Backstage Country

LISTEN LIVE

Miranda, Hardy, Lainey Wilson + The Other Top ACM Nominees

The Academy of Country Music announced nominations for the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards this morning (4/13), and HARDY and Lainey Wilson were the most nominated artists this year….

GALLERY: 2023 ACM Top Nominees And History Makers
Jason Kempin/Getty Images

The Academy of Country Music announced nominations for the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards this morning (4/13), and HARDY and Lainey Wilson were the most nominated artists this year.

Hosted by Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, the ACM Awards will stream live on Prime Video on Thursday, May 11 at 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT/5 p.m. PDT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

As we count down the days to country music's next award show, we take a look at some of 2023 most prominent nominees and those who just may make history this year.

HARDY

GettyImages-1381670638.jpgBryan Steffy/Getty Images

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

GettyImages-1382667983.jpgRich Fury/Getty Images

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.


Miranda Lambert

GettyImages-1417831249-2.jpgErika Goldring/Getty Images

The most-awarded artist in ACM history, Miranda Lambert, receives her record-breaking 17th Female Artist of the Year nomination (passing Reba McEntire with 16) and four other nominations. Lambert's five nominations allow her to break more records following her Triple Crown Award presented at ACM Honors in the fall.


Luke Combs

GettyImages-1272661906.jpgJason Davis/Getty Images

This is the fourth year in a row that Luke Combs is nominated for both Male Artist and Entertainer of the Year.


Chris Stapleton

GettyImages-518986502.jpgDavid Becker/Getty Images

Chris Stapleton receives four nominations, including his eighth consecutive nomination for Male Artist of the Year. He and Luke Combs 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.


Kane Brown

GettyImages-1380961268.jpgBryan Steffy/Getty Images

Kane Brown receives his first-ever nominations for Entertainer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year.


Kane and Katelyn Brown

GettyImages-1382625385.jpgMike Coppola/Getty Images

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

GettyImages-1141084772.jpgEthan Miller/Getty Images

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

GettyImages-1417800640.jpgErika Goldring/Getty Images

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.


Cody Johnson

GettyImages-1141067754.jpgEthan Miller/Getty Images

Cody Johnson receives three nominations this year, making this the most ACM Award nominations he has ever received.

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.