The nominations have been announced for the 2017 Academy of Country Music Awards.
Entertainer
- Jason Aldean
- Luke Bryan
- Florida Georgia Line
- Carrie Underwood
- Keith Urban
Male Vocalist
- Jason Aldean
- Dierks Bentley
- Thomas Rhett
- Chris Stapleton
- Keith Urban
Female Vocalist
- Kelsea Ballerini
- Miranda Lambert
- Maren Morris
- Kacey Musgraves
- Carrie Underwood
Vocal Duo
- Big & Rich
- Brothers Osborne
- Dan + Shay
- Florida Georgia Line
- Maddie & Tae
Vocal Group
- Eli Young Band
- Lady Antebellum
- Little Big Town
- Old Dominion
- Rascal Flatts
New Female Vocalist
- Lauren Alaina
- Cam
- Brandy Clark
- Maren Morris
New Male Vocalist
- Kane Brown
- Chris Janson
- Chris Lane
- Jon Pardi
- Brett Young
New Vocal Duo or Group
- Brothers Osborne
- Dan + Shay
- LoCash
- Maddie & Tae
- A Thousand Horses
Album
- Dierks Bentley, Black
- Florida Georgia Line, Dig Your Roots
- Miranda Lambert, The Weight of These Wings
- Maren Morris, Hero
- Keith Urban, Ripcord
Single
- Florida Georgia Line, “H.O.L.Y.”
- Miranda Lambert, “Vice”
- Tim McGraw, “Humble and Kind”
- Maren Morris, “My Church”
- Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color”
Song
- “Blue Ain’t Your Color” – written by Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey, and Steven Lee Olsen; recorded by Keith Urban
- “Die a Happy Man” – written by Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett, and Joe Spargur; recorded by Thomas Rhett
- “Humble and Kind” – written by Lori McKenna; recorded by Tim McGraw
- “Kill a Word” – written by Eric Church, Luke Dick, and Jeff Hyde; recorded by Eric Church featuring Rhiannon Giddens
- “Tennessee Whiskey” – written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove; recorded by Chris Stapleton
- “Vice” – written by Miranda Lambert, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne; recorded by Miranda Lambert
Video
- Artists of Then, Now & Forever, “Forever Country”
- Kelsea Ballerini, “Peter Pan”
- Miranda Lambert, “Vice”
- Tim McGraw, “Humble and Kind”
- Chris Stapleton, “Fire Away”
Vocal Event
- Artists of Then, Now & Forever, “Forever Country”
- Dierks Bentley featuring Elle King, “Different For Girls”
- Kenny Chesney featuring P!nk, “Setting the World on Fire”
- Florida Georgia Line featuring Tim McGraw, “May We All”
- Chris Young featuring Cassadee Pope, “Think of You”
Songwriter
- Ashley Gorley
- Luke Laird
- Hillary Lindsey
- Shane McAnally
- Lori McKenna
It might be just me, but these nominations are extremely underwhelming this year!
Oh gosh Album of the year is truly horrid (with Miranda Lambert being the exception).
I am happy to see Lauren Alaina get nominated along with Maddie & Tae, Jon Pardi, Cam, Chris Stapleton. But the Eli Young Band nomination is puzzling to say the least.
would prefer to see Brandy or Cam get best new female vocalist rather than MM or LA and Humble & Kind win its categories. The rest? No real interest.
Seems like, once again, given the number of those guys that are being nominated by an organization that once was seen as the West Coast alternative to the Nashville establishment, reporters of the demise of Bromeisters are greatly exaggerated (IMHO).
What does Eric Church have to do to get a Male Artist nomination? Obviously recording great songs and making great music isn’t enough.
Long time reader, first time commenter.
-I cannot believe we live in a world where H.O.L.Y. and Blue Ain’t Your Color are considered better songs than Head Over Boots and I Met a Girl.
-With the exceptions of the fantastic Jon Pardi and the halfway decent Chris Janson, the new male vocalist category is a downright sick joke. I mean, Kane Brown over William Michael Morgan?!? What the hell? What does William Michael Morgan have to do to earn a nomination? Obviously, having an awesome voice, making great music, and having the best mainstream album of last year (in my opinion) isn’t enough for the ACM. Kane Brown hasn’t even had a top 30 hit. WMM has had a number one hit. And instead of Chris Lane and Brett Young, couldn’t we have gotten Craig Campbell and Drake White?
-Male vocalist would be a zillion times better if we’d have gotten Eric Church and Tim McGraw instead of Rhett and Aldean? Just wondering.
The omission of Eric Church is simply unjust. The omission of William Michael Morgan is simply unjust. (I pay attention to these things and I have barely heard of Kane Brown. Sorry.) The inclusion of Florida Georgia Line is simply unjust. I am delighted though that Cam is receiving due recognition and that Maddie & Tae are receiving two nominations. And Lori McKenna deserves a win in her category. (The fact that she is from Massachusetts has nothing to do with it!) With these last three nominations, there at least is some justice in these lists. I agree with the comments above regarding Drake White and Craig Campbell. I have thought for a few years that Craig was woefully underrated. Finally, I wish Thompson Square had made the crop as I love their current single.
Yeah, these are largely a mess. Underwood’s nomination for Entertainer of the Year is well-deserved, as are the notices for Maddie & Tae and Brandy Clark.
Outside of Lambert’s superb effort, Album Of The Year is embarrassing. As is the fact that, once again, they’ve nominated the previous year’s Single Of The Year winner in the Song Of The Year category. That kind of thing simply shouldn’t happen.
The fact that Chris Lane and Kane Brown were nominated for New Male Vocalist over Drake White and William Michael Morgan honestly made me angry. Both White and Morgan released albums that could easily replace 4/5 of the Album nominees, for that matter. And the fact that they couldn’t bother to nominate a 5th woman for New Female Vocalist is absurd, given the depth of options available and the fact that, once upon a time, the ACMs nominated artists like Shelby Lynne (!) and Kelly Willis (!!) for that award.
@ Amanda,
Welcome! I’ve seen your name pop up frequently on the comment threads at Country Perspective. Glad to see you join us over here, as well!
@JK – Have the ACMs ever said anything about the repeat nominees? I guess I could see it happening once on a loophole, but why do they let it keep happening?
@ Jason,
The eligibility rules have a lot of vague language about when singles, songs, and albums had their “greatest impact” that are entirely subjective, which is how this seems to happen at least every other year. Prior to this year, I believe we last ran into this issue with nominations for “Pontoon” in consecutive years. It really shouldn’t be hard for them to resolve this with a simple revision of the eligibility guidelines, but I doubt it ever happens…