The nominees for the 2018 Academy of Country Music Awards have been announced. The show will air live on Sunday, April 15. Reba McEntire returns as host.
Entertainer of the Year
- Jason Aldean
- Garth Brooks
- Luke Bryan
- Chris Stapleton
- Keith Urban
Who’s In: Garth Brooks, Chris Stapleton
Who’s Out: Florida Georgia Line, Carrie Underwood
Male Vocalist of the Year
- Jason Aldean
- Thomas Rhett
- Chris Stapleton
- Keith Urban
- Chris Young
Who’s In: Chris Young
Who’s Out: Dierks Bentley
Female Vocalist of the Year
- Kelsea Ballerini
- Miranda Lambert
- Reba McEntire
- Maren Morris
- Carrie Underwood
Who’s In: Reba McEntire
Who’s Out: Kacey Musgraves
Vocal Duo of the Year
- Brothers Osborne
- Dan + Shay
- Florida Georgia Line
- LOCASH
- Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
Who’s In: LOCASH, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
Who’s Out: Big & Rich, Maddie & Tae
Vocal Group of the Year
- Lady Antebellum
- LANCO
- Little Big Town
- Midland
- Old Dominion
Who’s In: LANCO, Midland
Who’s Out: Eli Young Band, Rascal Flatts
New Female Vocalist of the Year
- Lauren Alaina
- Danielle Bradbery
- Carly Pearce
- Raelynn
New Male Vocalist of the Year
- Kane Brown
- Luke Combs
- Devin Dawson
- Russell Dickerson
- Brett Young
New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year
- High Valley
- LANCO
- LOCASH
- Midland
- Runaway June
Album of the Year
- Little Big Town, The Breaker
- Old Dominion, Happy Endings
- Jon Pardi, California Sunrise
- Thomas Rhett, Life Changes
- Chris Stapleton, From a Room: Volume 1
Single Record of the Year
- “Better Man,” Little Big Town
- “Body Like a Back Road,” Sam Hunt
- “Broken Halos,” Chris Stapleton
- “Drinkin’ Problem,” Midland
- “I’ll Name the Dogs,” Blake Shelton
Song of the Year
- “Body Like a Back Road”
- Written by Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne
- Performed by Sam Hunt
- “Female”
- Written by Ross Copperman, Nicolle Galyon, and Shane McAnally
- Performed by Keith Urban
- “Tin Man”
- Written by Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, and Jon Randall
- Performed by Miranda Lambert
- “Whiskey and You”
- Written by Lee Thomas Miller and Chris Stapleton
- Performed by Chris Stapleton
Video of the Year
- “Black,” Dierks Bentley; directed by Wes Edwards
- “It Ain’t My Fault,” Brothers Osborne; directed by Wes Edwards
- “Legends,” Kelsea Ballerini; directed by Jeff Venable
- “Marry Me,” Thomas Rhett: directed by TK McKamy
- “We Should Be Friends,” Miranda Lambert; directed by Trey Fanjoy
Vocal Event of the Year
- “Craving You,” Thomas Rhett featuring Maren Morris
- “Dear Hate,” Maren Morris featuring Vince Gill
- “Funny How Time Slips Away,” Glen Campbell and Willie Nelson
- “The Fighter,” Keith Urban featuring Carrie Underwood
- “What Ifs,” Kane Brown featuring Lauren Alaina
Songwriter of the Year
- Rhett Akins
- Ashley Gorley
- Hillary Lindsey
- Shane McAnally
- Josh Osborne
I feel like this is such a random list of nominees! Good to see Reba hosting again though! Maybe Vince Gill hosting the CMAs again isn’t such a pipe dream after all?
I would rather leave Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley as hosts of the CMA Awards they work really well.
Wtf at “Whiskey and You” nomination. Like seriously?
Entertainer pretty expected and it’s especially hard to justify a female being nominated in that.
Male. Meh don’t care.
Female. I was so hoping for Carly Pearce or Lauren Alaina to be nominated, but I’m not shocked. Give it to Miranda Lambert.
Vocal Duo. Nice to see Tim & Faith but Brothers Osborne should win and fine by me as they’re making the best music out of the 5.
Vocal Group. Am I the only one who thinks Old Dominion has an outside chance? It’s between them and Little Big Town.
New Female.
Anyone but Raelynn. I do think it is between Lauren Alaina and Carly Pearce. I think the former will squeak out the win.
New Male.
Brett Young or Luke Combs. I am leaning more towards Brett Young which eh. He does nothing for me.
New Vocal Group or Duo.
In a just world Runaway June wins. As it is LANco or Midland will win which also aren’t bad picks but Runaway June is so much better.
Album.
Just give it to Chris Stapleton
Song
Only 4 nominees? Wtf.
Single
Please have Better Man win, not Sam Hunt please.
Video
Brothers Osborne should win for this which they should.
Vocal Event.
Unpopular opinon I want Lauren Alaina and Kane Brown to win. Honestly as long as it isn’t The Fighter or Craving You I’ll be satisfied though.
Raymond,
Carrie Underwood/Brad Paisley over Vince Gill as host? Those are fightin’ words!:)
Also, Tim and Faith as vocal duo nominees seems odd, since they’re not an official duo. .
Oh Leeann, I love Vince Gill. But Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley have such a natural chemistry. Maybe pull Brad Paisley out and have Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill host.
I think the Tim & Faith nomination was just cause they couldn’t find another duo that did anything. Also they are labelled as a duo on Sony Nashville (and also as solo artists).
Why do we have to have the same host all of the time. The CMA’s and ACM’s use to have a bit more variety. A couple of years is fine but let someone else try.
Raymond,
I can get behind a Carrie Underwood/Vince Gill host pairing! I think they’d do very well together. I don’t feel that Paisley has settled in well as a host, but Underwood does a nice job, which is not how I guessed it would end up going.