FILE - In this combination of photos, Dolly Parton appears at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Los Angeles on Nov. 5, 2022, left, and Garth Brooks appears at the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards Gala in New York on Sept. 26, 2019. Parton and Brooks will host the ACM Awards on May 11. (AP Photo)
FRISCO, Texas (AP) – Cole Swindell spent a lot of time onstage early at the Academy of Country Music Awards, performing and then quickly collecting the night’s first award, song of the year.
Swindell and a team of songwriters won for “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” the song he and Jo Dee Messina had just performed onstage.
Swindell said he was honored by the win in a songwriting category because it was one of the reasons he got into country music.
The show opened with Keith Urban performing, fittingly, of his song “Texas Time.” The ACMs are being handed out at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco.
Host Garth Brooks started the show with a discussion of the country music’s history and who was the greatest of all time, or GOAT. After listing off numerous male performers, he tossed to Dolly Parton, who wheeled a live goat onto the stage.
The easy banter between Brooks, in his first hosting gig, and Parton carried the show’s early moments. The pair are co-hosting, and Parton will close out the two-hour show that’s streaming on Amazon Prime with a performance of a song from her upcoming rock album.
Singer-songwriter HARDY entered Thursday’s show as the leading nominee, up for seven trophies including two in the song of the year category. One of his nominated songs is “Wait in the Truck,” his duet with Lainey Wilson, who is second-leading nominee.
He’s also a nominee as a songwriter for Morgan Wallen’s “Sand in my Boots.” The country superstar won’t perform as planned due to a vocal cord injury that’s halted his tour.
The night could end with reigning entertainer of the year Miranda Lambert extending her lead as the most decorated artist in ACMs history. She’s up for entertainer of the year along with Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Luke Combs and Wallen.
Two nominees are already winners: Hailey Whitters and Zach Bryan have won best new artist honors.
Performers will include some of country’s biggest names, including Carly Pearce and Brandy Clark, along with a special performance from British pop star Ed Sheeran.
