The Academy of Nation Music Awards are right here; Luke Combs leads the nominations

Reba McEntire is internet hosting Thursday’s Academy of Nation Music Awards, promising an evening of memorable performances, together with a tribute to Toby Keith.

When McEntire takes the stage on the Ford Middle at The Star in Frisco, Texas, simply north of Dallas, will probably be a report seventeenth time she’s emceed the present.

“I really like the award present as a result of it’s virtually like a household reunion,” she just lately informed The Related Press.

This 12 months’s nominees vary from veteran acts to new expertise, together with the much-beloved Jelly Roll. This 12 months marks his first-time receiving ACM nominations; he’s up for entertainer of the 12 months, male artist of the 12 months, single of the 12 months (for “Want a Favor,” which gained massive on the CMT Music Awards final month), and music occasion of the 12 months, for “Save Me” that includes Lainey Wilson. The final time a musician was up for entertainer of the 12 months in his first spherical of ACM awards nominations was Billy Ray Cyrus in 1992.

The ACM festivities truly started forward of Thursday’s occasion, when the brand new artist of the 12 months awards have been handed out at Tuesday’s ACM Nation Kickoff fan competition at The Star: Megan Moroney took residence new feminine artist of the 12 months, Nate Smith gained within the male class and Tigirlily Gold took residence to prize for brand new duo or group.

Here is what it’s good to know earlier than the principle ACMs attraction begins.

The 2024 ACM Awards will stream on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch Reside at 8 p.m. Japanese. A pink carpet feed will turn into accessible on Prime Video, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch and Amazon Reside at 7 p.m. Japanese.

Luke Combs leads the 2024 nominations with eight nods. For a fifth 12 months in a row, he’s up for each male artist of the 12 months and entertainer of the 12 months.

Combs’ eight nominations features a first-time nomination for Tracy Chapman. His cowl of her “Quick Automotive” is up for tune of the 12 months, a class that acknowledges songwriters and publishers along with artists. Final 12 months, Chapman’s 1988 tune gained tune of the 12 months on the Nation Music Awards for Combs’ cowl, making her the primary Black songwriter to win within the class.

Morgan Wallen and Moroney carefully comply with Combs’ nominations with six every, whereas Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Wilson are tied with 5.

Jordan Davis and Jelly Roll have 4 nominations.

Jason Aldean will carry out the tribute to Keith, who died in February.

“I’ve been a fan of his for the reason that starting and his songs are among the first songs I performed again in golf equipment early in my profession, together with the one I’ll be acting on the present,” he mentioned in an announcement. “It means quite a bit to have the ability to honor him and correctly rejoice his iconic profession and legacy. He was one in all a form.”

Along with Aldean: Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Publish Malone, Parker McCollum, Johnson, McEntire, Wilson and Stapleton may even carry out in the course of the telecast.

Followers can count on just a few fascinating collaborations as properly — Kelsea Ballerini with Noah Kahan; Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani and Smith with Avril Lavigne.

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Related Press Author Gary Hamilton contributed to this report.

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For extra protection of this 12 months’s ACM Awards, go to https://apnews.com/hub/academy-of-country-music-awards