Academy of Country Music Awards Favor the Genre’s Vets

Country music has come along way since Hank Williams Sr. sang about a tear in his beer, and the genre continues to grow in popularity even if you don’t own a truck or a cowboy hat.

All you have to do is look at this year’s crop of nominees for the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards (April 2nd, 2017) to see how much twang has crossed over into the mainstream. While we are seeing a lot of new blood, like this year’s darling Maren Morris, long-standing favorites like Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood have had banner years that deserve recognition.

It’s always tough to predict how award shows will go as there are always surprises. Could the likes of Maren Morris steal Female Vocalist of the Year from Carrie Underwood? As for Male Vocalist of the Year the ACM usually likes to set new trends like they did last year when Chris Stapleton took the award. Could that trend continue with, perhaps, Dierks Bentley taking the gold home to Nashville? Call it a plausible longshot.

In the Vocal Group and Vocal Duo categories, we shouldn’t see too many surprises. I fully expect Little Big Town to continue their dominance in the Group category, while Duo should see a battle between Brothers Osborne and the heavily favoured Florida Georgia Line.

In the Single and Song of the Year categories there is a lot of great music to choose from. Welcome back Keith Urban who scored his biggest hit in years with “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” But it will be tough to beat Amanda Lambert’s big-time hit “Vice” and Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind,” which helped propel his Damn Country Music album to the top of the charts.

Tim McGraw was also one of thirty singers who leant their voices to the song “Forever Country,” which was recorded to celebrate this year’s 50th anniversary CMA show. Artists came together to sing a mashup of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” That project got two nominations in Vocal Event of the Year and Video of the Year and could easily win in both categories.

Like all awards shows there were perceived snubs. Blake Shelton, whom most people know as one of the coaches on The Voice, released If I’m Honest, and it honestly should have received at least one nomination. Also where is Garth Brooks? One of country’s biggest legends had a massive 2016 and didn’t get one single nod. I guess those are more tears for more beers.

Personally, I’m more of a Dwight Yoakam guy (Swimmin’ Pools and Movie Stars didn’t get any noms either), but below are a list of the nominees and their odds to win. Turn’em on and turn’em up!

Academy of Country Music Awards Odds

Entertainer of the year:

Luke Bryan: 1/1
Carrie Underwood: 3/1
Jason Aldean: 9/1
Keith Urban: 9/1
Florida Georgia Line: 19/1

Male vocalist of the year:

Keith Urban: 7/13
Chris Stapleton: 4/1
Jason Aldean: 9/1
Dierks Bentley: 25/1
Thomas Rhett: 100/1

Female vocalist of the year:

Carrie Underwood: 1/3
Maren Morris: 17/3
Miranda Lambert: 15/1
Kelsea Ballerini: 50/1
Kacey Musgraves: 100/1

Vocal duo of the year:

Florida Georgia Line: 1/4
Brothers Osborne: 9/1
Dan + Shay: 12/1
Maddie & Tae: 100/1
Big & Rich: 100/1

Vocal group of the year:

Little Big Town: 1/4
Old Dominion: 17/3
Lady Antebellum: 30/1
Eli Young Band: 100/1
Rascal Flatts: 150/1

New male vocalist of the year:

(UPDATED: Award handed out on March 14th)

Brett Young: 2/3
Jon Pardi: 3/1
Chris Janson: 9/1
Kane Brown: 24/1
Chris Lane: 100/1

New female vocalist of the year:

(UPDATED: Award handed out on March 14th)

Maren Morris: 3/7
Cam: 3/1
Lauren Alaina: 25/1
Brandy Clark: 100/1

New vocal duo or group of the year:

(UPDATED: Award handed out on March 14th)

Brothers Osborne: 1/1
Maddie & Tae: 4/1
A Thousand Horses: 4/1
Dan + Shay: 12/1
LOCASH: 100/1

Album of the year:

HERO – Maren Morris: 3/2
The Weight of These Wings – Miranda Lambert: 2/1
Ripcord – Keith Urban: 3/1
Black – Dierks Bentley: 100/1
Dig Your Roots – Florida Georgia Line: 150/1

Single record of the year:

“My Church” – Maren Morris: 1/1
“Humble And Kind” – Tim McGraw: 3/1
“Vice” – Miranda Lambert: 17/3
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” – Keith Urban: 12/1
“H.O.L.Y.” – Florida Georgia Line: 50/1

Song of the year:

“Humble And Kind” – Tim McGraw: 2/1
“Vice” – Miranda Lambert: 3/1
“Die A Happy Man” – Thomas Rhett: 4/1
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” – Keith Urban: 17/3
“Tennessee Whiskey” – Chris Stapleton: 19/1
“Kill A Word” – Eric Church Featuring Rhiannon Middens: 60/1

Video of the year:

“Forever Country” – Artists of Then, Now & Forever: 2/1
“Fire Away” – Chris Stapleton: 3/1
“Vice” – Miranda Lambert: 3/1
“Humble And Kind” – Tim McGraw: 17/3
“Peter Pan” – Kelsea Ballerini: 60/1

Vocal event of the year:

“Forever Country” – Artists of Then, Now & Forever: 2/3
“Setting The World On Fire” – Kenny Chesney Featuring P!nk: 2/1
“Different For Girls” – Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King: 25/1
“Think Of You” – Chris Young Featuring Cascade Pope: 50/1
“May We All” – Florida Georgia Line Featuring Tim McGraw: 150/1