Lainey Wilson and Hardy were the most nominated country artists when the nominees for the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards were announced Thursday morning. The pair are nominated together for their collab “Wait in the Truck” for Song of the Year, Visual Media of the Year, and Music Event of the Year.
Wilson, the year’s breakout female country star, is also up for Album of the Year for her LP Bell Bottom Country, Single of the Year for “Heart Like a Truck,” and Female Artist of the Year. Hardy, one of Nashville’s most in-demand songwriters, is nominated in the Artist-Songwriter of the Year category, and for writing Morgan Wallen’s “Sand in My Boots” and writing and producing his duet with Wilson, “Wait in the Truck.”
This year, seven artists are up for the top prize of Entertainer of the Year: Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, and Morgan Wallen. Lambert, whose Palomino is up for Album of the Year, has already made a bit of history — receiving her 17th Female Artist of the Year nomination and breaking the record held by Reba McEntire with 16.
Other notable nominees include hot-touring ticket Zach Bryan and streaming star Bailey Zimmerman in New Male Artist of the Year; Jo Dee Messina, scoring her first nomination in 22 years for her collaboration with Cole Swindell, “She Had Me at Heads Carolina”; and the War and Treaty — the first Black duo to receive a nomination for Duo of the Year.
Hosted by Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, the ACM Awards air live from the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday, May 11. The show streams live at 8 p.m./ET on Prime Video. (Rolling Stone’s parent company, Penske Media, recently acquired Dick Clark Productions, which produces the ACM 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
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 & 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,” Morgan Wallen
“She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” Cole Swindell
“‘Til You Can’t,” Cody Johnson
“Wait in the Truck,” Hardy feat. Lainey Wilson
“You Should Probably Leave,” Chris 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 feat. Lainey Wilson
“What He Didn’t Do,” Carly Pearce
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
“At the End of a Bar,” Chris Young with Mitchell Tenpenny
“She Had Me at Heads Carolina [Remix],” Cole Swindell & Jo Dee Messina
“Thank God,” Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown
“Thinking ‘Bout You,” Dustin Lynch feat. MacKenzie Porter
“Wait in the Truck,” Hardy feat. Lainey Wilson