2014 ACM Awards: Staff Picks & Predictions

And they’re back: The 2014 ACM Awards air live on Sunday at 7 p.m. CST, hosted by Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan. They’re sure to be enraging or amusing, depending on your bro-country meter. In the meantime, we’ve picked and predicted the awards below – chime in with your thoughts!

Entertainer of the Year

Luke Bryan

Should Win

  • Luke Bryan 
  • Miranda Lambert
  • Blake Shelton
  • George Strait – KJC, TS, BF
  • Taylor Swift

Will Win

  • Luke Bryan – KJC, TS, BF, JK
  • Miranda Lambert
  • Blake Shelton
  • George Strait
  • Taylor Swift

Ben: No, Strait didn’t have the biggest year, but he’s still the only nominee whom I can truly endorse as the face of country music in 2014. At this point the Carrie Underwood snubs have ceased to surprise me.

Jonathan: If his fans’ votes were enough to give him the surprise win last year, there’s no reason to think Bryan won’t repeat, given that his profile only seems to have grown throughout 2013. All five of the nominees are equally sort-of deserving of a win based on relative metrics of commercial stats and quality of their output, while the most obvious, most deserving winner of this award was yet again left off the ballot.

Tara: Strait’s putting on a heck of a farewell tour, and I appreciate the CMA voters for recognizing that last year. I’m doubtful he’ll have that effect on the ACM voter demographic, though; this one’s Bryan’s to lose … but really, truly, belongs to Underwood.

Kevin: Strait’s victory at last year’s CMA Awards was the highlight of the night. But I agree with the consensus. Fan votes have this thing locked up for Bryan.

Male Vocalist of the YearBlake Shelton2

Should Win

  • Jason Aldean – TS
  • Lee Brice
  • Luke Bryan – KJC
  • Blake Shelton
  • Keith Urban

Will Win

  • Jason Aldean
  • Lee Brice
  • Luke Bryan – KJC, TS, BF, JK
  • Blake Shelton
  • Keith Urban

Ben: Bryan seems to have had the biggest year, but I’m not personally invested in any of these choices.

Jonathan: I’d be more excited about seeing new blood in this line-up if I were in any way impressed with Brice. Just looking at mainstream stars who had hits during the eligibility period, a superior slate of nominees could be culled from Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Easton Corbin, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, and Chris Young.

Tara: I’ll be damned if Aldean hasn’t grown on me over the past few years. His material is still too uneven for me to get behind, but I’ve come to begrudgingly respect his appeal. My guess is his crown will go to Bryan, though.

Kevin: I like the fact that after the endless streak from Paisley, we’ve gotten different winners in the past two years. The only two who haven’t won yet are Brice and Bryan. The latter is the only one at the level to warrant a win at this time.

Female Vocalist of the Year

Kacey Musgraves

Should Win

  • Sheryl Crow
  • Miranda Lambert
  • Kacey Musgraves – KJC, BF
  • Taylor Swift
  • Carrie Underwood – TS

Will Win

  • Sheryl Crow
  • Miranda Lambert – TS, BF, JK
  • Kacey Musgraves – KJC
  • Taylor Swift
  • Carrie Underwood

Ben: Lambert’s status as one of this year’s leading nominees indicates that voters still have the hots for her. Her reign will end eventually, but I won’t bet on it happening this time around.

Jonathan: Brandy Clark LeAnn Rimes Ashley Monroe Kellie Pickler Julie Roberts Holly Williams No? On the brightside, Crow managed to snag the fifth slot instead of either of Blake Shelton’s overpraised “The Voice” winners, but that’s really where the good news ends. It seems premature for Musgraves to win this award, and I’m honestly still not all that enamored of her beyond “Follow Your Arrow.” I’ve been pulling for Underwood of late, but both she and Swift ended this eligibility period with two of their worst singles, so I’d have reservations about seeing either of them win. Lambert seems poised to repeat based on her haul of nominations; as fun as “Mama’s Broken Heart” is, I’d feel better about this streak of hers had it spanned her far superior Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Revolution eras.

Tara: I’m sticking with Underwood for one more cycle, mostly because Musgraves’ charming “Follow Your Arrow” didn’t really make its (relatively small) impact until after the eligibility period. It’s hard to swallow how many of these awards Lambert is racking up between the ACM’s and the CMA’s, but I suspect the trend will continue.

Kevin: Go big or go home. Musgraves is the ACM’s opportunity to definitively position itself as the more substantive country awards show, a status they’ve been flirting with as the CMA’s have moved in the opposite direction. I think she’ll pull it off, and I’ll be happy to see her do it.

Vocal Duo of the YearFGL

Should Win

  • Big & Rich
  • Dan + Shay
  • Florida Georgia Line – KJC
  • Love and Theft
  • Thompson Square – TS, JK

Will Win

  • Big & Rich
  • Dan + Shay
  • Florida Georgia Line – KJC, TS, BF, JK
  • Love and Theft
  • Thompson Square

Ben: This category remains lame and pointless as ever, but at least I can give credit for the fact that they finally stopped shoehorning in Sugarland.

Jonathan: Thompson Square is the only one of these five acts who released a single that I didn’t absolutely hate during the past year. While that’s an accomplishment of sorts, it’s hardly one that should keep this category from being combined with the Vocal Group race.

Tara: I don’t mind Thompson Square. That’s the best thing I can say about this line-up.

Kevin: I’m not really a fan of any of these acts, so again, I’ll root for variety. Thompson Square has two wins already. Florida Georgia Line had a great year. Give them their due, and then perhaps we can forget they ever happened.

Vocal Group of the YearLittle Big Town

Should Win

  • Eli Young Band
  • Lady Antebellum
  • Little Big Town – TS, JK
  • The Band Perry
  • Zac Brown Band – KJC

Will Win

  • Eli Young Band
  • Lady Antebellum
  • Little Big Town
  • The Band Perry – KJC, TS, JK, BJF
  • Zac Brown Band

Jonathan: I couldn’t vote against Little Big Town during a year when they released “Sober,” but Zac Brown Band continues to release solid material and remains overdue for recognition. The Band Perry have a run of huge hit singles– the first two of which were as clever and progressive as anything country radio has touched in a minute– to their credit during the eligibility period. Momentum seems to be on their side at the moment, and I think they’ll score the night’s only real upset.

Tara: The Band Perry are walking a skillful line between commercial and creative, and I think they’ll be rewarded. As for me, I’m clinging to Little Big Town at least until the exquisite “Sober” becomes old news.

Kevin: I think that The Band Perry is best positioned to win, but Zac Brown Band is the most overdue.

Ben: I’m torn between picking The Band Perry for having had such a strong year, and picking Little Big Town for releasing one of my favorite singles of 2013. But despite Little Big Town’s recent hot streak, I expect The Band Perry’s commercial stats will net them their first win in this category.

New Artist of the Year2012 CMT Music Awards Rehearsals - Day 1

Should Win

  • Brett Eldredge
  • Justin Moore
  • Kip Moore – KJC, TS, BF

Will Win

  • Brett Eldredge
  • Justin Moore – TS, JK, BF
  • Kip Moore

Jonathan: Of these three, Justin Moore has been building his fanbase for the longest period of time, so it seems logical that he’ll win based on the fan vote.

Tara: I’ve been in Kip Moore’s corner for a few years now, but doubt he’ll take this. True story: Sometimes I think Justin Moore and Brice are the same person.

Album of the Year

Same Trailer

Should Win

  • Blake Shelton, Based on a True Story…
  • Luke Bryan, Crash My Party
  • Florida Georgia Line, Here’s to the Good Times
  • Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer Different Park – KJC, TS, BF, JK
  • Tim McGraw, Two Lanes of Freedom

Will Win

  • Blake Shelton, Based on a True Story… JK
  • Luke Bryan, Crash My Party
  • Florida Georgia Line, Here’s to the Good Times
  • Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer Different Park – TS, KJC, BF
  • Tim McGraw, Two Lanes of Freedom

Ben: Musgraves is the only one deserving of a nomination, let alone a win.

Jonathan: 2013 was an extraordinary year for country music, and that is in no way reflected in this appalling slate of nominees. Musgraves’ album is the only one that belongs in any conversation about the best of contemporary country. But there seems to be some growing consensus that Shelton is owed something more than his own celebrity status, so he’s the most likely winner.

Tara: A  part of me thinks the voters will ride the 2013 Musgraves fan train and use this as an opportunity to show some relevance. But that’s a gamble of a guess, considering the atrocious other nominees.

Kevin: They’ve been more supportive of good art in this category than the CMA’s lately, so I’m thinking Musgraves has this wrapped up, and the ACM will be the tiebreaker between the Grammys and the CMA’s.

Single Record of the YearMama's Broken Heart

Should Win

  • Florida Georgia Line, “Cruise”
  • Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, “Highway Don’t Care”
  • Lee Brice, “I Drive Your Truck”
  • Miranda Lambert, “Mama’s Broken Heart” – KJC, BF, TS, JK
  • Darius Rucker featuring Lady Antebellum, “Wagon Wheel”

Will Win

  • Florida Georgia Line, “Cruise” – TS, BF, JK
  • Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, “Highway Don’t Care” – KJC
  • Lee Brice, “I Drive Your Truck”
  • Miranda Lambert, “Mama’s Broken Heart”
  • Darius Rucker featuring Lady Antebellum, “Wagon Wheel”

Jonathan: A case could be made for any of these five singles actually winning, but I’ll let my pessimism about the overall nominations carry the most weight here and say that “Cruise” will win. “Mama’s Broken Heart” is only Lambert’s fifth-or-sixth-best single, but it’s easily the class of this field.

Tara: “Cruise” is too big for the voters to ignore, and that’s both depressing and funny. I wouldn’t be disappointed if the Rucker or Brice singles won, but Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart” is clearly a cut above the rest with its sharp songwriting and spitting, bullet of a performance.

Kevin: Love the Lambert track, but the star power of McGraw/Swift/Urban seems hard to deny.

Song of the Year

WagonWheel

Should Win

  • “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” – Gary Allan, Hillary Lindsey, Matthew Warren
  • “I Drive Your Truck” – Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Jimmy Yeary
  • “Mama’s Broken Heart” – Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves – KJC, TS, BF
  • “Mine Would Be You” – Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Deric Ruttan
  • “Wagon Wheel” – Bob Dylan, Ketch Secor – JK

Will Win

  • “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” – Gary Allan, Hillary Lindsey, Matthew Warren
  • “I Drive Your Truck” – Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Jimmy Yeary – TS, JK
  • “Mama’s Broken Heart” – Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves – KJC, BF
  • “Mine Would Be You” – Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Deric Ruttan
  • “Wagon Wheel” – Bob Dylan, Ketch Secor

Jonathan: “Wagon Wheel” has become as close to a standard as any song in recent memory, and that generally doesn’t happen just by accident. This is one of the few times when Brandy Clark would be my second choice for a winner. The success of “I Drive Your Truck” propelled Brice to a surprising haul of nominations this year, though, and it’s clear that the song has resonated with a sizable bloc of voters.

Tara: This isn’t an awful line-up. I personally get the most kicks out of “Mama’s Broken Heart,” but I could make a case for all five songs, even the somewhat underrated “Mine Would Be You.” I have a gut feeling “I Drive Your Truck” will win on emotional heft, though.

Kevin: Perhaps it’s overly wishful thinking, but with “Merry Go Round” not in the running, voters have a clear path to rewarding both Musgraves and Clark, along with sending some more hardware Lambert’s way.

Video of the YearTwo Black Cadillacs

Should Win

  • The Band Perry, “Better Dig Two”
  • Kacey Musgraves, “Blowin’ Smoke”
  • Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, “Highway Don’t Care”
  • Lee Brice, “I Drive Your Truck”
  • Miranda Lambert, “Mama’s Broken Heart”
  • Carrie Underwood, “Two Black Cadillacs” – KJC, TS, BF, JK

Will Win

  • The Band Perry, “Better Dig Two”
  • Kacey Musgraves, “Blowin’ Smoke”
  • Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, “Highway Don’t Care” – BF
  • Lee Brice, “I Drive Your Truck”
  • Miranda Lambert, “Mama’s Broken Heart” – JK, TS
  • Carrie Underwood, “Two Black Cadillacs” – KJC

Jonathan: The video for “Blowin’ Smoke” looks like a reel of B-roll footage from Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects, which was an interesting aesthetic choice but was still nowhere near as fun as the Christine homage in “Two Black Cadillacs.”

Tara: I dig the tongue-in-cheek realism of Musgraves’ video and the whimsy of Lambert’s, but Underwood makes the most unexpected, imaginative choice.

Kevin: They’ve got to give Underwood something, right?  I’m not a huge fan of the video, really. The song is awfully suggestive, but doesn’t come right out and say that the two ladies killed the guy. So the video takes that opening and decides, “The car did it!” But at least it’s a video. The others are just YouTube fodder.

Vocal Event of the YearHighway Don't Care

Should Win

  • Blake Shelton featuring Pistol Annies and Friends, “Boys ‘Round Here”
  • Florida Georgia Line featuring Nelly, “Cruise” (Remix)
  • Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, “Highway Don’t Care” – KJC, JK, BF
  • Darius Rucker featuring Lady Antebellum, “Wagon Wheel” – TS
  • Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert, “We Were Us

Will Win

  • Blake Shelton featuring Pistol Annies and Friends, “Boys ‘Round Here”
  • Florida Georgia Line featuring Nelly, “Cruise” (Remix)
  • Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, “Highway Don’t Care” – KJC, BF
  • Darius Rucker featuring Lady Antebellum, “Wagon Wheel”
  • Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert, “We Were Us – TS, JK

Jonathan: Hillary Scott’s shrill attempts at singing harmony are the worst part of Rucker’s cover of “Wagon Wheel,” and hopefully the two hip-hop-circa-2003-inspired singles will split votes. “We Were Us” is the worst sounding track of the five– which is really saying something about how we’ve forever lost the Loudness War– but it seems like Lambert is going to have a big night.

Tara: I’ll go with “Wagon Wheel” by default, though its collaboration does it absolutely no favors, as Jonathan said. Even still, it’s far above these other middling to obnoxious (so loud!) singles.

Kevin: Fair warning. If Florida Georgia Line/Nelly win, I’m out. Done. No live blog for me after that!

24 Comments

  1. Just a heads up, Brett Eldredge was actually the nominee for New Artist, not Lee Brice.

    Nice selections. I’m hoping Kacey can win something at this show. If she doesn’t, the ACMs will become the least critically engaged show, after the Grammys and CMAs. I also wonder if they will try to get George Strait to win EOTY so as not to be “out-classed” by the CMAs.

  2. It does appear that Miranda will win FVOTY once again but I am hoping someone else wins. I would love to see it go to Carrie since she did not get that EOTY nomination.

    Just to add what is up with the lack of female performances this year. Kacey has 6 nominations and she is not performing. Miranda is the only
    FVOTY with a full performance slot. She is also doing the duet with George. Sheryl Crow gets to perform but has to sing with Dierks on his song. Taylor and Carrie are not performing which is probably due to them not having any new music out right now. There are at least 6 males performing that don’t even have any nominations. Where are the women?

  3. Dolly asks “Where are the women?”. They’ll be at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Sunday night with Maryland playing Notre Dame and Stamford playing UConn in the semifinals of the Women’s Final Four. I’ll be in my living room watching these women instead of this awful ACM show.

    Now if the ACM nominees or performers included Brandy Clark, Jennifer Nettles, Striking Matches, Maggie Rose, Ashley Monroe, – just to name a few – I’d be tempted to watch or at least record the show.

  4. Is Bro-Country over yet?? I don’t know how much more of this I can take…
    The women of country music are doing everything they can to save the genre but no one important seems to care.

  5. I am so sick of the so called power couple of Blake Shelton / Miranda Lambert couple winning every award for the last several years. There is so much politics, especially with these two and their label, that I can’t watch awards shows any more. I will watch the CMA awards in November but that is only because I love the hosts, Carrie and Brad!

  6. I agree with many of the posts above:

    1) Also sick of Blake and Miranda winning every award. Since they got married a few years ago it seems they get everything. There are better performers than these two on the male and female side.

    2) Enough of the country music love for the males and always dissing the females. The charts are dominated by males and their songs about trucks and beer drinking are getting old. There are so many great female artists that aren’t getting the attention they deserve other than Miss Lambert!

  7. Wow the country music establishment and radio really do seem to have a huge problem with women. I know that I always sound like a Miranda defender here (and I am). But there is little competition for her in the female vocalist category. We can’t blamer her. She is doing some great stuff. We have to blame country radio for not playing other women enough. She released two great records, “Mama’s Broken Heart” and “All Kinds of Kinds.” They were both critically acclaimed and “MBH” was a huge hit. I think that those two records are very progressive. They do not sound like anything else on the radio. In fact, “MBH” did not even seem like a single to me the first time I heard it. I thought it was too different for radio. Miranda continues to be the only female to release those risky sounding records AND have chart success AND critical acclaim. In fact, Miranda has never been an artist (unlike Carrie) who just puts out a record and have it automatically shoot to number one with full support of radio and the establishment. Carrie had that unconditional radio support from the beginning. Miranda’s rise has been a slow build. It may seem like she’s always been at the top, but she grinded her way there and slowly overtook Carrie’s place as the face of wommen in country. It took her a long time to get traction with radio. In fact, “All Kinds of Kinds” was not a huge radio hit and “Automatic” is doing some strange up and down moves in the top twenty even though it debuted very high. I’m just saying, she’s not as mainstream musically as people seem to think.

    In addition, the women of country are veering towards more traditional American-esqe, original work right now. Ashley Munroe, Brandy Clark, Kacey Musgraves, Sunny Sweeney, etc….Their work is not considered to be mainstream. They are not Shania-esque Barbie dolls. They are liberal sounding, intelligent, edgy women who are making the most relevant music in the genre. Forget about the faux male outlaws on the radio. These women are the real outlaws. They are the ones who are cutting the edge. They are more the Haggards and the Kristoffersons than the men who are name-dropping the legends while making super easy lazy country pop.

    I mean, it shouldn’t come down to Miranda being overly rewarded. There should be more competition for her in these categories. But since there isn’t, she deserves it again.

    Oh, and by the way, is Gary Allan the most dis-respected successful, chart-topper in country history? I mean, geez. The guy releases critically acclaimed music that is also huge on the radio. He is so under-appreciated by the industry.

  8. Interesting comments by Martin, especially his second paragraph. Right after reading his remarks about “edgy women” and “real outlaws”, I hear Emily West’s “Made for the radio” for the first time. It will probably never be played on the radio.

  9. I pretty much agree with all of Martin’s points. Excelent points about the women. If we want to talk “outlaws” or whatever, they do seem to be the real ones making country music right now. I’m right there with you on the Miranda Lambert support too. She’s one of the few mainstream artists that I still like.

  10. These are my predictions for the ACMs

    Entertainer
    Want: George Strait – Cause George Strait. I wouldn’t mind if Miranda won, though.
    Will: Luke Bryan – It looks like country fans are finally over Taylor Swift. If it’s fan voting, I guess Luke will win, but Blake also could win due to his seemingly never-ending stint on The Voice.

    Male Vocalist
    Want: I fail to give a damn about the nominees
    Will: Luke/Blake– I just can’t see Keith Urban ever winning again and Lee Brice is a real long shot. Dating the woman who caused his divorce may *slightly* affect Jason’s chances (*slightly* = completely effing blown it)

    Female Vocalist
    Want: Carrie Underwood/Miranda Lambert/Kacey Musgraves – I am honestly fine with any of these three winning. I would be even more ecstatic if Carrie won. But, to be completely honest, KM & ML’s singles last year were much better than Two Black Cadillacs and especially See You Again. P.S. Where are Brandy Clark, Ashley Monroe, Holly Williams etc.?
    Will: Miranda Lambert – Country Awards shows seem infatuated with Blake and Miranda nowadays. She has already won 4 awards; I don’t see that streak stopping for at least another year. But, if her streak finally comes to an end, I think Kacey should have a decent shot of winning.

    Single
    Want: Mama’s Broken Heart (Miranda Lambert) – I absolutely love this song. To be fair, I would be content with any else except Cruise
    Will: Cruise (FGL) – Alas, dipshit bro-country prevails again.

    Song
    Want: Mama’s Broken Heart (Kacey Musgraves/Shane McAnally/Brandy Clark) –I have an undying love for all three of these songwriters, so this is indubitably my choice. Plus, it is such a smart and witty song. However, I did still love Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain), because Gary Allan.
    Will: I Drive Your Truck (Jessi Alexander/Connie Harington/Jimmy Yeary) – It won at the CMAs last year. It seems likely that it could win again.

    Album
    Want: Same Trailer Different Park (Kacey Musgraves) – The one gem in this coalmine of shitty bro-country. Bringing back real music into mainstream. I love this album, and never tire of hearing it. Literally, I had it on a loop for a whole week once, 24/7. P.S. Again, where are Ashley, Brandy, LeAnn, Kellie, Sturgill, Jason, Caitlin, Vince etc.?
    Will: Based On A True Story (Blake Shelton) – He won at the CMAs. Plus, it seems like his marketing team are trying to get him some more credibility so he has something to show up the other ‘judges’ on The Voice (I use ‘judges’ as we all know The Voice is really a reality series about the Judges)

    Vocal Duo
    Want: I’m confused as to why this is still a category.
    Will: Florida Georgia Line – Because dipshit bro-country music. Dan + Shay also have a chance, because teenage girls (and their creepy mothers) want to marry them.

    Vocal Group
    Want: Little Big Town/The Band Perry – I have a soft spot for these two bands. The Band Perry have yet to win, and this is as good a year as any, and LBT produced one of my fave singles from last year “Sober”. ZBB are also frustratingly overdue of this award.
    Will: The Band Perry – It could end up being TBP; because of the success they had last year, and Lady A have lost lots of their star power.

    New Artist
    Want: KACEY MUSGRAVES – I know she is still no longer I the running to win, but she is by far the best of the original 8 nominees. I cannot find a damn to give about the artists still in the running. P.S. Again, do Brandy/Ashley count? Cause if they did, they definitely should be nominated, to say the least.
    Will: Justin Moore – I have a lingering feeling that he will win, as even though he is technically ineligible for this award, the ACMs have done nothing about it.

    Video
    Want: I love 4/6 video nominees (BDT, BS, MBH, TBC). I don’t mind the others. Personally, I want Carrie/Kacey to win, so that they can at least win something (as Miranda is bound to win Female, and TBP has quite a good chance for Group)
    Will: Highway Don’t Care – I guess they will win, as they won the CMAs.

    Vocal Event:
    Want: I find all these songs somewhat okay to unbearable. So, I don’t really care
    Will: Highway Don’t Care – As like Video, I guess they will win, as they won the CMAs.

  11. @Kevin
    Sadly, Bro-Country isn’t over yet. If I hear one more song about a truck, I will put a Carrie Underwood and take a Louisville Slugger to the headlights of the damn truck.

  12. I am interested to see how they honor Merle Haggard. Does anybody know if his tribute album was any good?

    I still feel it’s kind of random to honor him right now. Don’t get me wrong, he’s amazing, but George Jones and Ray Price just died, George Strait’s retiring from touring, Randy Travis is sick, Glen Campbell has retired from touring… It seems like there would be other artists to honor that would be more timely.

  13. What I would like to see is artist put put songs that are real country songs. Carrie had at least 3 good written songs on her album, but chose the usual songs yet again. I wanted Miranda to put out “Same Old You”. I love that song. Most of Kacey Musgraves songs are good too and she seems to not mind what she puts out. But, why the hate on Kellie Pickler? She had another great album as well. It’s still a male dominated country but then I’d like to see Joe Nichols (Love his voice!), or Gary Allan perform.

  14. Quote by Kylie:

    Sadly, Bro-Country isn’t over yet. If I hear one more song about a truck, I will put a Carrie Underwood and take a Louisville Slugger to the headlights of the damn truck.

    It’s not the proliferation of “truck” songs that’s the problem. It’s that these songs seem to think that all trucks have just four wheels, forgetting the ones that have eighteen. Remember songs about them kindsa (sic) trucks?

    And yes, I’m sick of “bro country” to the point where I want to puke!

  15. I love “MBH” but here’s Miranda and Blake sweeping the top awards yet again. Are people in the industry really not bored with that yet?

  16. Imagine if these country award shows were actually based on music, craft and artistry and not just making a spectacle of music and selling out to corporate executives and drooling idiots working on their 5th Miller Lite at a random bro-country concert. How awesome would that be? Pretty awesome!!!

    Here is the Alternate Universe American Country Music Awards or the AUACM’s for short.

    AUCAM Entertainer of the Year
    George Strait
    Jason Eady
    Jason Isbell
    Holly Williams
    Miranda Lambert
    Sturgill Simpson

    Male Vocalist of the Year
    Dierks Bentley
    George Strait
    Jason Eady
    Jason Isbell
    Sturgill Simpson
    Rodney Crowell

    Female Vocalist of the Year
    Ashley Monroe
    EmmyLou Harris
    Holly Williams
    Kacey Musgraves
    LeAnn Rimes
    Miranda Lambert

    Vocal Duo of the Year
    EmmyLou Harris & Rodney Crowell
    Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton
    Willie Nelson + All the Girls

    Vocal Group of the Year
    Jason Boland and the Stranglers
    Josh Abbott Band
    Little Big Town
    Randy Rogers Band
    Zac Brown Band

    New Artist of the Year
    Ashley Monroe
    Charlie Worsham
    Kacey Musgraves
    Lydia Loveless
    Sturgill Simpson

    Album of the Year
    Daylight & the Dark (Jason Eady)
    High Top Mountian (Sturgill Simpson)
    Old Yellow Moon (EmmyLou Harris & Rodney Crowell)
    Same Trailer Different Park (Kacey Musgraves)
    Southeastern (Jason Isbell)
    Spitfire (LeAnn Rimes)
    The Highway (Holly Williams)
    The River & the Thread (Rosanne Cash)

    Single Record of the Year
    Borrowed (LeAnn Rimes)
    Follow Your Arrow (Kacey Musgraves)
    I Wish I Still Smoked Cigarettes (Ronnie Dunn)
    Like a Rose (Ashley Monroe)
    Mama’s Broken heart (Miranda Lambert)
    Sober (Little Big Town)

    Song of the Year
    Cover Me Up (Jason Isbell)
    Borrowed (LeAnn Rimes)
    Follow Your Arrow (Kacey Musgraves)
    I Wish I Still Smoked Cigarettes (Ronnie Dunn)
    Life Ain’t Fair and the World is Mean (Sturgill Simpson)
    Mama’s Broken heart (Miranda Lambert)
    Ok Whiskey (Jason Eady)
    Sober (Little Big Town)

    Vocal Event of the Year
    Billie Joe + Norah Jones (For Everly)
    EmmyLou Harris & Rodney Crowell (Old Yellow Moon)
    Jason Isbell & John Paul White (Old Flame/High Cotton: A Tribute to Alabama)
    Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton (You Can’t Make Old Friends)
    Willie Nelson & Allison Krauss (No Mas Amor/To All the Girls…)

  17. My thoughts on the show: Luke and Blake started out slow but got much better as the night progressed. Surprised but so happy for Justin Moore and Randy Houser’s song and Kacey Musgraves. The group award is loaded and anyone could have won but happy for The Band Perry for finally winning. Performances: The band was too loud for George Strait on his song. I could barely hear Brad Paisley too. Someone needs to teach Hunter Hayes how to sing (stomach/lungs) and not his throat before he pops a vein in his neck. Could Tim hear the music on his song? He seemed off/out of tune and the song never seemed right until Faith started singing. Miranda showed why, yet again, why she got Female vocalist with her performance of Haggard’s “The Bottle let me down”. Is there some pact that as long as Taylor doesn’t get entertainer then Carrie won’t get female vocalist? I don’t know, but SONY has zip on any power now , or people do not like Carrie. Do you think Wagon Wheel didn’t get anything due to it not being an original song?

  18. @ Kylie

    I completely forgot about Clark’s album, another great one in the small lot of them. 2013 is the year I finally ditch FM country radio, award shows and Billboard Charts in favor of the underground, indie, Spotify-Google Play Music side of country. It is a down home cleansing, baptized in more good, real country than a pop or bro-country song ever could give me.

  19. Jason:

    I am not a Miranda Lambert fan, but Miranda has justified claims for her victories, as most of her singles (with the exception of Fastest Girl In Town) are well-written and performed.

    I find “Follow Your Arrow” to be highly overrated (IMO) based on the lyrics. Most of the situations except for the “kiss girls if you are into that” (paraphrase, not meant to represent a direct quote) in the song are typical (to me) situations lamented by would be outlaws in country music. I feel if that lyric wasn’t in the song, the song itself wouldn’t be as praised. The message is nice, but the sentiment has been heard before. Country music has always been about the core of idea about being yourself.

    Perhaps, since I have been in college, I have been slightly out of step with the current “hype” surrounding stars. Kacey Musgraves is certainly loved here by many.

    Plus, Country Weekly had her on the cover a month back. She hasn’t fallen to the ranks of the obscure yet.

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