Going to 2024 ACM Awards, you didn't have to be a clairvoyant to pick up a few key predictions. Host Reba McEntire was sure to be as personable as she was nondescript, Lainey Wilson was a lock to win Entertainer of the Year, and post Malone, disheveled and tattooed, was going to charm the pants off everyone.
That all this happened is not a bad thing. In fact, there was something particularly comforting about the predictability of this year's ACMs, held for the second year in a row at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas. But even the heartiest meal could use a little unexpected heat, and two moments in particular helped liven up the night.
The first was a simple award ceremony made memorable by Ashley McBryde's natural chemistry and light-hearted banter and Schitt's Creek beloved Noah Reid; Presenting the award for Single of the Year, the winner and current Grammy Outer Range The star reimagined each of the nominated songs as a musical parody, with McBride strumming a ukulele. For example, the lyrics of “Fast Car” were changed to spoofs of Nashville bars, while “Next Thing You Know” looked at all the candidates as dudes.
But it was their topical update on Morgan Wallen's “Last Night” to report on his arrest for throwing a chair off the roof of a Nashville bar that brought the most “oohs” — not letting Wallen off the hook. “Last night after some alcohol/a chair right there really started to piss me off,” Reid sang. “They told me I dropped it on someone I never met/Then my publicist keeps telling me this ain't over yet.” The sketch — written by McBryde — was nimble and sharp and left us wishing she had her own full slot this year.
The other and most popular moment was the impressive cameo of pop star Dua Lipa, who took to the stage under the cover of darkness to duet with Chris Stapleton on his single “Think I'm in Love With You”. It's nearly impossible to keep a secret in the age of social media chatter, but somehow the ACMs had Lipa's appearance buttoned up by the time she stepped in front of the microphone. Even McEntire's intro failed to mention Lipa — thanks to the host's mic cutting off before he could say her name. That the acting was so good made the subterfuge all the more worthwhile.
But mentioning those two high points doesn't necessarily mean the rest of the awards show, which aired live on Prime Video and is now available on demand, fell flat. It was all perfect, with performances, speeches and skits that alternated between cute and good.
Wilson, the new country music superstar, was tapped to open the night (she's also opening her own bar in Nashville this summer) and performed a cover of Little Texas' 1993 radio hit “God Blessed Texas” and the new her song “Hang Tight Sweetie.” As she did at last year's ACMs before performing “Grease,” Wilson let her hair down and lost her signature cowboy hat between performances, this time intentionally placing it on the head of her mom — her date for the night — as she marched from a satellite stage to the main stage. “Hang Tight Honey” was the right song for the moment: It's an undeniable hit fueled by Wilson's monsters and some euphoric backing vocals.
The good vibes continued with McEntire's opening remarks, a monologue that in lesser hands could have played out like a long-winded groan. But McEntire is the consummate professional, and whether she was selling jokes about her pet donkeys that went viral on TikTok (“They're all donkeys,” she quipped) or telling her age — 69 — she nailed every landing. McEntire even worked in a Beyoncé reference, while noting the genre's need to be more inclusive. “From Mother Maybelle to Cowboy Carter, country music is so big in 2024 that there's room for everyone,” he said. “We're keeping the circle unbroken, but making it even bigger and better.” The ACMs are wise to already have McEntire locked in to return for next year's landmark 60th show.
Randy Travis, who suffered a stroke in 2013 that robbed country music of one of his signature voices, has been in the news for releasing a comeback song that uses AI technology. ACM producers pressed him to present the first award of the night, which left some wondering how that would be possible since Travis has aphasia, but '90s country singer Clay Walker showed up at his side to handle the presentation. It was another good moment, a piece of country-is-family messaging that helped remind viewers of Travis' enduring appeal and his own history with the ACMs, which named him Top Male Vocalist in 1986 and 1987.
Randy Travis and Clay Walker at the 2024 ACM Awards. Photo by Rich Polk for Penske Media
While Stapleton won the most awards of the night with four, including two for Artist and Producer of the album of the Year for Higher, it was Wilson who triumphed in the top category of Entertainer of the Year. The win marked Wilson's first ACM for EOTY and highlighted her already big night with wins for Female Vocalist and Music Event of the Year for her performance on Jelly Roll's “Save Me.” During their acceptance speech for the latter, Jelly Roll revisited last year's ACMs when he and Wilson debuted on stage. “This song is triple platinum. I wrote it with a high school friend. we never thought we would become songwriters. I never thought I'd be standing here,” she shouted in a now-familiar, now-expected, trademarked awards show.
And then there was Post Malone, the rapper, everyman rocker who has replaced Kid Rock as America's favorite fan. The Texas native has charisma to burn and his appearance at the ACMs added an extra edge to the show. Dressed in a Dallas Cowboys jersey and strumming an acoustic guitar emblazoned with a silhouette of Michael Myers' horror mask, Posty proved his country bona fides with a ballad titled 'Never Love You Again' before launching into his film . chart topper “I Had Some Help”. Like Wilson's “Hang Tight Honey,” it's irresistible and gets points for its brevity, in and out at three minutes.
Chris Stapleton and Dua Lipa after the 2024 ACM Awards in Frisco, Texas. Photo: John Shearer/GettyImages
The ACM Awards should also be commended for this. While award shows often wear out their welcome by the end of the second hour, the ACMs were already in the early stages: McEntire closing the show with her new single “I Can't,” Wilson basking in the glow of her coronation. victory, and Dua Lipa — who Stapleton called the “feel-good queen of music” — was radiating some optimism. Later, he would recreate the photo of Stapleton “cleaning up” from last year's show. Sometimes there is nothing more reassuring than business as usual.
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