Young, Lambert, Hayes top ACM nominations

Thursday, February 10, 2022 – Chris Young leads the Academy of Country Music nominations announced today with seven including Album of the Year and Single of the Year. Young shares three of his nominations with fellow artist and collaborator Kane Brown for their song "Famous Friends."

Miranda Lambert received record-tying 16th Female Artist of the Year nomination (tied with Reba McEntire), as well as four other nominations.

Walker Hayes scored five nominations as a first-time nominee. This comes 17 years after Hayes moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music.

Nominees were:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Miranda Lambert
Chris Stapleton

FEMALE ARTIST OF THER YEAR
Gabby Barrett
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Carly Pearce
Carrie Underwood

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jimmie Allen
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen

DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
LOCASH
Maddie & Tae

GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
The Cadillac Three

NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Tenille Arts
Priscilla Block
Lily Rose
Caitlyn Smith
Lainey Wilson

NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
HARDY
Walker Hayes
Ryan Hurd
Parker McCollum
Elvie Shane

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
29: Written in Stone – Carly Pearce
Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Jimmy Robbins, Tony Brown
Record Company-Label: Big Machine Records

Country Again: Side A – Thomas Rhett
Producers: Dann Huff, Jesse Frasure, Matt Dragstrem
Record Company-Label: Big Machine Label Group

Dangerous: The Double Album – Morgan Wallen
Producer: Joey Moi, Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Matt Dragstrem, Dave Cohen
Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records / Republic Records

Famous Friends – Chris Young
Producer: Mark Holman, Corey Crowder, Chris Young, Chris DeStefano
Record Company-Label: RCA Records Nashville

The Marfa Tapes – Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall
Producers: Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall
Record Company-Label: Vanner Records / RCA Records Nashville

SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

Buy Dirt – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan
Producer: Paul DiGiovanni
Record Company-Label: MCA Nashville

Famous Friends – Chris Young and Kane Brown
Producers: Corey Crowder, Chris Young
Record Company-Label: RCA Records Nashville

Fancy Like – Walker Hayes
TProducers: Walker Hayes, Shane McAnally, Joe Thibodeau
Record Company-Label: Monument Records

If I Didn't Love You – Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood
Producers: Michael Knox
Record Company-Label: Broken Bow Records; Macon Music, LLC; BBR Music Group, BMG

You Should Probably Leave – Chris Stapleton
Producer: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
Record Company-Label: Mercury Nashville

SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

7 Summers – Morgan Wallen
Songwriters: Morgan Wallen, Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally
Publishers: Big Loud Mountain, Bo Wallace Publishing, Smackborne Music, Sony/ATV Accent, Smackstreet Music, Tempo Investments, Warner Geo Met Ric Music

Songwriters: Jordan Davis, Jacob Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins
Publishers: Anthem Music Publishing II, Bentprop Pub, Big Blue Nation Music, Combustion Five, Jentown, Jordan Davis Music, Smackwork Music, Smack Blue, Kobalt Music Group Music, Universal Music Corporation, WC Music Corp

Fancy Like – Walker Hayes
Songwriters: Cameron Bartolini, Josh Jenkins, Shane Stevens, Walker Hayes
Publishers: Songs of SMACK, Rarespark Media Group, Smackworks Music, Smack Blue, Kobalt Music Group, Holy Graffiti Music, Purplebeatz, WC Music Corp

Knowing You – Kenny Chesney
Songwriters: Adam James, Brett James, Kat Higgins
Publishers: 3 Ring Circus, BMG Platinum Songs, Pompano Run Music, Songs of Brett, WC Music Corp

Things A Man Oughta Know – Lainey Wilson
Songwriters: Jason Nix, Jonathan Singleton, Lainey Wilson
Publishers: Sony/ATV Accent, Sony/ATV Countryside, Spirit Two Nashville, Super Big Music

VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home) – Elle King and Miranda Lambert
Producers: Angie Lorenz, Wes Edwards, James Stratakis
Directors: Alexa Kinigopoulos, Stephen Kinigopoulos

Famous Friends – Chris Young and Kane Brown
Producer: Jennifer Ansell
Director: Peter Zavadil

I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor's Version) – Taylor Swift featuring Chris Stapleton
Producers: Jil Hardin, Blake Lively, Kathy Palmer, Austin Swift
Director: Blake Lively

If I Didn't Love You – Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood
Producers: Christen Pinkston, Wesley Stebbins-Perry
Director: Shaun Silva

Never Wanted To Be That Girl – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Producer: Ryan Byrd
Director: Alexa Campbell

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Jesse Frasure
Nicolle Galyon
Ashley Gorley
Michael Hardy
Josh Osborne

MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
Buy Dirt – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan
Producer: Paul DiGiovanni
Record Company-Label: MCA Nashville

Famous Friends – Chris Young and Kane Brown
Producers: Corey Crowder, Chris Young
Record Company-Label: RCA Records Nashville

half of my hometown – Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kenny Chesney
Producers: Ross Copperman, Jimmy Robbins, Kelsea Ballerini
Record Company-Label: Black River Entertainment

If I Didn't Love You – Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood
Producer: Michael Knox
Record Company-Label: Broken Bow Records; Macon Music, LLC; BBR Music Group, BMG

Never Wanted To Be That Girl – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
Record Company-Label: Big Machine Label Group, Warner Music Nashville

The 2021 Industry Awards and Studio Recording Awards will be presented to recipients at Academy of Country Music Honors, a special event held annually in August at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

STUDIO RECORDING AWARDS

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
J.T. Cure
Mark Hill
Viktor Krauss
Jimmie Lee Sloas
Glenn Worf

DRUMMER OF THE YEAR
Chad Cromwell
Fred Eltringham
Evan Hutchings
Derek Mixon
Jerry Roe
Nir Z

ACOUSTIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Dave Cobb
Todd Lombardo
Bryan Sutton
Ilya Toshinskiy
Charlie Worsham

PIANO/KEYBOARDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
David Dorn
Charlie Judge
Billy Justineau
Gordon Mote
Benmont Tench

SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Stuart Duncan
Paul Franklin
Josh Matheny
Mickey Raphael
Kristin Wilkinson

ELECTRIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tom Bukovac
Dan Dugmore
Jedd Hughes
Rob McNelley
Derek Wells

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Buddy Cannon
Dave Cobb
Ian Fitchuk
Dann Huff
Joey Moi

INDUSTRY AWARDS
CASINO OF THE YEAR – THEATER
Agua Caliente – Rancho Mirage, CA
Choctaw Casino – Durant, OK
Deadwood Mountain Grand – Deadwood, SD
Resorts World – Las Vegas, NV
Soaring Eagle Casino – Mt. Pleasant, MI

CASINO OF THE YEAR – ARENA
Hard Rock (Live at Etess Arena) – Atlantic City, NJ
Laughlin Event Center – Laughlin, NV
Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, CT
Mystic Lake Casino – Prior Lake, MN

FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR
Carolina Country Music Fest – Myrtle Beach, SC
Country Thunder – Florence, AZ
Faster Horses Festival – Brooklyn, MI
Tortuga Music Festival – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Windy City Smokeout Festival – Chicago, IL

FAIR/RODEO OF THE YEAR
Auburn Rodeo – Auburn, AL California Mid-State Fair – Paso Robles, CA

Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, WY
Minnesota State Fair – St. Paul, MN
San Antonio Rodeo – San Antonio, TX

CLUB OF THE YEAR
Basement East – Nashville, TN
Billy Bob's – Ft. Worth, TX
Cain's Ballroom – Tulsa, OK
Coca-Cola Roxy – Atlanta, GA
Georgia Theatre – Athens, GA

THEATER OF THE YEAR
American Music Theatre – Lancaster, PA
Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center – Cincinnati, OH
Blue Gate Performing Arts Center – Shipshewana, IN
Ruth Eckerd Hall – Clearwater, FL
Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN

OUTDOOR VENUE OF THE YEAR
Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NH
Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
Saint Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, FL
The Wharf Amphitheater – Orange Beach, AL
Whitewater Amphitheater – New Braunfels, TX

ARENA OF THE YEAR
BOK Center – Tulsa, OK
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
Dickies Arena – Ft. Worth, TX
Ford Center – Evansville, IN
Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY

DON ROMEO TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR
Brent Fedrizzi
Michelle Romeo
RJ Romeo
Shawn Radley
Todd Boltin

PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Aaron Spalding
Adam Weiser
Bradley Jordan
Brian O'Connell
Ed Warm