Award season is here!
The 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards announced the nominees for the upcoming ceremony, set to air on April 18. This year, Maren Morris and Chris Stapleton lead the talented list with six nods each, while Miranda Lambert follows close behind with five nominations and Ashley McBryde and Thomas Rhett scored four nods each.
John Legend was also honored with his first-ever ACM Awards nomination in the Video of the Year category for his "Hallelujah" duet with Carrie Underwood, while Gwen Stefani also earned her first ACM nod in the Music Event of the Year category for her duet with fiancé Blake Shelton, "Nobody But You."
Producer busbee, who passed away in 2019, was also recognized by the ACMs with two posthumous nominations for Music Event and Single of the Year for "I Hope You're Happy Now."
Scroll on to see the complete list of nominees for the 2021 ACM Awards!
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Carly Pearce
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Dierks Bentley
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae
GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady A
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
The Cadillac Three
The Highwomen
NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ingrid Andress
Tenille Arts
Gabby Barrett
Mickey Guyton
Caylee Hammack
NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jimmie Allen
Travis Denning
HARDY
Cody Johnson
Parker McCollum
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Born Here Live Here Die Here – Luke Bryan
Producers: Jeff Stevens, Jody Stevens
Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Mixtape Vol. 1 – Kane Brown
Producers: Andrew Goldstein, Charlie Handsome, Dann Huff, Lindsay Rimes
Record Label: RCA Nashville
Never Will – Ashley McBryde
Producer: Jay Joyce
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville
Skeletons – Brothers Osborne
Producer: Jay Joyce
Record Label: EMI Records Nashville
Starting Over – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Chris Stapleton, Dave Cobb
Record Label: Mercury Nashville
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
"Bluebird" – Miranda Lambert
Producer: Jay Joyce
Record Label: Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville
"I Hope" – Gabby Barrett
Producers: Ross Copperman, Zach Kale
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville
"I Hope You're Happy Now" – Carly Pearce & Lee Brice
Producers: busbee
Record Label: Big Machine Records / Curb Records
"More Hearts Than Mine" – Ingrid Andress
Producers: Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville
"The Bones" – Maren Morris
Producer: Greg Kurstin
Record Label: Columbia Nashville
SONG OF THE YEAR
"Bluebird" – Miranda Lambert
Songwriter(s): Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby
Publishers: Emileon Songs; Little Louder Songs; Pink Dog Publishing; Songs of Universal, INC; Sony ATV Tree Publishing; Wrucke for You Publishing
"One Night Standards" – Ashley McBryde
Songwriter(s): Ashley McBryde, Nicolette Hayford, Shane McAnally
Publishers: Canned Biscuit Songs; Smackworks Music; Smack Blue, LLC; Smackstreet Music; Tempo Investments; Warner Geo Met Ric Music; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp
"Some People Do" – Old Dominion
Songwriter(s): Jesse Frasure, Matt Ramsey, Thomas Rhett, Shane McAnally
Publishers: Carrot Seed Songs; EMI Blackwood Music INC; Smackville Music; Songs of ROC Nation; Telemitry Rhythm House Music; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp; Smack Hits; Tempo Investments; Warner Gro Met Ric Music
"Starting Over" – Chris Stapleton
Songwriter(s): Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson
Publishers: I Wrote These Songs; Straight Six Music; WC Music Corp
"The Bones" – Maren Morris
Songwriter(s): Jimmy Robbins, Maren Morris, Laura Veltz
Publishers: Big Machine Music, LLC; Extraordinary Alien Publishing; International Dog Music; Oh Denise Publishing; Round Hill Songs; Warner-Tamerlane
Publishing Corp.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"Better Than We Found It" – Maren Morris
Director: Gabrielle Woodland
Producers: Sarah Kunin, Jennifer Pepke
"Bluebird" – Miranda Lambert
Director: Trey Fanjoy
Producer: Heather Levenstone
"Gone" – Dierks Bentley
Directors: Wes Edwards, Ed Pryor, Travis Nicholson, Running Bear and Sam Siske, with animation by Skylar Wilson
Producer: David Garcia
"Hallelujah" – Carrie Underwood and John Legend
Director: Randee St. Nicholas
Producer: Greg Wells
"Worldwide Beautiful" – Kane Brown
Director: Alex Alvga
Producer: Christen Pinkston
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Ashley Gorley
Michael Hardy
Hillary Lindsey
Shane McAnally
Josh Osborne
MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR
"Be A Light" – Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban
Producer: Dann Huff
Record Label: The Valory Music Co.
"Does To Me" – Luke Combs featuring Eric Church
Producer: Scott Moffatt
Record Label: River House Artists/Columbia Nashville
"I Hope You're Happy Now" – Carly Pearce & Lee Brice
Producer: busbee
Record Label: Big Machine Records / Curb Records
"Nobody But You" – Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Stefani
Producer: Scott Hendricks
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville
"One Beer" – HARDY featuring Lauren Alaina & Devin Dawson
Producers: Derek Wells, Joey Moi
Record Label: Big Loud Records
"One Too Many" – Keith Urban, P!nk
Producers: Cutfather, Dan McCarroll, Keith Urban, PhD
Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jarrod Travis Cure
Mark Hill
Tony Lucido
Steve Mackey
Glenn Worf
DRUMMER OF THE YEAR
Fred Eltringham
Evan Hutchings
Derek Mixon
Jerry Roe
Aaron Sterling
GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
J.T. Corenflos
Kris Donegan
Jedd Hughes
Ilya Toshinskiy
Derek Wells
PIANO/KEYS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Dave Cohen
David Dorn
Charlie Judge
Mike Rojas
Benmont Tench
SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Alicia Enstrom
Jim Hoke
Danny Rader
Mickey Raphael
Ilya Toshinskiy
Kristin Wilkinson
STEEL GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Spencer Cullum
Dan Dugmore
Mike Johnson
Russ Pahl
Justin Schipper
AUDIO ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Jeff Balding
Jason Hall
Gena Johnson
Vance Powell
F. Reid Shippen
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Buddy Cannon
Dave Cobb
Dann Huff
Jay Joyce
Joey Moi
The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards will broadcast live on April 18 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on CBS.