History was made at the Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday night, with Keith Urban winning Entertainer of the Year for the first time after eight previous nominations.
A surprised Urban kissed his elated wife, actress Nicole Kidman and embraced his other nominees before accepting the award.
Kacey Musgraves, who won four Grammy Awards for her Golden Hour album, also made history by winning Female Artist of the year, ending Miranda Lambert’s nine year streak.
Making history: History was made at the Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday night, with Keith Urban winning Entertainer of the Year
First time: Urban won Entertainer of the Year for the first time after eight previous nominations
Kiss: A surprised Urban kissed his elated wife, actress Nicole Kidman and embraced his other nominees before accepting the award
Urban began his speech by thanking his wife Nicole Kidman, stating, ‘Thank you so much. Baby Girl, I love you so much.’
‘My team, thank you every one of you, the fans, you have no idea how much you mean to me,’ Urban said in his acceptance speech.
‘Baby Girl, I love you and our girls, Sunday and Faith, who are at home watching right now,’ he continued.
‘My whole team, I love you guys. Country radio, I love you so much. Thank you so much. God bless every one of you,’ Urban said before hugging host Reba McIntyre and leaving the stage.
Backstage: Urban began his speech by thanking his wife Nicole Kidman, stating, ‘Thank you so much. Baby Girl, I love you so much’
Team: ‘My team, thank you every one of you, the fans, you have no idea how much you mean to me,’ Urban said in his acceptance speech
Baby girl: ‘Baby Girl, I love you and our girls, Sunday and Faith, who are at home watching right now,’ he continued
Best Female Artist: Kacey Musgraves took home her second ACM Award by winning Female Artist of the Year over Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris and Carrie Underwood
Musgraves won two big awards, Album of the Year, for Golden Hour, and Female Artist of the year.
‘Making this album alongside my two friends, Daniel Tashian, and Ian Fitchuk, are some of the greatest memories of my entire life,’ she said.
‘Thanks so much to everyone supporting and buying records, it means so much to me,’ Musgraves added.
Musgraves previously won four Grammy Awards for Golden Hour, Album of the Year, Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance for her song Butterfly and Best Country Song for track Space Cowboy.
Best Album: After performances by Eric Church and Ashley McBryde, Lanco, Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown and Khalid, the award for Album of the Year was given to Kacey Musgraves for Golden Hour
Friends: ‘Making this album alongside my two friends, Daniel Tashian, and Ian Fitchuk, are some of the greatest memories of my entire life,’ she said
Kacey Musgraves took home her second ACM Award by winning Female Artist of the Year over Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris and Carrie Underwood.
She took to the stage to dedicate her second ACM of the year to any artist who has been told they’re too different.
‘I’d have to say that this award goes out to any woman, girl, or anyone really, who’s maybe told her style or perspective is too different to work,’ Musgraves said.
Best Female Artist: Kacey Musgraves took home her second ACM Award by winning Female Artist of the Year over Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris and Carrie Underwood
Speech: She took to the stage to dedicate her second ACM of the year to any artist who has been told they’re too different
Dan + Shay kicked off the Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday night in Las Vegas, winning the first award of the night, Song of the Year.
The Nashville duo picked up the Song of the Year award for their hit song Tequila, beating out some of country’s biggest stars.
Dan + Shay beat out Break Up In the End by Cole Swindell, Broken Halos by Chris Stapleton, Meant to Be by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line, Space Cowboy by Kacey Musgraves and Yours by Russell Dickerson.
First winner: Dan + Shay picked up the first ACM Award, picking up Song Of the Year for their hit Tequila
New winner: The Nashville duo picked up the Song of the Year award for their hit song Tequila, beating out some of country’s biggest stars
Thanks: Dan + Shay beat out Break Up In the End by Cole Swindell, Broken Halos by Chris Stapleton, Meant to Be by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line, Space Cowboy by Kacey Musgraves and Yours by Russell Dickerson
Dan + Shay also picked up the second award of the night, Single of the Year, also for Tequila, going two-for-two so far at the ACM Awards.
The country stars beat out Jake Owen’s Down to the Honky Tonk, Kane Brown’s Heaven, Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line’s Meant to Be and Luke Bryan’s Most People are Good.
The hit single Tequila was released in January 2018, six months before their third studio album Dan + Shay was released, reaching the 40th spot on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, their highest-charting effort to date.
Red carpet: Dan + Shay also picked up the second award of the night, Single of the Year, also for Tequila, going two-for-two so far at the ACM Awards
Dan + Shay picked up their third straight award of the night by taking home the Duo of the Year award.
They beat out Brothers Osborne, Florida Georgia Line, Locash and Maddie & Tae for the award, with Shay Mooney thanking their team, who, fight for us every single day.’
‘This is such an incredible category to be a part of,’ Mooney added, before turning it over to Dan Smyers.
‘I don’t have much to say but this is probably the greatest night of my life, other than the night I married my wife, I had to say that,’ he said.
They also performed on stage with Kelly Clarkson in between the awards being handed out.
Dan + Kelly: They also performed on stage with Kelly Clarkson in between the awards being handed out
Host Reba McIntyre also joked about Dan + Shay’s winning streak after coming back from commercial break, saying they re-named the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, ‘Dan and Shay’s Excellent Adventure.’
After performances by Blake Shelton and Group of the Year winner Old Dominion, Brooks and Dunn and Keith Urban, the fourth award of the night went to Thomas Rhett for Male Artist of the Year.
‘I’m gonna give this to Dan and Shay so they can go home with four,’ Rhett joked.
‘We are best friends with everyone in this category and they have shaped who I am as an artist,’ Rhett added.
Reba joke: Host Reba McIntyre also joked about Dan + Shay’s winning streak after coming back from commercial break, saying they re-named the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, ‘Dan and Shay’s Excellent Adventure’
Blake on stage: Blake Shelton performs at the ACM Awards Sunday night in Las Vegas
Male Artist of the Year: After performances by Blake Shelton and Group of the Year winner Old Dominion, Brooks and Dunn and Keith Urban, the fourth award of the night went to Thomas Rhett for Male Artist of the Year
Jason Aldean was also named Artist of the Decade from the current Artist of the Decade, George Strait.
Aldean said that Strait was, ‘the reason I wear the cowboy hat, so thank you so much.’
‘I feel very fortunate to have this,’ he added. ‘My wife, I love you. My family, my mom and dad, and more than anything, thank you country music fans, country radio.’
Artist of the Decade: Jason Aldean was also named Artist of the Decade from the current Artist of the Decade, George Strait
Inspiration: Aldean said that Strait was, ‘the reason I wear the cowboy hat, so thank you so much’
Big award: ‘I feel very fortunate to have this,’ he added. ‘My wife, I love you. My family, my mom and dad, and more than anything, thank you country music fans, country radio’
Other ACM winners who were announced before the awards show were Old Dominion for Group of the Year, Ashley McBryde as New Female Artist of the Year and Luke Combs as New Male Artist of the Year.
LANCO also won New Group of the Year before the awards ceremony with Chris Janson’s Drunk Girl winning Video of the Year.
Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne also won Music Event of the Year for Burning Man.
Debut: This Is Us star Chrissy Metz makes her live TV performance debut at the ACM Awards
Singer-actress: Metz sang alongside country stars Carrie Underwood, Maddie & Tae, Lauren Alaina and Mickey Guyton
Belting out a tune: Metz’s singing skills had previously been seen on This Is Us
Winners: Other ACM winners who were announced before the awards show were Old Dominion for Group of the Year, Ashley McBryde as New Female Artist of the Year and Luke Combs as New Male Artist of the Year
Best video: LANCO also won New Group of the Year before the awards ceremony with Chris Janson’s Drunk Girl winning Video of the Year
The ACM Awards will feature collaborations between pop star Khalid and Kane Brown, three-time Grammy-winner Brandi Carlile with Dierks Bentley and pop star Kelly Clarkson pulling double-duty with performances with both Jason Aldean and Dan + Shay.
The awards show airing on CBS on April 7 is also bringing back its flashback performance slots, this time with upcoming Country Music Hall of Famers Brooks & Dunn and new male artist winner Luke Combs, who sing together on Brooks & Dunn’s upcoming duets album ‘Reboot.’
Miranda Lambert, the most awarded ACM artist with 32 wins, will perform with 24-time ACM-winner George Strait, as well as sing a medley of her own hits.
Miranda and George: Miranda Lambert, the most awarded ACM artist with 32 wins, will perform with 24-time ACM-winner George Strait, as well as sing a medley of her own hits
Reba on stage: Reba McEntire, who is set to host the awards show from Las Vegas, will also perform, as well as Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton, Thomas Rhett and newly announced group of the year winners LANCO
Performer: Carrie Underwood performs at the ACM Awards
Other performers include Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson, who also performed with Dan + Shay.
There were also performances by Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris and Brothers Osborne, George Strait, Luke Combs, Little Big Town, Blake Shelton, Old Dominion, Brooks and Dunn.
The performers lineup was rounded out by Keith Urban, Eric Church and Ashley McBryde, Lanco, Kane Brown and Khalid and Carrie Underwood.
Blake and Gwen: Blake Shelton is all smiles with girlfriend Gwen Stefani at the ACM Awards
Drink break: Blake Shelton holds a drink during the ACM Awards
Nicole and Keith: Country legend Keith Urban joins wife Nicole Kidman at the ACM Awards
Maren and TJ: Maren Morris performs with T.J. Osborne of Brothers Osborne at the ACM Awards
King of Country: George Strait performs at the ACM Awards in Las Vegas
Kelly on stage: Kelly Clarkson takes the stage at the ACM Awards
Carrie in blue: Carrie Underwood takes the stage in a flowing blue dress
ACM Winners: Dan + Shay accept their Duo of the Year Award at the ACM Awards
Chris and Morgane: Chris Stapleton and Morgane Stapleton perform at the ACM Awards
Belting Blake: Blake Shelton belts out a tune at the ACM Awards