ACM Awards Week Takes Over North Texas Ahead of 58th ACM Awards
HARDY AND LAINEY WILSON ANNOUNCED AS WINNERS OF ACM VISUAL MEDIA OF THE YEAR AWARD, HARDY REVEALED AS ACM ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR WINNER, AND ASHLEY GORLEY PROCLAIMED WINNER OF ACM SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD
(L-R: BBR Music Group’s Lainey Wilson and Big Loud’s HARDY with their ACM Awards for ACM Visual Media of the Year; Tape Room Music’s Ashley Gorley with his ACM Award for ACM Songwriter of the Year)
ACM Lifting Lives Tee-Off & Rock On Brings Country’s Biggest Acts to Topgolf to Compete in Tournament, and ACM Lifting Lives LIVE Concert on the Golf Green Delivers Unforgettable Night of Music for a Cause
Lily Rose at Topgolf Tee-Off and Rock On, Presented by VGT by Aristocrat Gaming held at the Topgolf on May 10, 2023 in The Colony, Texas.
(L-R: Big Loud Records / Back Blocks Music and Republic Records recording artist Lily Rose participating in the ACM Lifting Lives Tee-Off and Rock On golf tournament; BBR Music Group and ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee Jason Aldean performing at ACM Lifting Lives LIVE)
Top Nashville Songwriters Gather for ACM Songs & Stories Powered by The Bluebird Cafe + NSAI, Featuring ACM Songwriter of the Year Nominees
Nicolle Galyon, Chase McGill, Hunter Phelps and Ashley Gorley performs onstage at ACM Songs & Stories, Powered by The Bluebird Cafe + NSAI held at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort on May 10, 2023 in Frisco, Texas.
(L-R: ACM Songwriter of the Year nominees Nicolle Galyon, Chase McGill, Hunter Phelps, and Ashley Gorley performing to the crowd at the ACM Songs & Stories Powered by The Bluebird Cafe + NSAI; Chase McGill, The Bluebird Cafe General Manager Erika Wollam Nichols, ACM CEO Damon Whiteside, Nicolle Galyon, Ashley Gorley, and Hunter Phelps)
ACM Country Kickoff Returns to The Star for a Second Day, with Numerous ACM Award Nominees – and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders – Performing for a Packed Crowd of North Texas Fans
(L-R: The north Texas crowd cheers for performers at the ACM Country Kickoff on Wednesday night; Big Loud recording artist and ACM Music Event of the Year nominee MacKenzie Porter and BBR Music Group recording artist and ACM Music Event of the Year nominee Dustin Lynch performing together at the ACM Country Kickoff)
The 58th ACM Awards take place tonight at 7 p.m. CST at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The show is FREE to Stream on Prime Video in 240+ countries and territories, with the red carpet show beginning on Prime Video at 6 p.m. CST
FRISCO, TX — The Academy of Country Music’s ACM Awards week kicked into high gear on Wednesday as the powerhouse trade association held numerous major events across north Texas, leading into the 58th ACM Awards taking place tonight at 7 p.m. CST at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. ACM Songs and Stories Powered by The Bluebird Cafe + NSAI brought four of the ACM Songwriter of the Year nominees to the brand-new Omni PGA Frisco Hotel for an intimate celebration featuring acoustic performances of many of the year’s biggest hits paired with the tales behind the chart-topping records. Hosted by beloved actor and singer-songwriter Charles Esten (Nashville, Outer Banks), the brunch featured Nicolle Galyon, Ashley Gorley, ChaseMcGill, and Hunter Phelps performing some of their top hits for an enthusiastic crowd. After the show, Esten surprised Gorley with his first ACM Award for ACM Songwriter of the Year.
Throughout the afternoon and into the evening, north Texas Country Music fans were able to enjoy live performances from ACM Award nominees and exciting up-and-coming artists as they took the stage at the ACM Country Kickoff at The Star free fan festival, surrounded by food trucks, photo activations, brand pop-ups, exclusive merch shops, and more. Artists included ACM New Male Artist of the Year nominees Dylan Scott and Nate Smith; ACM New Female Artist of the Year nominee Caitlyn Smith; ACM Music Event of the Year nominee MacKenzie Porter, who surprised the crowd with a special appearance by her chart-topping duet partner Dustin Lynch; as well as Chayce Beckham, Chapel Hart, Hannah Ellis, Tiera Kennedy, Catie Offerman, Josh Ross, and MaRynn Taylor. Also pumping the crowd up in their iconic fashion were the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, who kicked off day two of the open-to-the-public Country Music celebration, held at Tostitos Championship Plaza at the Star, right in front of Ford Center.
(L-R: Monument Records recording artist and ACM New Female Artist of the Year nominee Caitlyn Smith performs at the ACM Country Kickoff at The Star; Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders start off the second day of the ACM Country Kickoff with a performance to the north Texas crowd)
Topgolf The Colony was taken over by ACM Lifting Lives to host its all-star Tee-Off and Rock On golf tournament, always an industry favorite of ACM Awards week, as well as the ACM Lifting Lives LIVE benefit concert, which featured live performances from ACM Award nominees Bailey Zimmerman, ERNEST, Lainey Wilson, Jason Aldean, and HARDY in front of a packed crowd out on the golf green and was hosted by SiriusXM The Highway’s Storme Warren, all to raise money for ACM Lifting Lives’ vital work to improve lives through the power of music. As the sun set, Ashley Gorley, who was awarded ACM Songwriter of the Year earlier in the day, surprised HARDY with the ACM Award for Artist-Songwriter of the Year. After the show was over, HARDY and Lainey Wilson were surprised by Warren with the news that they had won the award for ACM Visual Media of the Year for their music video for wait in the truck.
Bailey Zimmerman at ACM Lifting Lives LIVE, Presented by VGT by Aristocrat Gaming, held at Topgolf on May 10, 2023 in The Colony, TX, as part of ACM Awards week.
ERNEST at ACM Lifting Lives LIVE, Presented by VGT by Aristocrat Gaming, held at Topgolf on May 10, 2023 in The Colony, TX, as part of ACM Awards week.
(On stage performing at ACM Lifting Lives LIVE –
Left photo: Warner Music Nashville/Elektra artist and ACM New Male Artist of the Year nominee Bailey Zimmerman; center photo: Big Loud Records artist ERNEST; right photo: HARDY and Lainey Wilson)
Rehearsals for the 58th ACM Awards also continued on Wednesday, with performers including Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, and Keith Urban, as well as special guest Ed Sheeran, taking the stage in preparation for the globally livestreaming show on Thursday night.
(On stage at ACM Awards rehearsals – Left photo: Atlantic Records UK artist Ed Sheeran; Right photo: Capitol Records Nashville artist Keith Urban)
ACM Awards Media Row also offered ACM Award nominees, presenters, and performers, as well as artists playing the ACM Country Kickoff festival, an opportunity to speak with top Country radio stations, syndicated shows, and groups from across the U.S.
And ACM Radio Award winners for the 58th ACM Awards were celebrated at Frisco’s Monarch Stag Cocktail Bar, just blocks away from the ACM Country Kickoff at The Star, toasting their well-deserved recognition and the vitality of Country Radio.
EPK footage from ACM Awards Week is available HERE.
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Photos from ACM Awards Week are available HERE.
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About the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards
The world’s biggest Country Music show is set for Thursday, May 11, as legends Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks host the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco at 7 p.m. CT. Back in Texas for the first time since the record-breaking 50th anniversary celebration in 2015, “Country Music’s Party of the Year” will livestream in more than 240 countries and territories exclusively on Prime Video. Limited tickets have just been released and are available on SeatGeek, while the full rebroadcast will stream for free on Friday, May 12 on Freevee.
The ACM’s made history in 2022 as the first major awards ceremony to exclusively livestream, partnering with Prime Video. For the 2023 event, the show is again partnering with Prime Video on an exclusive global live stream.
About the Academy of Country Music
Founded in Southern California in 1964 as a regional trade organization, the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC (ACM) has grown in the almost-60 years since into a leading association for the country music industry. Now headquartered in Nashville, TN and boasting record-high membership of nearly 5,000 nationwide, the Academy serves as a powerhouse advocate for country fans, artists, and all facets of the business, as well as a supporter of philanthropic work through charitable partner ACM LIFTING LIVES, dedicated to improving lives through the power of music and providing aid in times of need, with a focus on health initiatives. 2023 looks to be another monumental year for the Academy, with the ACM Awards returning to Texas on May 11 and streaming live for a global audience on Prime Video, still the only major awards show to livestream. The Academy also remains relentlessly committed to creating a more inclusive environment for underrepresented groups in country music, from the boardroom to the stage, and over the last year has launched both ACM LEVel Up, a two-year professional development and enrichment curriculum for rising leaders, and OnRamp, a guaranteed income program for Black members of the Nashville music community, in partnership with the Black Music Action Coalition. For more information, log onto ACMcountry.com or ACMLiftingLives.org.
About The Star
The Star is the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and training facility in Frisco, Texas. Developed as a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of Frisco, Frisco ISD and the Dallas Cowboys, The Star features Ford Center, a 12,000-seat stadium that hosts Frisco ISD football games, concerts and other events; Cowboys Fit, a 60,000 square-foot gym developed in partnership with leading fitness developer, Mark Mastrov; Cowboys Club, a members-only club where the country club meets the NFL; the Omni Frisco Hotel, a 16-floor, 300-room luxury hotel; Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star, a 300,000 square-foot center of excellence for sports medicine; Twelve Cowboys Way, a 17-story, luxury residential tower in partnership between Pro Football Hall-of-Fame Quarterback #12 Roger Staubach, and Dallas-based developer and former Dallas Cowboys center, Robert Shaw; Formation, a dynamic coworking experience offering a collaborative work environment of open workspace, dedicated desks and private offices; as well as a variety of shopping, dining and nightlife options throughout The Star District. For more information on The Star, visit www.TheStarInFrisco.com.
Media Contacts
Academy of Country Music: Jesse Knutson, jesse@acmcountry.com
Tony Fay: Angela Lang, angela@tonyfaypr.com and Tami Carr, tami@tonyfaypr.com
Courtesy of ACM