ACM Awards Winners Include Lainey Wilson, Hardy, Chris Stapleton

At the 58th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, the top prize, entertainer of the year, was handed out to Chris Stapleton, even as Lainey Wilson and Hardy won in the the greatest number of categories, with four each — two of which they shared for the duet “Wait in the Truck.”

Technically, Hardy walked away with six trophies, since the ACMs offer double awards for artists who co-write their nominated songs.

Accepting for album of the year, Wilson said, “I wrote 300 songs during the pandemic.” Noting that some fans have said listening to her “Bell Bottom Country” album helped save their lives, Wilson said, “Writing these songs saved mine.” She quoted one of her own lines: “Be who you are, ’cause everybody else is taken.”

The two categories where Wilson and Hardy shared a win were visual media of the year and music event of the year. Separately, Wilson won female artist of the year, and Hardy won best artist-songwriter.

(Scroll down for a photo gallery of winners, nominees and performers.)

The unofficial award for the most buzz-worthy collaboration of the night, meanwhile, might have gone to Ed Sheeran and Luke Combs, who traded verses on Sheeran’s latest single, “Life Goes On,” a ballad about the acceptance of death as a part of life. The pop star’s appearance had been teased a few days in advance, but not who he would be singing with, or which song. Fans of either or both immediately began clamoring for a duet version to be officially released.

The ceremony was webcast live on Prime Video and Amazon’s Twitch channel from the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. It will become available for repeat viewing starting Friday night on Amazon Freevee.

“I can’t believe I just met Dolly Parton, first of all,” exulted Lainey Wilson, accepting for best female artist. “I’m up here because of people like Dolly Parton paving the way.” She also praised her fellow nominees, who missed a lot of weddings, a lot of funerals — not that I want to go to all of them anyway.” She encouraged “little girls” watching to believe in their dreams, with a caveat: “If you wanna be a dreamer, you better be a do-er.”

Hardy accepted with Wilson, the featured artist on their doubly winning song “Wait in the Truck,” saying, “Thank you, Lainey, you absolutely killed it. There was no doubt you were always the one to make people believe this song.” Wilson, speaking to the number’s theme of domestic abuse, said, “I think it’s really important to sing about things that are hard to talk about. I didn’t want people to relate to this song, but a lot of people do, and this one is for y’all.”

Best male artist went to Morgan Wallen, who had to bow out of attending due to having been put on vocal rest, which he announced this week will force him to cancel about six weeks’ worth of shows, as well as his ACMs appearance, “To win it and not be here must be killing him,” said Brooks. “Let’s all celebrate for him tonight.”

After an opening number by Keith Urban, “Texas Time,” hosts Brooks and Parton did an opening comedy routine that got underway in earnest when Brooks called his co-host “the GOAT.” She led an actual goat out on a wagon, then got a bit racier as she relayed that Brooks had agreed with wife Trisha Yearwood that Parton could be her “hall pass,” then that Yearwood had supposedly earned the same pass. The punchline landed with the “T” in Goat standing for “threesome.”

On a more wholesome note, a mention of the greats who died this past year, including Parton’s friend Loretta Lynn, led to the singer apparently spontaneously breaking into an a cappella “Precious Memories.” “I just felt I oughta sing that,” explained Parton. “Jiminy Christmas, we’re so lucky to have you in this format,” Brooks responded.

Performance highlights included Cody Johnson, doing “Mammas, Don’t Let Your Boys Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” following a brief interchange between Willie Nelson and the hosts (with a particularly forceful recommendation of the young star from Brooks); Cole Swindell being joined on “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” by the original singer of the interpolated “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” Jo Dee Messina; and a duet between last year’s female vocalist of the year, Carly Pearce, and Yearwood; and the IRL duo that knocks multiple duets out of the park every night on tour, the War and Treaty.

Wilson also proved a big hit doing her own “Cookin’ With Grease.” The show was closed by Parton premiering her own new single, “World on Fire,” from her forthcoming “Rockstar” album.

A full list of the winners awarded Thursday night:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Chris Stapleton

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Lainey Wilson

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Morgan Wallen

DUO OF THE YEAR

Brothers Osborne

GROUP OF THE YEAR

Old Dominion

NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Hailey Whitters

NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Zach Bryan

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Bell Bottom Country, Lainey Wilson

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

“She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” Cole Swindell

SONG OF THE YEAR

“She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” writers: Ashley Gorley, Cole Swindell, Jesse Frasure, Mark D. Sanders, Thomas Rhett and Tim Nichols; artist: Cole Swindell

VISUAL MEDIA OF THE YEAR

“Wait in the Truck,” Hardy featuring Lainey Wilson

MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR

“Wait in the Truck,” Hardy featuring Lainey Wilson

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Ashley Gorley

ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Hardy