Not all ACM moments are created equal. For every show-stopping performance, there was an equal dud. This year’s ceremony was different than it’s ever been, making it all the more difficult to narrow down our picks for best and worst moments. Scroll down to read our thoughts and make sure to let us know yours in the comments.
Old Dominion Medley from Ryman Auditorium-BEST
You can tell these guys were excited to just get back on stage. The transitions between songs were impeccable, and the acoustics of the Ryman served their vocals very well. The thread of multiple songs in between lines of set-opener ‘One Man Band’ were chill-inducing. This performance was electric.
Honorable Mention: Lead singer Matthew Ramsey’s acceptance speech for Song of the Year was raw, off-the-cuff, and incredibly emotional. And the whole group coming to the stage in their masks was definitely worthy of applause.
The Google Earth transitions between venues-WORST
Simply put, the expensive technology added a level of cheapness to the show that wouldn’t have been there if the show had just cut straight to performances from the different venues. Luckily, these poor transitions didn’t happen for every single performance.
Morgan Wallen-WORST
At various points throughout his performance of hit single ‘Whiskey Glasses’, it looked like he was going to swallow the microphone. Maybe that’s why his vocals sounded garbled through the whole song.
Miranda Lambert at The Bluebird-BEST
It was fitting that she was wearing blue, performing ‘Bluebird’ at the Bluebird Café. A true songwriter’s song, performed in the home of Nashville’s biggest songwriting scene, next to Natalie Hemby and Luke Dick, the song’s co-writers. It doesn’t get much better.
Carrie Underwood-BEST
There’s a reason why people (including myself) think Underwood is the reigning queen of country. She stole the show with ‘Before He Cheats’ in the opening Entertainer of the Year medley. She did all the country queens of the past proud with her fantastic medley of their hits. And then there’s the moment that capped off the night, which we’ll get to in a bit.
Clint & Lisa Don’t Have the Jokes-WORST
Someone forgot to tell Clint Black and wife Lisa Hartman Black that this night was supposed to be about heart, not comedy. Keith Urban did it right with his simplistic, touching opening monologue. Then they had to go and ruin it by trying to be funny before announcing Song of the Year.
Dan + Shay-BEST
Damn those vocals! Their performance of ‘I Should Probably Go to Bed’ was not one you just had on while folding laundry. Every word was crystal clear, and the harmonies were stellar.
Mickey Guyton Gets Emotional-BEST
The history that Guyton made tonight was not lost on her. Singing ‘What Are You Gonna Tell Her?’, you could hear the quiver in her voice. She is the first black woman to ever perform on the ACM Awards stage, singing about the injustices that women, especially black women, face on a daily basis. She knew that even though there was no audience physically in the venue, she was speaking directly to everyone at home. It was a moment that needed to happen this year, and I’m glad she was the one to deliver it.
In Memoriam?-WORST
Trisha Yearwood sang an entire verse and chorus of ‘I’ll Carry You Home’ before one person was even shown on screen. Then the amount of time spent on each person was too short to accommodate how little time was left in the song. It felt poorly planned and an injustice to all the country greats we lost this year.
Tie For Entertainer of the Year-BEST
This is going to be a polarizing moment for years to come. For the first time in ACM Awards history, there was a tie for this year’s top prize. We here at Stars and Guitars are not shy about our love for Carrie Underwood. So we were ecstatic that she became the first woman to win the ACM Entertainer of the Year three times. Whether this historic moment for Underwood will be overshadowed by the first tie in the category remains to be seen. But Thomas Rhett is just as deserving, and if Underwood had to share the award with anyone in that category, I’m glad it was him.
