency is going to bring more money into the city then Celine, Britney, and Elton.
I am guessing their fanbase is the perfect age. And the right Demo.
May 9, 2025 @ 10:40 pm
I wonder if Lainey Wilson will become the new Miranda Lambert the woman the default to because they don’t support Kailtin Butts, or Lindi Ortega or, Ashley McBryde you know any other female….
May 10, 2025 @ 7:22 am
I think Miranda Lambert has done a lot to support her fellow women in country. The Pistol Annies, cutting a lot of songs from women songwriters. I guess she could always do more, but I think she’s been a big champion of women and independent artists in the genre.
May 11, 2025 @ 2:19 pm
Oh I agree with that.
But I am thinking specifically of the awards shows just picking her because they don’t know anybody else.
Kinda of like, “Oh thank god for Lainey we don’t really have think about the female categories anymore.”
May 9, 2025 @ 11:20 pm
Everything about Lainey Wilson is average – her songs, her voice, her performances. At best it will be a footnote in the history of music. On the one hand, it’s annoying that this third-rate singer receives so much attention, but on the other hand, like no other, she symbolizes the creative dead end, mediocrity and terrible boredom in mainstream country.
May 10, 2025 @ 4:11 am
Not sorry we missed it. We were at opening night of Vince Gill’s tour in Rochester, NY. 3 hours of real country music
May 11, 2025 @ 5:12 am
Overall, fairly good for an awards show. As with all such shows, I will never agree with all the winners. I thought the group of the year was most disappointing. Old Dominion just do not do it for me. Having seen Lainey Wilson in concert earlier this year, and enjoyed her albums, I was pleased for her. She deserves it. I would have liked Cody Johnson to win more but that comment goes for a few other artist. Especially pleasing to see Red Clay Strays, Zach Top, Flatland Cavalry, Muscadine Bloodline etc nominated. The worst part of the show was the end of it with Rascall Flatts and the Backstreet Boys which just did not work for me at all. I agree with your comment on Bones.
May 14, 2025 @ 6:24 pm
It gets tiresome the way Shelton gets dumped on. I was there and he sounded great live. It’s a fun song live. Some of the others that you liked were not. Don’t know what was with the sound but Ella and Miranda were off. I took it that Ella was nervous. It was a good show overall.