Chris Young is the one to beat at the upcoming 2022 Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards.
On Thursday, officials from the country music organisation announced the nominees for the 57th annual prizegiving, which is set to take place at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on 7 March.
The Man I Want to Be hitmaker garnered seven nominations, including Album of the Year and Single of the Year. He shares three of his nods with fellow artist and collaborator Kane Brown for their song Famous Friends.
Walker Hayes and Chris Stapleton both received five nominations, while Miranda Lambert scored a record-making 16th Female Artist of the Year nod, as well as four other nominations.
Lambert, Stapleton, Eric Church, Luke Combs, and Carrie Underwood are to compete for Entertainer of the Year, and interestingly, Ryan Hurd and Maren Morris are the first married couple to be nominated in the same year since Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in 2017.
In addition, Hollywood star Blake Lively has received two nominations for producing and directing Taylor Swift's music video I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor's Version). This marks Lively's first ACM Award nomination and her first nomination at a music award show.
The full list of nominees is as follows:
Entertainer of the Year:
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Miranda Lambert
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Female Artist of the Year:
Gabby Barrett
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Carly Pearce
Male Artist of the Year:
Jimmie Allen
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Duo of the Year:
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
LOCASH
Maddie & Tae
Group of the Year:
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
The Cadillac Three
New Female Artist of the Year:
Tenille Arts
Priscilla Block
Lily Rose
Caitlyn Smith
Lainey Wilson
New Male Artist of the Year:
HARDY
Walker Hayes
Ryan Hurd
Parker McCollum
Elvie Shane
Album of the Year:
29: Written in Stone - Carly Pearce
Country Again: Side A - Thomas Rhett
Dangerous: The Double Album - Morgan Wallen
Famous Friends - Chris Young
The Marfa Tapes - Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall
Single of the Year:
Buy Dirt - Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan
Famous Friends - Chris Young and Kane Brown
Fancy Like - Walker Hayes
If I Didn't Love You - Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood
You Should Probably Leave - Chris Stapleton
Song of the Year:
7 Summers - Morgan Wallen
Buy Dirt - Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan
Fancy Like - Walker Hayes
Knowing You - Kenny Chesney
Things A Man Oughta Know - Lainey Wilson
Video of the Year:
Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home) - Elle King and Miranda Lambert
Famous Friends - Chris Young and Kane Brown
I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift featuring Chris Stapleton
If I Didn't Love You - Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood
Never Wanted To Be That Girl - Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Songwriter of the Year:
Jesse Frasure
Nicolle Galyon
Ashley Gorley
Michael Hardy
Josh Osborne
Music Event of the Year:
Buy Dirt - Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan
Famous Friends - Chris Young and Kane Brown
Half of My Hometown - Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kenny Chesney
If I Didn't Love You - Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood
Never Wanted To Be That Girl - Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
