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Backstage Country

Academy of Country Music Awards 2021: See The Nominees

Kelsea Ballerini and Brothers Osborne appeared on CBS This Morning earlier to announce the Academy of Country Music 2021 Nominees. the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards will take place…

Academy of Country Music 2021 Nominees
Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Kelsea Ballerini and Brothers Osborne appeared on CBS This Morning earlier to announce the Academy of Country Music 2021 Nominees. the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards will take place on Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 9 pm ET. Here are the nominees in some of the top categories:

Entertainer of the Year

Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton

Male Artist of the Year

Dierks Bentley
Eric Church
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Luke Combs

Female Artist of the Year

Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Carly Pearce

Duo of the Year

Florida Georgia Line
Dan + Shay
Brooks & Dunn
Maddie & Tae
Brothers Osborne

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

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, Charlie 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

"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 and Lee Brice (Producers: Busbee. Record Label: Big Machine Records / Curb Records)
"More Hearts Than Mine," Ingrid Andress (Producers: Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis. Record Label: Warner Music Nashville)
"The Bones," Maren Morris (Producer: Greg Kurstin. Record Label: Columbia Nashville)

Song of the Year

"Bluebird," Miranda Lambert (Songwriter(s): Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby. Publishers: Emileson 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; Teremitry 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

"Better Than We Found It," Maren Morris (Director: Gabrielle Woodland. Producers: Sarah Kunin, 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)

Music Event of the Year

"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 feat. Eric Church (Producer: Scott Moffatt. Record Label: River House Artists/Columbia Nashville)
"I Hope You’re Happy Now," Carly Pearce and Lee Brice (Producer: Busbee. Record Label: Big Machine Records / Curb Records)
"Nobody But You," Blake Shelton feat. Gwen Stefani (Producer: Scott Hendricks. Record Label: Warner Music Nashville)
"One Beer," Hardy feat. Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson (Producers: Derek Wells, Joey Moi. Record Label: Big Loud Records)
"One Too Many," Keith Urban and Pink (Producers: Cutfather, Dan McCarroll, Keith Urban, PhD. Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville.)

Songwriter of the Year

Ashley Gorley
Michael Hardy
Hillary Lindsey
Shane McAnally
Josh Osborne

The ACM awards will air live on CBS from various locations around Nashville on April 18, 2021.

Nancy Brooks has been working in the country music industry for almost 30 years. She has interviewed pretty much any country star you can think of. In the late 1990s, she started working with Dolly Parton. And yes, Nancy reports that Parton is as sweet as you would think. She loves her life in country music and has been backstage at every CMA Awards show since the late 1990s. Many of her stories are from her one-on-one interviews. She was there at the beginning of the incredible careers of many music superstars today, including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, and Blake Shelton, and has interviewed them multiple times throughout the years.