They’ve arrived! The coolest crooners and most stylish songstresses commanded attention on the red carpet at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 11.
The biggest names in the genre gathered together to celebrate the best tunes and more at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, with Dolly Parton returning to host the event for the second time. The “Jolene” artist, 77, will oversee the ceremony alongside Garth Brooks.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring this legendary pair together for the first time ever as Country Music’s Party of the Year heads to the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters,” ACM CEO and ACM Awards executive producer Damon Whiteside told Billboard in March. “From exclusive superstar performances to unexpected collaborations to the industry’s most exciting emerging talent, fans are in for an unforgettable night that can only be seen on the ACM Awards stage!”
When it comes to the ACM Awards, Parton and Brooks, 61, are pros. The “Rainbowland” singer has won a total of 13 trophies over the years, while the Oklahoma native has taken home a whopping 22.
This year, however, a number of fan-favorite hitmakers are vying for the prizes.
Luke Combs is up for the biggest award of the night, Entertainer of the Year, alongside Kane Brown, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen.
Combs, 33, has also been nominated for Male Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year.
While Combs’ multiple nods are impressive, HARDY and Lainey Wilson lead the pack. HARDY, 32, is the most-nominated artist of the night, racking up a total of seven nominations, including Song of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year. Wilson, 30, for her part, is up for six awards.
Wilson has proven to be a multi-hyphenate star after showing off her acting chops on season 5 of Yellowstone. The Louisiana native exclusively revealed to Us Weekly, however, that music comes first.
“I will never not make songwriting my priority because the songwriting is what has given me all the rest of these opportunities,” she told Us at the 2023 CMT Music Awards on April 2.
The “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” singer won big at the CMTs, taking home the titles of Female Video of the Year and Collaborative Video of the Year. She also performed her song “Heart Like A Truck” and joined Alanis Morissette, Ingrid Andress, Madeline Edwards and Morgan Wade for a performance of “You Oughta Know.”
Keep scrolling to see what the stars wore on the red carpet at the 2023 ACM Awards:
