It's that time of year again!
Back in Feb., the Academy of Country Music Awards announced the nominees for its 57th annual award show, with Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett co-hosting alongside the legend herself, Dolly Parton.
Chris Young leads the pack with seven total nominations—three of which are for his hit single "Famous Friends" with Kane Brown—while Miranda Lambert's 16th nod ties her with Reba McEntire's record for most Female Artist of the Year nominations. Plus, Blake Lively scored two noms for directing and producing Taylor Swift's "I Bet You Think About Me" music video. The superstar's brother, Austin Swift, also received his first nod as one of the video's producers.
Needless to say, the world is an entirely different place since the ACM's first started handing hats out in 1968. Looking back even to 2009, the country music community has come a long way. Back then, Carrie Underwood had taken home the ACM's biggest prize of Entertainer of the Year to secure country music's prestigious Triple-Crown Award.
Meanwhile, Swift won Album of the Year for her chart-topping second studio album Fearless and Luke Bryan wouldn't win Top New Artist until a year later.
Bryan as a new artist? Swift as a country singer? Oh, what a different time that was.
In honor of the upcoming show, let's put on our boots and take a walk down memory lane as we recount what the ACMs looked like way back in 2009.
A version of this story was first published on Friday, March 22, 2019 at 11:51 a.m. PT.