Multi-Platinum MCA Nashville singer-songwriter, Parker McCollum, has returned with his brand new album, Never Enough, out now. The album continues McCollum’s meteoric rise, built on a rock-solid sonic foundation that blends together country and rock with ease, bristling with honesty and attitude. There is a real sense, more than on his previous, that McCollum is lifting the veil on who he is as a human and artist, an unvarnished and authentic view of himself, brought out under the capable hands of Jon Randall, who helmed the production. This unbarred view of himself and his inner psyche is the biggest marker between Gold Chain Cowboy and Never Enough, as he paints a vivid narrative of love and heartache (there’s a lot of heartbreak on this record, but it’s artfully and poignantly done).

McCollum has a firm handle on the heritage of country music itself, that comes through on this record. There is undeniably a honky tonk feel and thread that runs through Never Enough, most often in the melancholic songs of heartbreak. So, on ‘Best I Never Had,’ McCollum mourns the one that got away with the refrain, ‘I just wanted you to know, you’re the best I never had‘ and on ‘Stoned’ he stays stoned to run away from his melancholia. ‘I feel like the whole world won’t ever understand my heart / That’s the hardest part / Of being alone / That’s why I stay stoned.’ Of course, it is not just heartbreak that is a hallowed trope in country music – drinking songs are not to be forgotten on the huge track – ‘Handle On You.’ It’s a classic and witty country drinking song, with the refrain, ‘Tennessee and Kentucky ’cause you ain’t here to love me.’ This will doubtless go number one at some point, given its easy charm that suckers you in.

There’s a good deal of focus on life lessons and reflection on this album, from ‘Lessons From An Old Man’ where he traipses on the country trope of conversations with an older friend about life’s lessons (‘There’s making a living and there’s making a life / Lessons from an old man made a young man‘) to his gratitude to his mother on ‘Things I Never Told You’ – these more reflective moments showing his growth as an artist.

This is not to say though that McCollum does not indulge his rock side on this album – from the awe-inspiring guitar solo on ‘Hurricane’ where he celebrates his loved one’s independence (‘Yeah, she’s got some attitude / Someday she’s gonna get her name on a hurricane‘) to the electricity of ‘Speed’ and its meaty guitar shreds to the thrumming notes of ‘Don’t Blame Me.’ This last is one of the highlights of the record, a compelling, catchy guitar and beat-driven track where McCollum begs a lover not to blame them for loving him. ‘Wheel’ is perhaps where these ideas of country and rock come together best, a catchy track that is reminiscent of The Eagles as he sings of the resilience of his heart.

McCollum is a nuanced artist though – that is clear on ‘Have Your Heart Again’ a gorgeous piano ballad, where he yearns for a second chance with a lover. The emotion of his vocal is raw and tender, but more than anything the track proves his ability to provide shade on a record and builds out the rich tapestry of himself as an artist. It’s an emotion that is interwoven on ‘Burn It Down,’ where he weaves his vocal and that of a female singer for a stunning heartbreak song about burning away any memories of a relationship and on ‘Tails I Lose’ – doubtless one of the stand-out tracks on the record -a pedal-steel driven heartbreak ballad. ‘Ain’t a damn thing I can do / It’s heads you win / Tails I lose.’ It’s on these melancholic moments that McCollum appears to showcase the brilliance of his unique, raw vocal to its full potential.

What has always been clear is the strength of McCollum’s handle on who he is as an artist and songwriter, co-writing all the songs on the record, in a way that allows him to infuse country and rock seamlessly. This record hammers that fact home, building out a rich tapestry of songs and stories – from heartbreak to love and gratitude, accomplished without letting a single brilliant guitar riff slip through the cracks.

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It is easy to forget that Ingrid Andress started off as a songwriter rather than performer, given the electricity of the onstage presence that she has exhibited in recent years. It’s been nearly four years since her last London headline show at The Courtyard. That performance barely scratched the surface of her potential, paling in comparison to the emotional heft of her studio albums. Andress rewrote that score on Thursday with her emotional, vulnerable and intimate performance at Scala. Her performance was a masterclass in building a connection with her audience, yet still showcasing her star power.

The record balanced pretty evenly between her debut album and her latest record – Good Person – kicking off with the title track. Easy early highlights were provided by the boppy, summery ‘Waste of Lime’ that had the audience hollering back every word and ‘How Honest Do You Want Me To Be?,’ before she delved into her ‘sad girl moments’ of the set with acoustic stripped back versions of ‘More Hearts Than Mine’ and ‘Yearbook.’ Here, Andress has an unparalleled ability to pour emotion and vulnerability into the songs that she has covered countless times to date, making them seem like she is speaking her emotions into words for the very first time.

The real star moment of the show was provided about 2/3 of the way through the show, where Andress and her band demonstrated the depth of their musicianship, drawing out two audience requests from the back catalogue, that were neither in the set list or a readily available arrangement – ‘Pain’ and (to the audience’s delight) ‘Bad Advice.’ It was an undeniable mark of the pull she has with her fans that two songs were so keenly desired and of her musicality and likeability in not turning down the requests, creating a magical and memorable moment for all in attendance.

Andress is a captivating performer, who showed in every moment on stage, just how much she relishes and enjoys being there. It was a joyous, cathartic set that she put on display in Scala, which will doubtless have to be translated into far less intimate settings as her star grows and packs out larger venues.

Setlist

Good Person | Seeing Someone Else | How Honest Do You Want Me To Be? | Waste of Lime | Both | Treated Me Good | Boys | Lady Like | More Hearts Than Mine | Yearbook | Talk | Life of the Party | Falling For You | Pain | Bad Advice | Wishful Drinking | Feel Like This | Blue

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Critically-acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Jerry Leger has released a new EP The Time Flew By. Currently on tour in the UK and Ireland, Leger continues an astonishing year. Show dates are as follows for the remaining tour dates:

May 10 – Running Horse, Nottingham
May 11 – Old Cinema Launderette, Durham
May 12 – St. Mary’s Creative Space, Chester
May 13 – The Glynne Arms, Hawarden
May 14 – House Concert, Sheffield
May 16 – Spirit Store (backroom), Dundalk
May 17 – The Court House, Bangor
May 18 – The Doublet, Glasgow

May 20 – TAIGH Festival – Glen Dye Estate Strachan, Aberdeenshire

May 21 – Leith Depot, Edinburgh

The Time Flew By EP features an outtake from each album Leger has made on Latent Recordings, including last year’s Nothing Pressing. Talking of the album, Leger shares “These are top shelf songs; they weren’t left off the albums because of their quality. Deciding which tracks make up an album can be very difficult and tricky. You have to take into account flow and cohesion. Sometimes the best songs are the ones that don’t make the final cut.” This new EP follows the release of the Latent Uncovers EP on March 24.

Now, Jerry Leger continues to translate this EP to audiences throughout the UK, following successful dates in London at The Green Note and in High Wycombe. Tickets available now.

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Even before the release of Lucky – her debut full-length album, Megan Moroney was clearly a star in the making. From her single ‘Tennessee Orange,’ it was clear there was something special and original about this star. Her album makes that paramountly clear – equal parts vulnerable and hilarious, Lucky offers a conversational exploration into heartbreak, joy and pain. It’s a showcase of what country music can be at its best – a celebration of its heritage, but cleverly twisting the genre and moving it forward into the next generation.

The album opens with ‘I’m Not Pretty’ – simultaneously one of the wittiest and most shrewd country songs of 2023 so far. The track shows Megan imagining her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend looking through her Instagram and vilifying her. ‘Tearing me down, passing the phone around / Like there’s nothing better to talk about / Zooming out, Zooming in, overanalyzin’ / Like the queen of the mean girls’ committee / But hey, whatever helps / Keep on telling yourself / I’m not pretty.’ The magic of the song is in the relatability both of the subject and singer of the track – Moroney is witty in her observations, confident yet not cocky and it’s immensely charming.

There’s a great deal of bluegrass honky-tonk fun on the record, but it’s delivered in a balanced and restrained fashion that makes it all the more compelling. On ‘Lucky,’ Moroney points out the luck of a lover that she’s drinking or she wouldn’t be making bad decisions – him. ‘And we said we’d be better as friends / But come over and don’t overthink it / Tonight you’re lucky I’m drinkin’.‘ It’s a drinking, party anthem, yes but it doesn’t need to have every instrument turned up to 11 to make it both fun and intoxicating, Moroney’s lyrics do that on their home. That proof is hammered home too on ‘Another On The Way’ which offers a clapping, foot-stomping track as she sings of a bartender – Miss Daisy – and her advice. ‘Baby, don’t you cry / ‘Cause men they’re like trains / If you miss one, there’s another on the way.’ This is detailed, storytelling country songwriting at its best, with its ability to paint a picture of Miss Daisy and her skull tattoo, and it’s a rocket-fuelled delight. Of course, it’s not just men who are judged on Lucky. On ‘Traitor Joe,’ Moroney shows how girls can be the bad seed in a story too as she lets Joe know his girl is stepping out on him. ‘She’s a player, player, a wolf in sheep’s clothes / All I’m sayin’, sayin’, is you should let her go / She’s a traitor, traitor, Joe.’ It’s a grown up, mature version of ‘You Belong With Me,’ as Moroney shows who the better match for Joe clearly is.

Of course, Moroney doesn’t just point fun at heartbreak, there’s a good deal of indulgence in that pain too on the record. ‘Kansas Anymore’ is one of the most melancholic bluegrass-tinged tracks you’ll find on Lucky, as Moroney sings of a love gone wrong. ‘I opened the front door / Sat on the front porch all alone / And everything’s changing, my heart is breaking / ‘Cause baby, we ain’t in Kansas anymore.’ Later track, ‘Mustang Or Me’ offers a similarly stunning take on heartbreak, where Moroney questions ‘Who’s gonna break down first, this Mustang or me?‘ The latter is a gorgeous piano ballad that allows her to pour emotion into every line.

More than anything, Lucky is riddled with self-reflection and a deep unpacking of heartbreak and relationships. So, on ‘Girl in the Mirror’ Moroney takes a look at love gone wrong and the downside of losing yourself in a relationship, as she looks in the mirror and can’t see herself anymore. ‘She looks just like me but I don’t recognize her / She’s got the same eyes but they’re heavy and tired / He just walked out and she’s standing right here / She loves the boy more than she loves the girl in the mirror.’ In the end, she comes to the realisation that she needs to love herself more than the boy and it’s an empowering sentiment to be left with.

That kind of introspection and questioning carries through in ‘Why Johnny’ – another standout from a record of hit tracks, as Moroney pens a letter to June Cash, asking just why she chose Johnny. There’s a great deal of yearning and hope in Moroney’s lyrics, wanting June to give her the answer she wants. ‘Did you always know he’d come around / Change his ways and settle down? / Did your friends call you crazy too? / It’d sure help if I knew / Hey June, why Johnny?‘ With the help of tinges of lapsteel, this track is turned into something magical and musing on this thoughtful original track. Alongside this, ‘God Plays A Gibson’ is another of the cleverest lyrical moments on the record that sees Moroney pondering on what the man she prays to nightly is like. ‘I spend so much of my time wondering what He’s really like / I like to think He spends His off-days up there fishin’ / And I bet God plays a Gibson.’ It’s a musing and meandering track that suckers you in with every line.

The parting line of ‘Georgia Girl’ feels like a motif for the entirety of the record. ‘You’re gonna learn you don’t mess with a Georgia girl.’ This, alongside ‘Sleep On My Side’ are searing character assassinations delivered with a sweet smile, as Moroney shows a middle finger to a cheating lover. The second offers the wittiest retort, as Moroney points out how the differences between her and a lover can be good, except the fact that ‘I sleep on my side / And you sleep with everyone.’ After these judgement calls, ‘Sad Songs For Sad People’ takes an about turn – it is imbued with a great deal of hope and offers a glimpse into where her music may go in the future, as she talks about writing a love song. ‘Your smile, you know what it does to me / ‘Cause of you I got something new to sing.’

Lucky is an extraordinary album – it’s a celebration of country music and women in equal measure, delivered with an immense amount of depth and heart. It’s intimate and empowering, but wittily delivered, making it incredibly charming and relatable. It’s a record that feels like therapy for the artist as she unpacks all the baggage of an ex-lover, musing and pensive and proving that a song doesn’t need to be ‘huge’ to make it a great song.

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Bad Realm Records/Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville artist BRELAND is set to make his much-anticipated return to the UK and Europe this August and September for his first ever headline THE EXTRA MILE TOUR, with support by labelmate Avery Anna.

The PLATINUM-seller will kick off the run by performing on the main stage at The Long Road Festival in Leicestershire, UK, followed by Heart To Heart Songwriter Series at the end of August throughout Germany. The trek will continue through Europe in early September before rolling into the UK for five dates, including London’s Electric Ballroom on September 9. Tickets for all dates are available 10am (local) to the general public on May 5 and can be purchased here.

BRELAND UK & EUROPEAN TOUR DATES

AUGUST
27 | The Long Road Festival – Leicestershire, UK *
29 | Capitol Theatre – Dusseldorf, DE **
30 | Grobe Freiheit – Hamburg, DE **
31 | Urania – Berlin, DE **

SEPTEMBER 
2 | Krosset – Oslo, NO
3 | Nalen Klubb – Stockholm, SE
4 | Ideal Bar – Copenhagen, DK
6 | Paradiso Upstairs – Amsterdam, NL
8 | Thekla- Bristol, UK
9 | Electric Ballroom – London, UK
10 | Gorilla – Manchester, UK
12 | St. Luke’s – Glasgow, UK
13 | Empire Music Hall – Belfast, UK

* Festival performance
** Heart To Heart Songwriter Series

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The final headliner for the 10th anniversary of London’s festival American Express presents BST Hyde Park has to be incredibly special, and so we are delighted to announce a one of a kind performer and, as Rolling Stone UK notes, the “greatest American songwriter of the 21st century”, Lana Del Rey. Her huge headline show takes place on Sunday 9 July, with special guests to be announced. American Express^®Cardmembers can take advantage of the first presale from 10am, Friday 21 April until 9am, Thursday 27 April. Tickets go on general sale at 10am on Thursday 27 April.

Since the release of her major debut album Born to Die eleven years ago, which featured the viral hit “Video Games,” Lana Del Rey has captivated audiences globally. The remix of “Summertime Sadness” gave Lana her first Top 10 US hit. Her second album, 2014’s critically acclaimed album Ultraviolence with singles “West Coast” and “Brooklyn Baby”’ followed. Her subsequent albums include 2019’s Grammy-nominated Norman Fucking Rockwell!, 2021’s Blue Banisters, and 2023’s Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, which hit No.1 in the UK last month.

Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is Lana’s 6th UK number 1 album and is the fastest selling album of 2023 in the UK. BST Hyde Park will be one of the first places to hear tracks from the new album live, alongside much loved classics.

Having embarked on 5 headlining tours, Lana has performed at the biggest festivals across the globe, including Coachella in 2014 to seven Lollapalooza festivals internationally. Her Summer 2023 BST Hyde Park gig sees Lana’s highly anticipated return to the London stage.

Lana Del Rey joins the previously announced legendary BST headliners: P!NK (24 + 25 June), Guns N’ Roses (30 June), Take That (1 July), BLACKPINK (2 July), Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band(6 + 8 July) and Billy Joel (7 July), making this another stellar year for the hugely popular London festival.

2022’s BST Hyde Park saw three monumental weekends of music; the Rocketman himself Elton John performed as a part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, The Rolling Stones were reunited with Hyde Park for two incredible sell out nights, with an emotional and triumphant tribute to the late Charlie Watts. London’s global star Adele brought it home for two shows with an incredible all female line up.  The Sunday vibes were offered up by Americana legends Eagles and Pearl Jam provided two packed nights of rock n roll. Finally, one of Britain’s best loved groups, Duran Duran, closed the final night with a day of singalong smash hits.

American Express^® Cardmembers can take advantage of the first presale from 10am, Friday 21 April until 9am, Thursday 27 April. 

Tickets go on general sale at 10am on Thursday 27 April.

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After a turbulent year, in the wake of the announcement of his divorce to Kelsea Ballerini this summer, Morgan Evans has returned – not with a despondent or bitter statement on his breakup – but a joyfully hopeful and optimistic collection of his songs, on his Life Upside Down EP, out everywhere today. The collection of songs offers a picture of where Evans is right now, both personally and musically, as he sings ‘it’s all coming up daisies’ this project is proof of that.

When Evans stepped onto the stage at C2C, there was something electric in his performances. That energy has sometimes been lacking when he translates his live set into the studio iterations of his tracks, until this EP. Across these four songs (and another live version), he infuses the energy of a live set into the recorded versions – from the spellbinding nature of the moments of connection he finds with the crowd (‘Over For You’) to the easy breezy, foot-stomping electricity of the party anthems (‘Hey Little Mama’ and ‘All Right Here’). The EP kicks off with ‘Over For You,’ a stunningly tender track that questions his ex-lover on when their love was over for her, questioning, ‘I’m just wondering, how long has it been over for you?’ More than anything, the track feels immensely loving, before moving on to ‘On My Own Again,’ where Evans questions how he got back to this stage in his life, but looks hopefully to the future. ‘I’m gonna drive until the wheels fall off this old truck in my heart / If forever’s gonna end like that, I guess I’d better start / The rest of my life, like the best times, up around the bend.’

The following two tracks on the EP are more easy and breezy, following on from this relatively hurt place. ‘Hey Little Mama’ is flirty and fun, whereas ‘All Right Here’ outlines ‘it’s all good, all gravy.’ More than anything, the EP is pure delight and charm, laying the stage for a new era in Evan’s music, and that era feels immensely hopeful and optimistic.

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One thing that has always been abundantly clear about Tenille Townes – her love for songs, the songwriting and the stories behind them. That love has always come through in her music that paints vivid pictures and stories. Tomorrow, she returns with a unique collection of songs – Train Track Worktapes. The EP was conceptualised, written, and recorded on a charity train trip that covered nearly 3,000 miles. A tradition in her native country, the CP Holiday Train benefits local food banks when their need is greatest, as each attendee brings donations to catch the free concert that occurs right on the train cars, the doors folding down to become a stage. During their 15 days onboard last December, Townes and her band played 65 shows to crowds ranging from dozens to thousands in communities across southern Canada. From this incredible tradition, came a beautiful collection of five songs.

The collection places the idea of a travelling soul front and centre. So, the first track, ‘Home to Me’ is filled with charm, in a love song where home is a lover. ‘I can’t help it, I’m a travelling soul, like that river running / I was born to go, but wherever all these winding paths and railroad tracks may lead / You’ll still be home to me.’ It’s a track that builds on the premise of what Townes has tried to achieve in this project with true power.

There’s a sense of community and musicianship that runs through on the songs. So, ‘Pieces of My Heart’ has a campfire thrumming heart in the track about life on the road ‘Keep leaving pieces of my heart / In all these towns that feel like home / Can’t help it I’m a traveller / It’s in my veins, it’s in my bones.’ There’s an inherent singalong refrain that builds this sense of musical community at its core. So too, ‘Coming Together’ is a jaunty and lively track about living and loving on the road. ‘Follow the music, the kind that makes any day better / We’ll sing about the way it feels to be right here, coming together.’

Of course, there is a deal of introspection that we have come to expect from Townes. Final track, ‘Wheels’ is a moodier and pensive track about the inevitability of time itself – ‘These wheels from spinning round‘ – so too, her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Landslide,’ Townes shines a spotlight on her vocals, in her ability to redraft the well-known and well-covered song and pour a staggering level of poignancy into the lyrics.

Over the past few years, there has certainly been a sense of country music singers and songwriters returning to their roots, and to the heart of the song, with the growth of live albums and rough and ready recordings, like The Marfa Tapes. On Townes’ Train Track Worktapes, she continues that tradition. This collection is rough and ready, authentic country music at its finest, putting the song and the story front and centre.

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On Damn Love, Kip Moore continues the trajectory he laid out on Wild World – where he dove deeper into the rockier edges of his vocal and sound. Damn Love is a gorgeously cohesive album that shows album craft is still alive and well. An album that should be listened to from start to finish, as the artist intended – taking you on a journey of love and loss, watered down in a bar with a hefty dose of whiskey whilst dwelling on life’s complications and joys. Moore himself talks of Damn Love, ‘I’ve always had a nomadic spirit, at the core of me that’s what I am, and it’s a beautiful life I lead – I don’t take that for granted… But I still crave that companionship down deep in my DNA, and that’s where ‘Damn Love’ comes from.’ It’s that tension that runs through as the central tenet of this record and one that makes it so sonically and lyrically interesting.

Moore has always been an extraordinary live performer and there’s a hefty dose of that in evidence on Damn Love – from the anthemic ‘Heart on Fire’ to the thrumming, driving beats of ‘Silver and Gold.’ Nowhere is that energy more evident though than on the title track – a rocking thrumming song about the nature of love, it’s quirks and loveable flaws. ‘It’s sunsets and cold cans / It’s falling hard but college plans / Got you faking that smile / But you can’t let go of her hand / It’s a goodbye kiss and taillights / It’s phone calls and late nights / It’s what I wouldn’t give to be tongue-tied one more time.’ The album lays out the roadmap for the rest of the album – a signature rock-infused country track, where Moore yearns for love.

There are a decent amount of filler tracks on the album – including ‘Kinda Bar’ and the troubadour crooner ‘The Guitar Slinger,’ but it’s the sweet spot where Moore’s yearning for love meets with his electrifying rock-edged tracks that sear. So, on ‘Neon Blue,’ he sings of the world moving on without him as he continues his travelling ways – ‘Cos the world just don’t wait on no cowboy like me‘ – and on ‘Heart on Fire,’ backed with a thrumming beat, he delivers an addictively good rocking track about seduction, with the refrain ‘come get this heart on fire.’ There’s a vintage feel and echoes of his country roots that reverberate throughout the record, like on the 70s tinged rock ballad ‘Another Night in Knoxville.’

Where Moore has matured and grown over the past few albums has been in his quieter, more sentimental tracks that feel less cliched than his earlier tracks like ‘More Girls Like You.’ Now, he delivers the beautifully tender ‘Sometimes She Stays’ dripping with regret as he muses on a lost love. ‘Sometimes she stays, sometimes she goes / And that’s when you know, you want her to stay.’

The final quarter of the album is no doubt where the true magic lies, beginning with a sublime duet with Ashley McBryde – ‘One Heartbeat’ – that may be the finest on the record. It’s an electrifying song of yearning and hope for love. ‘One heartbeat and you got nothin’ / Make it two, baby you got somethin’ / This world ain’t meant to travel on alone.’ The raw edges of both Moore and McBryde’s vocals are sublime together.

‘Mr Simple’ is Kip Moore at his finest vulnerability, being happy with the simple side of life with his girl. ‘Why complicate it when it’s so easy to do? / Just call me Mr. Simple, girl / Livin’ simple with you.’ It’s the celebration of the small and everyday parts of life that is where Moore excels, as he rounds out the album with ‘Micky’s Bar’ – a good old country song that sings about the everyday comings and goings of life at its namesake. ‘Last call for drinks, it’s closing time / Micky’s wiping down, Sheri makes the coffee / For all the cold and lonely hearts.’

On Wild World, Moore laid out his heart, flaws and vulnerabilities in ways he had not previously done, and its this journey of personal reflection he continues on Damn Love, painting a picture of himself as a travelling soul but one with regrets and failings, amidst an internal tug of war between settling down and life on the road. Sonically, Moore is quieter, more intense and rock-fuelled than on the earlier records of his career, yet allowing more space for quieter moments of reflection that tie the album seamlessly together.

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The Academy of Country Music announced nominations for the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards. Hosted by global superstars Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, “Country Music’s Party of the Year” will stream live exclusively for a global audience across 240+ territories on Prime Video on Thursday, May 11 at 8pm EDT (May 12 at 1am BST) from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The Emmy-nominated, star-powered experience will celebrate country music’s biggest stars and emerging talent, and feature unforgettable performances, exclusive collaborations, and unexpected moments that will captivate fans worldwide. The full rebroadcast of “Country Music’s Party of the Year” will stream the next day (May 12) for free on Amazon Freevee.

Fans can also stream the ACM Awards playlist available now on Amazon Music in celebration of this year’s nominees. Fans can listen to country music’s biggest stars, such as Kane Brown, Carrie Underwood and Luke Combs, directly on the Amazon Music app HERE.

Nominee Highlights for the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards

• HARDY leads with seven nominations including Song of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year. HARDY shares three of his nominations with fellow artist and collaborator Lainey Wilson for their song wait in the truck.
• Lainey Wilson receives the most nods for a female artist with six nominations including Female Artist of the Year. She is nominated in more categories than any other artist. Last year, Wilson won in both categories she was nominated in.
• Most-awarded artist in ACM history, Miranda Lambert, receives her record-breaking 17th Female Artist of the Year nomination (passing Reba McEntire with 16), as well as four other nominations. Lambert’s five nominations give her the opportunity to break more records following her Triple Crown Award presented at ACM Honors in the fall.
• At least one woman is nominated in Every Eligible Main Awards Category this year.
• For the second time in ACM history, three albums released by all-female acts have been nominated for Album of the Year in the same year, with Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville by Ashley McBryde, Bell Bottom Country by Lainey Wilson, and Palomino by Miranda Lambert each receiving nominations. 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. 
• Luke Combs, Kane Brown, and Cole Swindell follow HARDY with the second-most nominations for a male artist, with five total nods each.
• Luke Combs and Chris Stapleton are nominees for Entertainer of the Year. A win for either artist in this category will also clinch the coveted Triple Crown Award, which consists of an Entertainer of the Year win, plus wins in an act’s respective New Artist (male, female, or duo or group) and Artist (Male, female, duo or group) categories.
• This is the fourth year in a row that Luke Combs is nominated for both Male Artist and Entertainer of the Year. 
• Kane Brown receives his first ever nominations for Entertainer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year.
• Kane Brown and Katelyn Brown receive three nominations together for their song Thank God in the Single, Music Event, and Visual Media of the Year categories. This marks Katelyn’s first nominations, and with an additional two solo nominations this year brings Kane’s total nominations to 14.
• Cole Swindell receives first-time nominations in three categories including Single of the Year, Visual Media of the Year, and Music Event of the Year, in which he shares a nomination with his collaborator and fellow artist Jo Dee Messina who receives her first nomination in 22 years.
• Morgan Wallen receives four nods including his first nomination for Entertainer of the Year, bringing his career total to nine. Last year he took home ACM Album of the Year.
• Chris Stapleton receives four nominations, including his eighth consecutive nomination for Male Artist of the Year.
• Cody Johnson receives three nominations this year, making this the most ACM Award nominations he has ever received and making him the most-nominated Texas-born male artist this year.
• Brothers Osborne’s nomination for Duo of the Year marks their 16th ACM nomination and their ninth year in a row being nominated for ACM Duo of the Year, an award they have brought home three times, including last year.
• John Osborne of Brothers Osborne receives his first solo nomination as a producer for producing Ashley McBryde’s album Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville.
• Jon Pardi receives two separate nominations for Album of the Year as both Artist and Producer, marking his third consecutive album to be nominated for ACM Album of the Year.
• The War And Treaty receive their first nomination for Duo of the Year, making them the first Black duo to receive a nomination in 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. The group has taken home the title every year for the last five years.
• 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.

MAIN AWARDS:

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 [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

• Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville – Ashley McBryde
  Producer: John Osborne
  Record Company-Label: Warner Music Nashville
• Bell Bottom Country – Lainey Wilson
  Producer: Jay Joyce
  Record Company-Label: Broken Bow Records
• Growin’ Up – Luke Combs
  Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
  Record Company-Label: Columbia Records
• Mr. Saturday Night – Jon Pardi
  Producers: Jon Pardi, Bart Butler, Ryan Gore
  Record Company-Label: Capitol Records Nashville
• Palomino – Miranda Lambert
  Producers: Jon Randall, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Mikey Reaves
  Record Company-Label: Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville

SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

• Heart Like A Truck – Lainey Wilson
  Producer: Jay Joyce
  Record Company-Label: Broken Bow Records
• Never Wanted To Be That Girl – Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde
  Producers: Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally
  Record Company-Label: Big Machine Records/Warner Music Nashville
• She Had Me At Heads Carolina – Cole Swindell
  Producer: Zach Crowell
  Record Company-Label: Warner Music Nashville
• Thank God – Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown
  Producer: Dann Huff
  Record Company-Label: RCA Nashville
• ‘Til You Can’t – Cody Johnson
  Producer: Trent Willmon
  Record Company-Label: Warner Music Nashville/CoJo Music

SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

• Sand In My Boots – Morgan Wallen
  Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Josh Osborne, Michael Hardy
  Publishers: Relative Music Group; Sony/ATV Accent; Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing; Sony/ATV Tree Publishing
• She Had Me At Heads Carolina – Cole Swindell
  Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Cole Swindell, Jesse Frasure, Mark D. Sanders, Thomas Rhett, Tim Nichols
  Publishers: Ashley Gorley Publishing Designee; Be A Light Publishing; Colden Rainey Music; EMI Blackwood Music Inc; Songs Of Roc Nation Music; Sony Tree Publishing; Telemitry Rhythm House Music; Universal Music Corp; WC Music Corp; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp
• ‘Til You Can’t – Cody Johnson
  Songwriters: Ben Stennis, Matt Rogers
  Publishers: Anthem Canalco Publishing; Dead Aim Music; The Stennis Mightier Music
• wait in the truck – HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson
  Songwriters: Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt, Michael Hardy, Renee Blair
  Publishers: Humerus Publishing Global; Nontypical Music; Pile of Schmidt Songs; Rednecker Music; Relative Music Group; Round Hill Verses Publishing; Sony/ATV Accent; Sony/ATV Tree Publishing; The Money Tree Vibez; WC Music Corp; Who Wants to Buy My Publishing
• You Should Probably Leave – Chris Stapleton
  Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Chris DuBois, Chris Stapleton
  Publishers: One77 Songs; Sea Gayle Music; Songs of Southside Independent Music Publishing; Spirit Two Nashville; WC Music Corp

VISUAL MEDIA OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]

• HEARTFIRST – Kelsea Ballerini
  Producers: Christen Pinkston & Wesley Stebbins-Perry
  Director: P Tracy
• She Had Me At Heads Carolina – Cole Swindell
  Producer: Troy Jackson
  Director: Spidey Smith
• Thank God – Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown
  Producer: Luke Arreguin
  Director: Alex Alvga
• ‘Til You Can’t – Cody Johnson
  Producer: Maddy Hayes
  Director: Dustin Haney
• wait in the truck – HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson
  Producer: Inkwell Productions
  Director: Justin Clough
• What He Didn’t Do – Carly Pearce
  Producer: Ryan Byrd
  Director: Alexa Campbell

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

MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

• At the End of a Bar – Chris Young with Mitchell Tenpenny
  Producers: Chris DeStefano, Chris Young
  Record Company-Label: RCA Nashville
• She Had Me At Heads Carolina [Remix] – Cole Swindell & Jo Dee Messina
  Producer: Zach Crowell
  Record Company-Label: Warner Music Nashville
• Thank God – Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown
  Producer: Dann Huff
  Record Company-Label: RCA Nashville
• Thinking ‘Bout You – Dustin Lynch feat. MacKenzie Porter
  Producer: Zach Crowell
  Record Company-Label: Broken Bow Records
• wait in the truck – HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson
  Producers: Derek Wells, HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt
  Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records

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