2023 Academy of Country Music Awards nominations led by newcomer HARDY, Lainey Wilson, Kane Brown

Singer-songwriter HARDY leads the way with seven nominations for the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards.

The 32-year-old musician (born Michael Wilson Hardy) will vie for Song of the Year for his hit Wait in the Truck featuring Lainey Wilson, and Artist-Songwriter of the Year.

He is also nominated for Visual Media of the Year, Music Event of the Year and he’s nominated for co-writing Morgan Wallen’s Sand In My Boots, which is up for Song of the Year as well.

His Wait in the Truck collaborator Lainey Wilson is just behind him with six nominations, sharing three with Hardy, with Kane Brown behind them with five.

Miranda Lambert also makes history with her 17th nomination for Female Entertainer of the Year, surpassing Reba McIntire’s 16 nominations, with Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks hosting the ceremony, airing May 11 on Prime Video streaming service.

Hardy and Lainey: The 32-year-old musician (born Michael Wilson Hardy) will vie for Song of the Year for his hit Wait in the Truck featuring Lainey Wilson, and Artist-Songwriter of the Year

Kane: His Wait in the Truck collaborator Lainey Wilson is just behind him with six nominations, sharing three with Hardy, with Kane Brown behind them with five

Kane: His Wait in the Truck collaborator Lainey Wilson is just behind him with six nominations, sharing three with Hardy, with Kane Brown behind them with five

Record-breaker: Miranda Lambert also makes history with her 17th nomination for Female Entertainer of the Year, surpassing Reba McIntire's 16 nominations, with Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks hosting the ceremony , airing May 11 on Prime Video streaming service

Record-breaker: Miranda Lambert also makes history with her 17th nomination for Female Entertainer of the Year, surpassing Reba McIntire’s 16 nominations, with Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks hosting the ceremony , airing May 11 on Prime Video streaming service

Hardy will vie for Song of the Year against Swindell’s She Had Me at Heads Carolina, ‘Til You Can’t by Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton’s You Should Probably Leave. 

He’ll vie for Visual Media of the Year against Heartfirst by Kelsea Ballerini, She Had Me at Heads Carolina by Cole Swindell, Thank God by Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown, ‘Til You Can’t by Cody Johnson and What He Didn’t Do by Carly Pearce

Wait In the Truck is also up for Music Event of the Year alongside At The End of a Bar by Chris Young with Mitchell Tenpenny, She Had Me at Heads Carolina [Remix] by Cole Swindell and Jo Dee Messina, Thank God by Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown and Thinking ‘Bout You by Dustin Lynch featuring MacKenzie Porter.

He’ll also vie for Artist-Songwriter of the Year against Luke Combs, Ernest, Miranda Lambert and Morgan Wallen.

His collaborator Lainey Wilson will vie for one of the biggest awards of the night – Female Artist of the Year – against Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce.

She is also up for Album of the Year for Bell Bottom Country, against Ashley McBryde’s Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville, Luke Combs’ Growin’ Up, Jon Pardi’s Mr. Saturday Night and Miranda Lambert’s Palomino.

Her solo song Heart Like a Truck is also up for Single of the Year against Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde’s Never Wanted to Be That Girl, Cole Swindell’s She Had Me at Heads Carolina, Kane Brown and Katelyn Brown’s Thank God and Cody Johnson’s ‘Til You Can’t.

Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert and Cole Swindell are all up for five awards apiece. 

Hardy: Hardy will vie for Song of the Year against Swindell's She Had Me at Heads Carolina, ' Til You Can¿t by Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton's You Should Probably Leave

Hardy: Hardy will vie for Song of the Year against Swindell’s She Had Me at Heads Carolina, ‘ Til You Can’t by Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton’s You Should Probably Leave

Lainey: His collaborator Lainey Wilson will vie for one of the biggest awards of the night - Female Artist of the Year - against Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce

Lainey: His collaborator Lainey Wilson will vie for one of the biggest awards of the night – Female Artist of the Year – against Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce

Kane: Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert and Cole Swindell are all up for five awards apiece

Kane: Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert and Cole Swindell are all up for five awards apiece

Nominees for the top award of the night – Entertainer of the Year – are Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood and Morgan Wallen.

Male Artist of the Year nominees include Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Jordan Davis, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen.

This will also be just the second year in ACM history that three albums released by all-female acts have been nominated for Album of the Year in the same year – Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville by Ashley McBryde, Bell Bottom Country by Lainey Wilson, and Palomino by Miranda Lambert each receiving nominations. T

The only other time three all-female acts had albums nominated for Album of the Year in the same year was in 1999 with Faith by Faith Hill, I’m Alright by Jo Dee Messina, and Wide Opens Spaces by The Chicks all receiving nominations. Wide Open Spaces by The Chicks ended up winning the category.

Old Dominion receives a nomination for Group of the Year, making this the eighth consecutive year the group has been nominated in the category. 

They have taken home the Group of the Year award for each of the past five years in a row.

Little Big Town receives their 17th nomination for Group of the Year, which leaves them one nomination short of the all-time record of 18 nominations for Group of the Year held by Alabama. 

The group has been nominated in the category every year since 2005, with the exception of 2011.

Lainey: This will also be just the second year in ACM history that three albums released by all-female acts have been nominated for Album of the Year in the same year - Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville by Ashley McBryde, Bell Bottom Country by Lainey Wilson, and Palomino by Miranda Lambert each receiving nominations

Lainey: This will also be just the second year in ACM history that three albums released by all-female acts have been nominated for Album of the Year in the same year – Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville by Ashley McBryde, Bell Bottom Country by Lainey Wilson, and Palomino by Miranda Lambert each receiving nominations

2023 Academy of Country Music Awards Nominations

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Jason Aldean

Kane Brown

Luke Combs

Miranda Lambert

Chris Stapleton

Carrie Underwood

Morgan Wallen

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Kelsea Ballerini

Miranda Lambert

Ashley McBryde

Carly Pearce

Lainey Wilson

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Kane Brown

Luke Combs

Jordan Davis

Chris Stapleton

Morgan Wallen

DUO OF THE YEAR

Brooks & Dunn

Brothers Osborne

Dan + Shay

Maddie & Tae

The War and Treaty

GROUP OF THE YEAR

Lady A

Little Big Town

Midland

Old Dominion

Zac Brown Band

NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Priscilla Block

Megan Moroney

Caitlyn Smith

Morgan Wade

Hailey Whitters

NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Zach Bryan

Jackson Dean

Ernest

Dylan Scott

Nate Smith

Bailey Zimmerman

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville, Ashley McBryde

Bell Bottom Country, Lainey Wilson

Growin’ Up, Luke Combs

Mr. Saturday Night, Jon Pardi

Palomino, Miranda Lambert

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

“Heart Like a Truck,” Lainey Wilson

“Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde

“She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” Cole Swindell

“Thank God,” Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown

“‘Til You Can’t,” Cody Johnson

SONG OF THE YEAR

“Sand In My Boots,” writers: Ashley Gorley, Josh Osborne and Michael Hardy; artist: Morgan Wallen

“She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” writers: Ashley Gorley, Cole Swindell, Jesse Frasure, Mark D. Sanders, Thomas Rhett and Tim Nichols; artist: Swindell)

“‘Til You Can’t,” writers: Ben Stennis, Matt Rogers; artist: Cody Johnson

“Wait in the Truck,” writers: Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt, Michael Hardy, Renee Blair; artist: Hardy featuring Lainey Wilson

“You Should Probably Leave,” writers: Ashley Gorley, Chris DuBois, Chris Stapleton (artist: Stapleton)

VISUAL MEDIA OF THE YEAR

“Heartfirst,” Kelsea Ballerini

“She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” Cole Swindell

“Thank God,” Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown

“‘Til You Can’t,” Cody Johnson

“Wait in the Truck,” Hardy featuring Lainey Wilson

“What He Didn’t Do,” Carly Pearce

MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR

“At The End of a Bar,” Chris Young with Mitchell Tenpenny

“She Had Me at Heads Carolina [Remix],” Cole Swindell and Jo Dee Messina

“Thank God,” Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown

“Thinking ‘Bout You,” Dustin Lynch featuring MacKenzie Porter

“Wait in the Truck,” Hardy featuring Lainey Wilson

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Nicolle Galyon

Ashley Gorley

Chase McGill

Josh Osborne

Hunter Phelps

ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Luke Combs

Ernest

Hardy

Miranda Lambert

Morgan Wallen

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