Maren Morris, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert Dominate ACM Awards Nominations

Nominations for “The 56th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS” were revealed this morning (2/26), bringing good news for MAREN MORRIS and CHRIS STAPLETON, who dominated the categories with six nominations apiece. MIRANDA LAMBERT was close behind with five nominations, followed by ASHLEY McBRYDE, THOMAS RHETT and producer JAY JOYCE with four each.

Also noteworthy: For the first time in ACM AWARDS history, four Black artists are nominated for awards in the same year: JIMMIE ALLEN, KANE BROWN, MICKEY GUYTON and JOHN LEGEND. And all five of the Single of the Year nominations features a female artist.

MORRIS’ nominations include her fifth in the Female Vocalist of the Year category. Her nominations span her work as a solo artist, a songwriter, and a member of Group of the Year nominee THE HIGHWOMEN. She also earned her first ever nod in the Video of the Year category.

STAPLETON scored his third nod in the Entertainer of the Year category and his sixth in the Male Vocalist category. His awards encompass his work as an artist, songwriter and producer.

LAMBERT’s five new nominations extend her streak as the most nominated female artist in ACADEMY history, now with 68 career nominations. LAMBERT received her 15th nomination for Female Artist of the Year, a category she’s won nine times.

Among his four nominations, JOYCE is competing against himself in the Album of the Year category, having produced two of the five nominated sets, McBRYDE’s “Never Will” and BROTHERS OSBORNE’s “Skeletons.”

Three Pop artists earned their first ever ACM nominations: LEGEND for the video of his duet with CARRIE UNDERWOOD, P!NK for her collaboration with KEITH URBAN, and GWEN STEFANI for one of her duets with BLAKE SHELTON, “Nobody But You.” TENILLE ARTS and TRAVIS DENNING are among the Country artists earning their first nominations.

“The 56th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS” will air live from NASHVILLE on SUNDAY, APRIL 18th from 7-10p (CT) on CBS TELEVISION NETWORK. It will also be available to stream live and on demand on PARAMOUNT+, VIACOMCBS’ new global streaming service.

Following is the complete list of nominees:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
• LUKE BRYAN
• ERIC CHURCH
• LUKE COMBS
• THOMAS RHETT
• CHRIS STAPLETON

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
• KELSEA BALLERINI
• MIRANDA LAMBERT
• ASHLEY McBRYDE
• MAREN MORRIS
• CARLY PEARCE

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
• DIERKS BENTLEY
• EEIC CHURCH
• LUKE COMBS
• THOMAS RHETT
• CHRIS STAPLETON

DUO OF THE YEAR
• BROOKS & DUNN
• BROTHERS OSBORNE
• DAN + SHAY
• FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE
• MADDIE & TAE

GROUP OF THE YEAR
• LADY A
• LITTLE BIG TOWN
• OLD DOMINION
• THE CADILLAC THREE
• THE HIGHWOMEN

NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
• INGRID ANDRESS
• TENILLE ARTS
• GABBY BARRETT
• MICKEY GUYTON
• CAYLEE HAMMACK

NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 
• JIMMIE ALLEN
• TRAVIS DENNING
• HARDY
• CODY JOHNSON
• PARKER McCOLLUM

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
• “Born Here Live Here Die Here” – LUKE BRYAN
Producers: JEFF STEVENS, JODY STEVENS
Record Label: CAPITOL RECORDS NASHVILLE

• “Mixtape Vol. 1” – KANE BROWN
Producers: ANDREW GOLDSTEIN, CHARLES HANDSOME, DANN HUFF, LINDSAY RIMES
Record Label: RCA NASHVILLE

• “Never Will” – ASHLEY McBRYDE
Producer: JAY JOYCE
Record Label: WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE

• “Skeletons” – BROTHERS OSBORNE
Producer: JAY JOYCE
Record Label: EMI RECORDS NASHVILLE

• “Starting Over” – CHRIS STAPLETON
Producers: CHRIS STAPLETON, DAVE COBB
Record Label: MERCURY NASHVILLE

SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
• “Bluebird” – MIRANDA LAMBERT
Producer: JAY JOYCE
Record Label: VANNER RECORDS/RCA RECORDS NASHVILLE

• “I Hope” – GABBY BARRETT
Producers: ROSS COPPERMAN, ZACH KALE
Record Label: WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE

• “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – CARLY PEARCE & LEE BRICE
Producers: BUSBEE
Record Label: BIG MACHINE RECORDS / CURB RECORDS

• “More Hearts Than Mine” – INGRID ANDRESS
Producers: IIGRID ANDRESS, SAM ELLIS
Record Label: WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE

• “The Bones” – MAREN MORRIS
Producer: GREG KURSTIN
Record Label: COLUMBIA NASHVILLE

SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
• “Bluebird” – MIRANDA LAMBERT
Songwriter(s): LUKE DICK, MIRANDA LAMBERT, NATALIE HEMBY
Publishers: EMILION SONGS; LITTLE LOUDER SONGS; PINK DOG PUBLISHING; SONGS OF UNIVERSAL, INC.; SONY ATV TREE PUBLISHING; WRUCKE FOR YOU PUBLISHING

• “One Night Standards” – ASHLEY McBRYDE
Songwriter(s): Ashley McBRYDE, NICOLETTE HAYFORD, SHANE McANALLY
Publishers: CANNED BISCUIT SONGS; SMACKWORKS MUSIC; SMACK BLUE, LLC; SMACKSTREET MUSIC; TEMPO INVESTMENTS; WARNER GEO MET RIC MUSIC; WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP.

• “Some People Do” – OLD DOMINION
Songwriter(s): JESSE FRASURE, MATT RAMSEY, THOMAS RHETT, SHANE McANALLY
Publishers: CARROT SEED SONGS; EMI BLACKWOOD MUSIC INC.; SMACKVILLE MUSIC; SONGS OF ROC NATION; TELEMITRY RHYTHM HOUSE MUSIC; WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP.; SMACK HITS; TEMPO INVESTMENTS; WARNER GRO MET RIC MUSIC

• “Starting Over” – CHRIS STAPLETON
Songwriter(s): CHRIS STAPLETON, MIKE HENDERSON
Publishers: I WROTE THESE SONGS; STRAIGHT SIX MUSIC; WC MUSIC CORP

• “The Bones” – MAREN MORRIS
Songwriter(s): JIMMY ROBBINS, MAREN MORRIS, LAURA VELTZ
Publishers: BIG MACHINE MUSIC, LLC; EXTRAORDINARY ALIEN PUBLISHING; INTERNATIONAL DOG MUSIC; OH DENISE PUBLISHING; ROUND HILL SONGS; WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
• “Better Than We Found It” – MAREN MORRIS
Director: GABRIELLE WOODLAND
Producers: SARAH KUNIN, JENNIFER JENNIFER PEPKE

• “Bluebird” – MIRANDA LAMBERT
Director: TREY FANJOY
Producer: HEATHER LEVENSTONE

• “Gone” – DIERKS BENTLEY
Directors: WES EDWARDS, ED PRYOR, TRAVIS NICHOLSON, RUNNING BEAR and SAM SISKE, with animation by SKYLAR WILSON
Producer: DAVID GARCIA

• “Hallelujah” – CARRIE UNDERWOOD and JOHN LEGEND
Director: RANDEE ST. NICHOLAS
Producer: GREG WELLS

• “Worldwide Beautiful” – KANE BROWN
Director: ALEX ALVGA
Producer: CHRISTEN PINKSTON

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (Off Camera Award)
• ASHLEY GORLEY
• MICHAEL HARDY
• HILLARY LINDSEY
• SHANE McANALLY
• JOSH OSBORNE

MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR (includes six nominees as a result of a tie) [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
• “Be A Light” – THOMAS RHETT featuring REBA McENTIRE, HILLARY SCOTT, CHRIS TOMLIN, KEITH URBAN
Producer: DANN HUFF
Record Label: THE VALORY MUSIC CO.

• “Does To Me” – LUKE COMBS featuring ERIC CHURCH
Producer: SCOTT MOFFATT
Record Label: RIVER HOUSE ARTISTS / COLUMBIA NASHVILLE

• “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – CARLY PEARCE & LEE BRICE
Producer: BUSBEE
Record Label: BIG MACHINE RECORDS / CURB RECORDS

• “Nobody But You” – BLAKE SHELTON featuring GWEN STEFANI
Producer: SCOTT HENDRICKS
Record Label: WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE

• “One Beer” – HARDY featuring LAUREN ALAINA & DEVIN DAWSON
Producers: DEREK WELLS, JOEY MOI
Record Label: BIG LOUD RECORDS

• “One Too Many” – KEITH URBAN, P!NK
Producers: CUTFATHER, DAN McCARROLL, KEITH URBAN, PhD
Record Label: CAPITOL RECORDS NASHVILLE

STUDIO RECORDING AWARDS

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
• BUDDY CANNON
• DAVE COBB
• DANN HUFF
• JAY JOYCE
• JOEY MOI

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
• JARROD TRAVIS CURE
• MARK HILL
• TONY LUCIDO
• STEVE MACKEY
• GLENN WORF

DRUMMER OF THE YEAR
• FRED ELTRINGHAM
• EVAN HUTCHINGS
• DEREK MIXON
• JERRY ROE
• AARON STERLING

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
• J.T. CORENFLOS
• KRIS DONEGAN
• JEDD HUGHES
• ILYA TOSHINSKIY
• DEREK WELLS

PIANO/KEYS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
• DAVE COHEN
• DAVID DORN
• CHARLIE JUDGE
• MIKE ROJAS
• BENMONT TENCH

SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT PLAYER OF THE YEAR (includes six nominees as a result of a tie)
• ALICIA ENSTROM
• JIM HOKE
• DANNY RADER
• MICKEY RAPHAEL
• ILYA TOSHINSKIY
• KRISTIN WILKINSON

STEEL GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
• SPENCER CULLUM
• DAN DUGMORE
• MIKE JOHNSON
• RUSS PAHL
• JUSTIN SCHIPPER

AUDIO ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
• JEFF BALDING
• JASON HALL
• GENA JOHNSON
• VANCE POWELL
• F. REID SHIPPEN