If you were like me, last night you were starring out into the smokey Vancouver sky, curled up on the couch and just maybe with a glass of wine in hand ready to watch the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards. With less live music happening over the past six months, I was excited to get to see some of my favourite artists performing live again. And oh boy, did some great things happen last night. 

I could not help but imagine what it is like for an artist who normally plays an award show or concert with thousands of people in the audience to now be playing to just a couple of cameras (with millions of people behind them from their homes). It must have been a completely different experience.

This is the first award show since the pandemic hit. There was no audience. They had three locations thought Nashville: The Grand Ole Opry, The Ryman Auditorium and the historical Blue Bird Cafe.

(@acmawards) / Twitter)

Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Tenille Towns were just some of the performers throughout the night.

Canadian singer, Tenille Towns, had a surprise zoom call with the host, Keith Urban, who announced to her that she is the winner of New Female Artist of the Year and also told her that she will be performing on the show. She played her touching hit, Somebody’s Daughter. Her voice is so unique from any other artist and can she ever play that guitar. Check out the video below: 

Luke Combs took the Blue Bird stage and played his love song for his wife, Better Together, which was absolutely beautiful. That man can sing. He won Album of the Year and during his speech, he states, “this album was hell to make.” He also won, Male Artist of the Year, later in the night.

And guess who else showed up at the party? Ya she did, Taylor Swift, came back to her roots and took the Grand Ole Opry Stage for the first time since 2006 to perform an acoustic version of her hit betty. Just Taylor and a guitar. No production. No back up singers. No dancers. And no fireworks, unlike the usual Swift production. I did not know all I needed in my life is Taylor and a guitar… actually yes I did and “Swifties” have been begging for it for years. I could talk about the beauty of that performance forever. You nailed it once again, T-Swift!

Thomas Rhett and Carrie Underwood both took home the Entertainer of the Year award. That was the first time the ACM Awards have ever given out two in one night. Some Underwood fans, angrily took to Twitter, how the ACM Award’s could not let a female win this award on her own. Other’s did applaud the two of them as they are both well deserving of the award.

Overall, the show was different than any other year, but they made the most of the situation of the world right now.