What To Look Out For at This Year's 54th Annual ACM Awards

The 54th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards are Sunday night (April 7th), and it’s going to be the ultimate country party. With more performers than ever including never-before-seen pairings of our favorite artists, here are some things to watch for this weekend as country music descends on Las Vegas.

Reba’s Reprise. Country legend Reba McEntire is back for the third year in a row to emcee the festivities. This year’s show marks her 16th time hosting or co-hosting the show – talk about a legacy! McEntire is also among the list of performers.

Baby fever. There may be more diaper talk than usual in red carpet interviews this year. Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Jake Owen, Midland’s Jess Carson, and FGL’s Tyler Hubbard are just some of the country stars who either recently expanded their families or are expecting in the coming year.

Collabs, collabs, collabs. Live performances are always a highlight of awards shows, but this year our favorite artists are teaming up to blow our minds with some incredible collaborations. The lineup includes Dierks Bentley with Brandi Carlile, Brooks & Dunn with Luke Combs, Dan + Shay with Kelly Clarkson, Khalid with Kane Brown, Maren Morris with Brothers Osborne, Eric Church with Ashley McBryde, and Florida Georgia Line with Jason Aldean.

Ultimate couple goals. Country artists don’t just sing about great love, they seem to find it in each other too! Kelsea Ballerini and Morgan Evans, Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd, and our newest country couple, Carly Pearce and Michael Ray to name a few, are bound to give us all the feels on the carpet and in the audience. Those who go to awards shows together stay together, that’s how the saying goes, right?

New music. Little Big Town has already announced they’ll be debuting song, “The Daughters” on the show, but that may not be our only first taste of new music. Rumor has it Carrie Underwood might also premiere a new single, especially after she introduced, “Cry Pretty” on last year’s ACMs as her official comeback performance after a nasty injury in 2017.

Jason Aldean’s top prize. With 13 ACM awards, 29 nominations and 22 career #1 hits, it’s no wonder Jason Aldean is being honored this year with the sixth Dick Clark Artist of the Decade award. Past recipients include Marty Robbins, Loretta Lynn, Alabama, Garth Brooks, and George Strait. Aldean will accept the award and perform during the live broadcast.

Up and coming artists. In addition to the greats we’ll see on stage and in the audience this weekend, newer faces will also be on display. Jimmy Allen, Runaway June, Brantley Gilbert, Maddie and Tae, Easton Corbin, Tracy Lawrence, King Calaway, Chase Rice, and LOCASH are all playing throughout the weekend at affiliate ACM events for fans who make the trek to Sin City. Check out some of the artists that NYCountry Swag has championed throughout their careers who have either been nominated or won awards in the past here.

For the list of performances that have been announced click here and for all of the nominees, head here.