Keith Urban is the ''king of country''.
The singer took home the top award of the night, entertainer of the year, at the 54th Academy Of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, winning over fellow nominees Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Chris Stapleton and Jason Aldean. He picked up the same prize at November’s CMA Awards.
As the Aussie singer took the stage, he received a standing ovation from the audience, including wife Nicole Kidman, whom he thanked as he made his acceptance speech.
After his name was called for the award, which is the group's top honor, Urban kissed wife Nicole Kidma, who was sitting by him in the audience, and was hugged by Jason Aldean and Chris Stapleton on his way to the stage. In his speech, he gave a shoutout to Kidman along with their two daughters, Sunday and Faith.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban show what love really is on the red carpet at the 54th ACM Awards 2019
Kacey Musgraves was named Female Artist of the Year, while her Grammy-winning LP Golden Hour won Album of the Year. “Thank you to everyone out there still supporting and buying albums,” she said during her speech.
Kacey Musgraves named Female Artist of the Year at the 54th ACM Awards 201*
No women were nominated for the top ACM honor. Musgraves was the sole women up for album of the year.
She won twice when "Golden Hour" picked up top album — as an artist and co-producer of the project. She was also named female artist of the year.
Musgraves said the award "goes out to anyone woman, girl, or anybody really" who has been told "her perspective or style is too different."
"Just stay at it. It'll work out," said Musgraves, who won four Grammys earlier this year, including album of the year and best country album.
Thomas Rhett performed his new single “Look What God Gave Her”
Rhett performed Sunday, while Dan + Shay hit the stage to sing "Keeping Score" alongside Kelly Clarkson, hitting impressive high notes. Chris Stapleton's performance was also a highlight. The singer-songwriter, who often performs with his wife, Morgane Stapleton, sang onstage as she held her hand over her stomach (she is pregnant).
Dan + Shay were among the night's.other big winners, taking home duo of the year as well as single and song of the year honors for "Tequila." Thomas Rhett was named male artist of the year and in his speech joked that he was just going to give his awards to Dan + Shay so they had an even four trophies.
Reba McEntire hosted the show, which aired live on CBS from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas (tape-delayed on the West Coast), and she also performed. During her monologue, she called out the ACM for not nominating any female singers in its top category, entertainer of the year.
Country music superstar Jason Aldean was awarded the highest honor, the Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award, at the 54th annual ACM Awards on Sunday.
The 42-year-old singer is no stranger to accolades and major awards, but he is only the sixth artist ever to receive the coveted Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award, which he graciously accepted at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. The award -- which went to Marty Robbins in 1969, Loretta Lynn in 1979, Alabama in 1988, Garth Brooks in 1998 and George Strait in 2008 -- was renamed the ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award after Clark's death in 2012, in recognition of his many years spent as the ACM Awards producer and celebrated host.
Moments before accepting the prestigious award, Aldean took the stage, delivering a powerful rendition of "Lights Come On," before Kelly Clarkson joined him onstage to sing their popular 2010 duet, "Don't You Wanna Stay." He continued the medley with "Dirt Road Anthem," as stars like Luke Bryan and Keith Urban sang along to the lyrics.
In addition, This Is Us star Chrissy Metz, who also stars in the upcoming movie Breakthrough, made her live television performance debut, singing the song "I'm Standing With You," from the movie, alongside Lauren Alaina, Mickey Guyton, Maddie & Tae and Carrie Underwood, who earlier in the show gave a solo performance of her song "Southbound."
Chrissy Metz live TV performance debut with Carrie Underwood at the 54th ACM Awards 2019
Chrissy Metz live TV performance debut at the 54th ACM Awards 2019
Carrie Underwood'a performance with Chrissy Metz at the 54th ACM Awards 2019
Before the show started, the organization announced winners in several categories: Dierks Bentley and Brothers Osborne won the ACM Award Music Event of the Year category for “Burning Man,” produced by Ross Copperman, Jon Randall Stewart and Arturo Buenahora Jr. and Capitol Records Nashville; Luke Combs was named best new male artist; LANCO was named best new group; and Ashley McBryde won the award for best new female artist. All of those winners also are scheduled to perform during the ceremony.
Other early winners included Old Dominion as group of the year and Chris Janson for video of the year, along with producer Ben Skipworth and director Jeff Venable, for "Drunk Girl."
Meanwhile, other performers included Brooks & Dunn, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Clarkson, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Khalid, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Chrissy Metz, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, George Strait and Keith Urban.
Eric Church and Ashley McBryde teamed up to perform Church's parable "The Snake" on the 2019 ACM Awards. Photo Kevin White
Eric Church is never one to play it safe, especially when it comes to awards shows, and he chose to highlight his potent song “The Snake” on Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards with the help of Ashley McBryde. Written out of frustration with the divisive state of the country and a political system that often seems more intent on winning than fighting for the people it’s supposed to serve, the Desperate Man track was an edgy, topical choice for a prime-time audience.
Performing in front of a moving graphic of a rattlesnake and backed by an ominous hooded choir, Church and McBryde traded lines in the parable, which ponders the greater of two evils.
Church is a longtime fan and proponent of McBryde, who, after listening to her EP Jalopies & Expensive Guitars, invited her to join him for a performance of one of her own songs, “Bible and a .44,” on his Holdin’ My Own Tour. It was a viral moment for McBryde, and led to a bidding war among record labels that eventually ended with a contract at Warner Music Nashville. (Church and McBryde share the same management company.)
Earlier in the show, McBryde, who already won New Female Artist of the Year, sang an abbreviated version of her autobiographical song “Girl Goin’ Nowhere,” illuminated by a lone spotlight in a small circular stage in the center of the MGM Grand Arena. Despite being truncated, the performance received a standing ovation.
George Strait performed ''God and Country'' at the 54th ACM Awards on April 7 2019
George Strait performed his slow song "God and Country Music" at the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards on April 7, bringing a spark of traditional country sound to the Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Wearing a simple black blazer and coordinating cowboy hat, the King of Country performed the moving ballad with a full band, backdropped by slideshow of beautiful landscapes and other graphics. “Come hell or high water, there's two things still worth savin'/ God and country music,” he sang.
"God and Country Music” appears on Strait’s thirtieth studio album Honky Tonk Time Machine.
Maren Morris took the stage at the 2019 ACM Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday (Apr. 7) to perform "All My Favorite People," a highlight from her recently released sophomore album GIRL.
Joining Morris on stage for the energetic performance was the song's guest stars, Baltimore duo Brothers Osborne. Bros John and T.J. flanked Morris in black, while Morris looked every bit the ascendant star in a silver fringe crop top and white cowboy boots.
Brian Kelley, left, and Tyler Hubbard, right, of Florida Georgia Line, and Jason Aldean perform ‘Can’t Hide Red’ at the ACM Awards on April 7, 2019. The threesome kicked off the show.
Jimi Westbrook, from left, Kimberly Schlapman, Karen Fairchild and Phillip Sweet, of Little Big Town, perform ‘The Daughters,’ at the ACM Awards in Las Vegas on April 7. They were joined on stage by dancers.
Little Big Town react after singing ‘The Daughters’ at the ACM Awards. They were joined by two of the dancers who performed with them.
Blake Shelton performing ‘God’s Country’ at the ACM Awards in Las Vegas on April 7. His girlfriend Gwen Stefani gave him a good luck kiss before he took the stage.
Kane Brown, left, and Khalid perform a medley at the ACM Awards in Las Vegas on April 7. Their performance included the song ‘Saturday Nights.
Carrie Underwood, center, performs ‘Southbound.’ The mom-of-two took to the stage several times at the ACM Awards on April 7. She also introduced and sang with ‘This Is Us’ actress Chrissy Metz.
Reba McEntire performs ‘Freedom’ at the ACM Awards on April 7. The singer also hosted the show for the 16th time.
Presenters included Alaina, Jimmie Allen, Beth Behrs, Clint Black, Brooks & Dunn, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Jessie James Decker, Hunter Hayes, Jay Hernandez, Lady Antebellum, Midland, Nancy O’Dell, Danica Patrick, Carly Pearce, Dennis Quaid, Michael Ray, Strait, Cole Swindell, Underwood and Wilmer Valderrama.
The 54th annual ACM Awards was produced by Dick Clark productions — a division of Valence Media, the parent company of the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group.
See the full list of winners below:
Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Chris Stapleton
****WINNER: Keith Urban
Female Artist of the Year
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
***WINNER: Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
Male Artist of the Year
Dierks Bentley
Luke Combs
***WINNER: Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
Duo of the Year
Brothers Osborne
***WINNER: Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
LOCASH
Maddie & Tae
Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
LANCO
Little Big Town
Midland
***WINNER: Old Dominion
New Female Artist of the Year
Danielle Bradbery
Lindsay Ell
***WINNER: Ashley McBryde
Carly Pearce
New Male Artist of the Year
Jimmie Allen
***WINNER: Luke Combs
Jordan Davis
Michael Ray
Mitchell Tenpenny
New Group or Duo of the Year
High Valley
***WINNER: LANCO
Runaway June
Album of the Year
Dan + Shay – Dan + Shay
Desperate Man – Eric Church
From A Room: Volume 2 – Chris Stapleton
***WINNER: Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
The Mountain – Dierks Bentley
Song of the Year
Break Up In The End – Cole Swindell
Broken Halos – Chris Stapleton
Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
Space Cowboy – Kacey Musgraves
***WINNER: Tequila – Dan + Shay
Yours – Russell Dickerson
Single Record of the Year
Down to the Honkytonk — Jake Owen
Heaven — Kane Brown
Meant to Be — Bebe Rexha feat. Florida Georgia Line
Most People Are Good — Luke Bryan
***WINNER: Tequila — Dan + Shay
Video of the Year
Babe – Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift
Burn Out – Midland
Burning Man – Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
***WINNER: Drunk Girl – Chris Janson
Shoot Me Straight – Brothers Osborne
Tequila – Dan + Shay
Songwriter of the Year
Ross Copperman
Ashley Gorley
***WINNER: Shane McAnally
Chase McGill
Josh Osborne
Music Event of the Year
***WINNER: Burning Man – Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
Drowns the Whiskey – Jason Aldean featuring Miranda Lambert
Everything’s Gonna Be Alright – David Lee Murphy featuring Kenny Chesney
Keeping Score – Dan + Shay featuring Kelly Clarkson
Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha Featuring Florida Georgia Line
The ACM Awards are produced by dick clark productions, a division of Valence Media, the parent company of the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group.