The final round of voting for the 53rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards closes Wednesday, March 14 at 5 p.m. PST.

Winners will be announced at the 53rd ACM Awards, airing LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 8 p.m. ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

Nomination highlights include:

Chris Stapleton leads with eight nominations in five categories this year, including his first nod for Entertainer of the Year. Stapleton is also nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, and twice, as both artist and producer, in both the Album of the Year and Single Record of the Year categories; he received the Album of the Year nod for From a Room: Volume 1, and the Single Record of the Year nod for “Broken Halos.” He is also nominated twice, both as artist and songwriter, in the Song of The Year category for “Whiskey and You.”

Reigning Male Vocalist of the Year, Thomas Rhett earned six nominations, including his second in the Male Vocalist of the Year category. Rhett is also nominated twice, as an artist and producer, for both Album of The Year for Life Changes and Vocal Event of the Year for “Craving You” (featuring Maren Morris). Lastly, he is nominated for his first Music Video of the Year award for “Marry Me,” along with director TK McKamy and producer Dan Atchison.

Keith Urban earned five nominations including his eighth nod for Entertainer of the Year and eleventh nod for Male Vocalist of the Year. Urban is also nominated for Song of the Year for “Female,” and twice, as both artist and producer in the Vocal Event of the Year category for “The Fighter” (featuring Carrie Underwood). Urban won Top New Male Vocalist of the Year in 2000, and Top Male Vocalist of the Year in 2004 and 2005. A win in the Entertainer of the Year category would also make him the eighth ever ACM Triple Crown winner.

Songwriter Shane McAnally received five nominations. He is nominated as Songwriter of the Year, and twice as songwriter in the Song of the Year category for Sam Hunt’s “Body Like A Back Road” and Keith Urban’s “Female.” McAnally is also nominated in the Album of the Year category for Old Dominion’s album Happy Endings, and in the Single Record of the Year category as a producer in Midland’s single “Drinkin’ Problems.”

Reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, Miranda Lambert received four nominations, including her twelfth nod for Female Vocalist of the Year. If she wins, it will be her ninth consecutive win in this category. She is the current record holder for most consecutive wins in the Female Vocalist of the Year category. Miranda is currently tied for the winningest artist in ACM history with 29 awards along with Brooks & Dunn. This year she is also nominated twice, both as artist and songwriter, in the Song of The Year category for “Tin Man,” and for Video of the Year for “We Should Be Friends.”

Reigning New Female Vocalist of the Year Maren Morris received four nominations, including her second nod in the Female Vocalist of the Year category. Morris is also nominated twice, as an artist and producer, in the Vocal Event of the Year category for “Dear Hate” (featuring Vince Gill). She is nominated again in the category with Thomas Rhett for “Craving You.”

Sam Hunt received three nominations for his hit “Body Like A Back Road.” One nod in the Single Record of The Year category, and two, both as artist and songwriter, in the Song of the Year category.

Reigning Vocal Group of the Year, Little Big Town, earned their twelfth nomination in the category. This would be their fourth consecutive win and fifth overall. They are also nominated for Album of the Year for Breaker, and Single Record of the Year for “Better Man.”

First-time Academy of Country Music Award nominee, Midland, received three nominations for Vocal Group of the Year, New Vocal Duo/Group of the Year, and Single Record of the Year for “Drinkin’ Problem.”

Eighteen-time ACM Award winner Tim McGraw and sixteen-time ACM Award winner Faith Hill received their first-ever nomination as a duo in the Vocal Duo of the Year category.

 

Recording artist Jake Owen celebrated his Big Loud debut single, “I Was Jack (You Were Diane),” which became the most-added record at country radio for a second consecutive week ahead of it’s official impact date (March 12). On that date, industry executives, creatives and media gathered to support Owen and his already top 30 single at Nashville’s Hutton Hotel Analog event space.

“This town is built around passion,” says Owen of Nashville. “I know I moved here because I was passionate about making music, traveling the country, making people smile and having a good time. I find myself all these years later in front of all these people and a new label that are freaking passionate about music and taking it to the people. I can’t really ask for more in my life than that right now.

“I’m so ecstatic about the launch of this new music and single,” he said of the new song, which was added by 134 monitored chart-reporting country radio stations. “Big Loud Records has done an incredible job launching this new project for me and believing in who I am and what kind of music I’m drawn to make. Joey Moi, once again, helped elevate the song to a whole other level, and we are all fired up about this start to a great 2018. Thanks country radio for believing in me!”

“Jake delivered a huge record and country radio showed up big for us,” adds Stacy Blythe, Big Loud’s National Promotion Director. “134 stations by add date is a debut we couldn’t even imagine. I’m very proud of this Big Loud family and this is just the start!”

Clay Hunnicutt, President of Big Loud Records, expresses, “Thank you to everyone who has helped Jake and the Big Loud team get off to such an amazing start. This far exceeded our expectations. There’s a proven track record that Jake and Joey Moi make great music together, so we really shouldn’t be surprised…There’s a lot more to come this year!”

“I Was Jack (You Were Diane)” was an iHeart World Premiere, and Sirius XM’s “The Highway” blasted it out of the gate. The new nostalgic single is garnering attention from digital media partners as well. Jake graced the cover of Spotify’s Hot Country playlist, featuring “I Was Jack (You Were Diane).” Also, the song topped Amazon Music’s Fresh Country playlist and was added to Apple Music’s A-List Country playlist, as well as, Pandora’s New Country Now playlist.

In addition, Owen’s 2018 Life’s Whatcha Make It Tour kicks off on May 15 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at AT&T Field, with special guest Chris Janson and rising star Jordan Davis. The majority of shows will take place at baseball stadiums across the country.

Sam Hunt‘s recently-announced Nashville music festival, The Nashional, has been canceled, according to the festival’s official website.

The event, which was to feature performers including Hunt, Brothers Osborne, Judah & The Lion, and Muscadine Bloodline, would have taken place April 20-21 at Nashville’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.

According to the event’s website:

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Nashional Music Festival at Bi-Centennial Capitol Mall is cancelled. Although disappointed to share this news, we hope to find a future date to continue the prospect of a multi-genre, inclusive festival for the city of Nashville.”

Refunds are available at point of purchase.

The Academy of Country Music has revealed the full list of Radio Award winners for the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards. Though not part of the telecast, the awards will be presented during the annual Radio Winners Reception. This year’s event will be held at Topgolf Las Vegas on Saturday, April 14, the day prior to the broadcast of the 53rd ACM Awards, airing LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 8 p.m. ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

This marks the third ACM National On-Air Personality of the Year win for The Bobby Bones Show. The show previously won the award in 2013 and 2015. This also marks the second win for Steve & Geoff in the Medium Market On-Air Personality of the Year category. This marks the eleventh win for WSIX-FM, seventh win for WUSY-FM, and second win for KTTS-FM in Radio Station of the Year categories.

Below is a complete list of the Radio Award winners for the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards:

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR WINNERS:

NATIONAL Bobby Bones, Amy, Lunchbox, Eddie ­­– The Bobby Bones Show
MAJOR MARKET Bud and Broadway ­– WIL-FM ­– St. Louis, MO
LARGE MARKET Dale Carter ­– KFKF-FM­ – Kansas City, MO
MEDIUM MARKET Steve & Geoff ­– KUZZ-AM/FM ­– Bakersfield, CA
SMALL MARKET Dave Daniels ­– KHAY-FM – Ventura, CA
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR WINNERS:
MAJOR MARKET KMLE-FM ­– Phoenix, AZ
LARGE MARKET WSIX-FM ­– Nashville, TN
MEDIUM MARKET WUSY-FM ­– Chattanooga, TN
SMALL MARKET KTTS-FM ­– Springfield, MO