NEW YORK (AP) – Miranda Lambert, the most decorated artist in the history of the Academy of Country Music Awards, kicked off the 2021 show with rock-pop singer Elle King for a fun and energetic performance of his new duet.
Lambert and King wore matching dresses: an all-black ensemble with pink fringe hanging from Lambert’s leather jacket and King’s blue – and they sang the old song “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” by the Grand Ole Opry House Nashville, Tennessee. The performance, like many that aired Sunday night, was previously recorded at several Nashville venues, including the Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe, in front of a small audience of medical and health care workers.
There will be more moments of collaboration throughout the three-hour show. Underwood will sing with gospel legend CeCe Winans; Maren Morris will perform with her husband Ryan Hurd; and Dierks Bentley will sing U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love)” with the husband and wife duo The War and Treaty. Other performers include Blake Shelton, Alan Jackson, Dan + Shay, Lady A, Osborne Brothers and Ashley McBryde.
Lambert is nominated for five honors and has the opportunity to expand her track record. It does not compete for the top prize in the program, the host of the year, where all nominees are male artists. Among the nominees for Animator of the Year are Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church and Thomas Rhett, who won the honor last year in a draw with Underwood.
“Come in and find out he’s the artist of the year winner along with Carrie Underwood, that’s just the adrenaline rush to last you most of the year,” Rhett said in an interview Saturday. “Therefore, it is an honor to return to the ACM, nominated in this same category, it is super special. And something that I will never take for granted in a million years and that I feel very honored to be here ”.
Bryan, who was due to run for the awards, withdrew from the event because he recently tested positive for coronavirus. All other nominees for the host of the year will perform.
Another big name in country music is also missing from the show: Morgan Wallen. The singer, whose latest album and singles have been a huge hit on both country and pop charts, was declared ineligible by the ACM. after being caught on camera with a racial insult earlier this year.
Phillip Sweet, from Little Big Town, will not be taking part in the show either, as he recently tested positive for COVID-19 and his band will perform without him.
Stapleton and Morris are the top nominees with six each. Stapleton nominations include album, song and male artist of the year. Morris ’nominations include single and female artist of the year. He also got a group of the year nodded as a member of the Highwomen, the supergroup also featured Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby.
Some of the ACM winners were previously announced, including Gabby Barrett (new female artist), Jimmie Allen (new male artist) and Kane Brown (video of the year). The platinum hit of Carly Pearce and Lee Brice’s “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” co-written by Combs, won the musical event of the year.
____ AP Entertainment writer Kristin M. Hall contributed to this Nashville report.