~ New Music Monday ~ ACM Predictions ~ March 28 ~

Happy #NewMusicMonday Y'all!!!! As I shared in a previous post that you can find HERE, I am somewhat upset by this years Academy of Country Music Awards nominations. I truly am baffled by the absence of certain artists and groups. I feel similarly about radio. I can't decide if it is politics, fear of the new and unknown, or just flat out ignorance that keep certain players out of the game. Anyway, I have a true belief that many will get their shot in due time. Until then, let's discuss this years nominations and who we think might be taking home a new trophy.

 

We will start with the categories that already have winners. Last week the ACM's announced the winners for the Best New Group, Female and Male artists. Best New Group went to Old Dominion, Best New Female is Kelsey Ballerini and to none of our surprise Best New Male is Chris Stapleton, as it should be. I have no major qualms with any of those winners. Best New Female was a seriously stacked category that I can see would be difficult to make a vote on. Let's be honest, any category with Chris Stapleton in it is basically a no brainer and I would've liked to have seen Brothers Osborne or Maddie and Tae take New Group, but I digress.

New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year
A Thousand Horses
Brothers Osborne
Maddie & Tae
Old Dominion
Parmalee

New Female Vocalist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Cam
Mickey Guyton
RaeLynn

New Male Vocalist of the Year
Brett Eldredge
Chris Janson
Thomas Rhett
Chase Rice
Chris Stapleton

WARNING: This video requires tissues or

emotions of steel. It is on point and a very

creative way to shine a light on mental illness.

Chris Stapleton "Fire Away"

fr "Traveler"

Miranda Lambert - Kennedy Center Honors

The Eagles - "Desperado"

Now, onto the other nominations -

Entertainer of the Year - This is always a difficult category in my opinion. It takes a lot to even be considered so usually it is real tried and true entertainers who have been around for a minute that are nominated. I would LOVE to see Miranda take this one. EOY is usually a male dominated category, but I think that Miranda is a female artist who holds her own onstage as well as everywhere else. I think it would be amazing for her to walk away with this one. However, I think that if trend and recent past winners are any indication then Luke very well may win this one again, for the third or fourth year in a row. If there is a surprise upset, it would be Church. Everyone feels he has been in the category for long enough with out actually winning, so you never know. This could be his year.

Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Miranda Lambert
Eric Church

Male Vocalist - If the CMA's are our only guide post that we can go ahead and start engraving this for Christ Stapleton. Which I support. Brett Eldredge won Best New Artist either last year or the year before that so it is very possible he would be moving his way up this year, but with all that Stapleton has accomplished since the CMA's I'm unsure I see it really happening this year.

Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Eric Church
Brett Eldredge
Chris Stapleton
Dierks Bentley

Female Vocalist - Miranda has won this category so many times that I have quit counting. While I LOVE Miranda I think that even she is kind of over her winning streak here. I would like to see Kacey Musgraves win this year. She is an amazing writer who has actually written for Miranda as well as a variety of other artists. Her Rhinestone Revue tour has been going swimmingly and she was nominated for a Grammy this year. I think she deserves this win. I think that Kramer and Ballerini are both respectable artists in their own rights, but I just think it is too soon for them to be considered for Best Female. Ballerini is just about to release her third single and Kramer released I believe only one single this last year. I like them both, I just don't think that they need to be in this category yet.

Female Vocalist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Jana Kramer
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

Vocal Duo - Speaking of winning streaks we are all ready to end....If history repeats itself then FGL will win for like the eleventieth time. But I think that the industry and community very well could give it to Joey + Rory out of respect for all that they contributed to Country music in their short time in the industry and in memoriam of Joey Feek who passed away from ovarian cancer just a few weeks ago. The Country Music community is familial like that. They consider such things when voting. If neither of these things happen I would like to see Maddie and Tae win honestly. I think that they are a talented pair of female writer/performers. Again, they are young and technically fall into my ideas of "rules and regulations" for nominations, i.e. Kramer/Ballerini mentioned above, but I just feel like this pair is here to stay and deserve a win. I can't even help it.

Vocal Duo of the Year
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie + Tae
Joey + Rory

Vocal Group - Based on my above statements it would seem that I am a repeat hater, but that is not true. I would have no problems with Little Big Town taking this one home again. If not LBT I would like Eli Young Band to win. They have been around for a while and haven't had the award wins or even radio play that they should. They fall into the category of my earlier rant about politics, etc.

Vocal Group of the Year
Eli Young Band
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band - " You Make Loving You Easy"

fr "Jekyll + Hyde"

Eric Church "Mr. Misunderstood"

fr "Mr. Misunderstood"

Album of the Year - Church's "Mr. Misunderstood" was a surprise release that dropped just after the CMA's aired. Literally, right after. It's only been out a few months and has only release one single I believe. I love me some Church, but this album is just getting started. I wouldn't be mad if he won, but I think that I want it to go to Stapletons' "Traveller" or Hunts' "Montevallo". Yes, Hunt falls into my too new too young category, but "Montevallo" is just that good in my opinion. Chris Young has been around and is a classically trained vocalist. He has several albums and number ones under his belt and his current single with Cassadee Pope is number 1 on GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown for several weeks in a row. I think that if there are any surprises, it could be him.

Album of the Year
Eric Church, Mr. Misunderstood
Sam Hunt, Montevallo
Thomas Rhett, Tangled Up
Chris Young, I’m Comin’ Over
Chris Stapleton, Traveller

 

Single Record of the Year - "Girl Crush" has been a winner at every show it's invited to so, I think it is a obvious potential win. Cams',"Burning House" has been critically acclaimed in several genre's making it a solid contender, same with Sam Hunts, "Take Your Time". Personally, I would like to see LBT, Cam or Sam take this category. It is no secret I am a major fan of both LBT and Cam, but I was a little slow on my affections for Hunt. However, now that I have listened to his debut EP "Montevallo" many, many times I am on board. Yes, he is different. No, he is NOT "traditional" country, but I think these may be some of his best qualities. Hunt was nominated for Best New Artists at this years Grammy's and AMA's. That is a all genre category where he was against artists like The Weekend. I think that the conversations he is bringing to country music by being selected for such awards is great. It is getting people to reconsider what they thought country was and give it a listen with a fresh ear. I think that artists like Hunt, Cam, &  Ballerini are bringing fans, who had never before considered themselves "country" fans, into the country music community and that is GREAT!!!!!

Single Record of the Year
“Burning House,” Cam
“Buy Me a Boat,” Chris Janson
“Die a Happy Man,” Thomas Rhett
“Girl Crush,” Little Big Town
“I’m Comin’ Over,” Chris Young
“Take Your Time,” Sam Hunt

Cam "Burning House"

fr "Untamed"

Video of the Year - So, my reasoning is going to possibly crack you up, enrage you, or totally make sense because you know me well. I would like to see Cams', "Burning House" win here for multiple reasons. 1. Yes, it is an AMAZING video. Gorgeous in everyway. Trey Fanjoy knew exactly what she was doing in the making of this. 2. Burning House has been such a hit that it would be no surprise that its video would be as well. 3. Here is where you may trip out, when planning to actually set a house on fire for this video the director, producers, etc. arranged for it to be used in fire fighter training for local fire stations. Y'ALL KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT REPURPOSING!!!!! I absolutely love that they thought that far in advance with this shoot. It literally makes me giddy. Back to the category, this is a category similar to EOY, everyone in it is in it with good reason. I do not think I would have a problem with any of these choices being a winner. Each video was amazing in its own right and fit the song it went with. All are creative and have been on video countdowns since their release. I guess we will have to wait and see with this one.

Video of the Year
“Biscuits,” Kacey Musgraves
“Burning House,” Cam
“Girl Crush,” Little Big Town
“Mr. Misunderstood,” Eric Church
“Riser,” Dierks Bentley

Song of the Year - Since the moment I heard Eric Paslay's, "She Don't Love You" I thought it was a SOY contender. I am so super happy to see that the ACM's agreed with me on that. It is such a beautiful song, but the songs it is up against are serious legit heavy hitters. As I mentioned earlier, "Girl Crush" has won at every show it's been invited to and I have already shared my love of Cam and Stapletons' work. I could see any of these songs winning and I don't think I would be disappointed by any of them.

Song of the Year
“Burning House,” Cam
“Girl Crush,” Little Big Town
“Nobody to Blame,” Chris Stapleton
“Raise ‘Em Up,” Keith Urban feat. Eric Church
“She Don’t Love You,” Eric Paslay

Eric Paslay - "She Don't Love You"

 

Keith Urban FT Eric Church

"Raise 'Em Up"

Vocal Event of the Year - My vote in this category goes to Keith Urban featuring Eric Church with "Raise 'Em Up", co-written by Jaren Johnston of The Cadillac Three and performed perfectly by two artists whose style couldn't be more different, it is a wonderful tune!!!! A milipoint behind "Raise 'Em Up" is Miranda Lambert with Little Big Towns, "Smokin' and Drinkin'". This song is a time machine and if you listen to it and don't automatically go back to either your High School or College experience then I feel like you aren't listening to it correctly.

Vocal Event of the Year
“Hangover Tonight,” Gary Allan (Feat. Chris Stapleton)
“Home Alone Tonight,” Luke Bryan (Feat. Karen Fairchild)
“Raise ‘Em Up,” Keith Urban (Feat. Eric Church)
“Smokin’ and Drinkin’,” Miranda Lambert (Feat. Little Big Town)
“Wild Child,” Kenny Chesney (Feat. Grace Potter)

 

The ACM's air THIS SUNDAY, April 3rd on CBS @ 8 p.m. Eastern Standard. Let's watch together and see if any of my predictions are winners!!!!

To see past #NewMusicMonday posts featuring some of the nominees type "New Music Monday" into the blogs search bar.