It was 鈥檚 night, in many ways. She took home female artist of the year and the top prize of entertainer of the year at the 2024 , held at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, just north of Dallas.
The award show was .
鈥淚鈥檝e been in Nashville for 13 years doing this,鈥� Wilson started her speech, getting visibly emotional. 鈥淓verybody in this category has loved on me and believed on me,鈥� she added. 鈥淎nd I love y鈥檃ll for that.鈥�
She joins an exclusive category of few women to earn the top prize: Miranda Lambert was named entertainer of the year in 2022. In 2020, Carrie Underwood and Thomas Rhett , the first time ever for a tie and the first time a woman had won the category since Taylor Swift in 2012.
Wilson also opened the 59th annual ACMs with a cover of Little Texas鈥� 鈥淕od Blessed Texas,鈥� flawlessly jumping into her new single, 鈥淗ang Tight Honey.鈥� Afterward, Clay Walker and presented Jordan Davis with song of the year for his ubiquitous country radio hit 鈥淣ext Thing You Know.鈥�
鈥淔irst off, I want to thank the fans for loving this song,鈥� he said in his acceptance speech. 鈥淚 love songwriting because of songs that won song of the year, so to be holding this right now is crazy.鈥�
Music event of the year also went to Wilson 鈥� and Jelly Roll, for his smash 鈥淪ave Me.鈥�
鈥淣o pun intended, but seriously, this song saved me,鈥� Jelly Roll said in his speech. 鈥淚 thought I would die and go to jail,鈥� he said while getting emotional 鈥� and instead, he celebrated being an ACM award winner.
In one of the most anticipated performances of the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards, Jason Aldean lit up the stage in to the late Toby Keith.
He gave the crowd an emotional, acoustic performance of Keith鈥檚 classic 鈥淪hould鈥檝e Been a Cowboy鈥� as the audience sang along, and Keith鈥檚 family watched from the crowd.
Across his career, Keith took home 14 ACM Awards, twice winning the top prize of entertainer of the year. He , following a diagnosis of stomach cancer.
Album and male artist of the year went to Chris Stapleton. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so many great guys in that category and I鈥檓 happy just to be included in this company,鈥� he said in his acceptance speech.
And when it came time to perform his new song 鈥淭hink I鈥檓 in Love with You,鈥� he was joined by a very special guest: .
It wasn鈥檛 the only surprise: Post Malone debuted a brand-new song, 鈥淣ever Love You Again,鈥� which bled into his huge new single with Morgan Wallen 鈥淚 Had Some Help.鈥� Wallen did not perform.
Instead, afterward, McEntire joined Post Malone to duet a little bit of the Allman Brothers Band鈥檚 鈥淩amblin鈥� Man鈥� in , who died last month. He was 80.
Earlier in the evening, Luke Combs 鈥� artist of the night, with eight 鈥� took home single of the year for his cover of Tracy Chapman鈥檚 鈥淔ast Car.鈥� Last year, Chapman鈥檚 1988 song won song of the year at the Country Music Awards for Combs鈥� cover, making her the first Black songwriter to win in the category.
Dan and Shay and Old Dominion took home the prize for duo and group of the year, respectively.
Performances hit fast and furious: Jelly Roll launched into a rocking rendition of his new song 鈥淟iar,鈥� followed closely by Kelsea Ballerini with Noah Kahan 鈥� doing her song 鈥淢ountain with a View鈥� into his viral hit 鈥淪tick Season.鈥�
Tigirlily Gold did 鈥淚 Tried A Ring On,鈥� Texas-born Cody Johnson brought his 鈥淒irt Cheap,鈥� and Miranda Lambert debuted her new single 鈥淲ranglers.鈥�
Kane Brown did a moving cover of 鈥淕eorgia On My Mind.鈥� Thomas Rhett did 鈥淏eautiful As You鈥� and everyone鈥檚 favorite couple Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani brought the lovely 鈥淧urple Irises鈥� to the ACM stage.
Park McCollum did his hit 鈥淏urn It Down,鈥� new male artist of the year winner Nate Smith and pop-punk powerhouse Avril Lavigne performed their new one, 鈥淏ulletproof,鈥� and host McEntire closed out the show with her new single, 鈥淚 Can鈥檛.鈥�
The 2024 ACM Awards were livestreamed on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch Live.
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