Chris Stapleton leads ACM Nominations with eight; Reba returns as host

Sonja Flemming/CBS Chris Stapleton is the leading nominee for this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards, with a whopping eight nods, including his first nomination for Entertainer of the Year.

Chris’ nominations include Male Vocalist of the Year, and both artist and producer in the Album of the Year and Single of the Year categories for From A Room: Volume 1 and “Broken Halos,” respectively.  He’s also nominated twice in the Song of the Year category — as artist and songwriter — for “Whiskey and You.”

Thomas Rhett is the runner-up in terms of nods; he has six.  Keith Urban and songwriter Shane McAnally have five each, while Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris have each scored four.  Sam Hunt, Midland and Little Big Town nabbed three each.

Reba McEntire, who’s won 16 ACMs in her career, will host this year’s 53rd ACMs live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on April 15 on CBS.  It’ll be Reba’s 15th time hosting the show.  The last time she did it was in 2012, when she co-hosted with Blake Shelton.

Here are the nominees:

Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
Chris Young

Vocal Duo of the Year
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
LOCASH
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

Vocal Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
LANCO
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion

New Female Vocalist
Lauren Alaina
Danielle Bradbery
Carly Pearce
RaeLynn

New Male Vocalist
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Devin Dawson
Russell Dickerson
Brett Young

New Vocal Duo or Group
High Valley
LANCO
LOCASH
Midland
Runaway June

Album of the Year
The Breaker – Little Big Town
From A Room: Vol. 1 – Chris Stapleton
Life Changes – Thomas Rhett
California Sunrise – Jon Pardi
Happy Endings – Old Dominion

Single Record of the Year
“Better Man” – Little Big Town
“Body Like A Back Road” – Sam Hunt
“Broken Halos” – Chris Stapleton
“Drinkin’ Problem” – Midland
“I’ll Name The Dogs” – Blake Shelton

Song of the Year
“Body Like a Back Road” – Sam Hunt
“Female” – Keith Urban
“Tin Man” – Miranda Lambert
“Whiskey And You” – Chris Stapleton

Vocal Event of the Year
“Craving You” – Thomas Rhett Featuring Maren Morris
“Dear Hate” – Maren Morris featuring Vince Gill
“Funny (How Time Slips Away)” – Glen Campbell And Willie Nelson
“The Fighter” – Keith Urban featuring Carrie Underwood
“What Ifs” – Kane Brown Featuring Lauren Alaina

Video of the Year
“Black” – Dierks Bentley
“It Ain’t My Fault” – Brothers Osborne
“Legends” – Kelsea Ballerini
“Marry Me” – Thomas Rhett
“We Should Be Friends” – Miranda Lambert

Songwriter of the Year
Rhett Akins
Ashley Gorley
Hillary Lindsey
Shane McAnally
Josh Osborne

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