Francis Specker/CBSChange was in the air Sunday night at the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, as a largely new group of winners came backstage to talk to the media after accepting their trophies.
Dan + Shay, the night’s big winners, were practically giddy as they visited with reporters about their three wins. Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney bumped into host Reba McEntire as she came to the microphone after them, leading to an impromptu photo opp.
Reba shared how frenzied the crowd at MGM Grand Garden Arena was for both Dan + Shay and Entertainer of the Year Keith Urban to win, adding they’re just what country music needs in her opinion. She went on to reveal how impressed she was with the performances of Ashley McBryde and Luke Bryan, this year’s New Female and Male Artist winners.
Thomas Rhett was particularly excited to recapture the Male Artist trophy, having previously won it in 2017. He added he hoped his daughters, Willa and Ada, had been up to watch, adding he can’t wait to share his trophy with them, especially since three-year-old Willa recently told him she was proud of him.
Kacey Musgraves pointed out how much her Female Vocalist honor means to her, since her heroes Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton have won it as well. She surprised some in the press room by commenting that the fact that women aren’t getting much airplay on country radio is becoming a tired topic.
Newly-crowned ACM Entertainer of the Year Keith Urban admitted he was already focused on recording his next album and planning his next tour, adding that finding new ways to connect with his fans is really what drives him.
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