The term “dance music” may conjure visions of heaving clubs, packed festival tents and partying with abandon, and certainly these concepts are a substantial piece of the pie. But so too is the term reductive, a broad catch-all that does little to indicate the dizzying taxonomy of sounds and experiences contained within.
A complete culture unto itself, dance music is vast and contains multitudes. It can be hard or soft, joyful or melancholic, hedonistic or contemplative, big or spare. It’s both lusty and full of longing, joyful and angry, protest music disguised as a good time. It’s hard to think of a human emotion that doesn’t have a corresponding sound or song within the genre, or a type of person that wouldn’t find something to love within it all.
So it’s about dancing, yes, but it’s also about so much more than the party. Since its inception in the late ’60s and early ’70s — as new technology created the instruments that created the sounds that created the songs, that created the culture that pushed music and the world at large further into the future — dance music has been both underground refuge and mainstream juggernaut. It has pulled in bits and pieces from every other genre of music, generating sounds that reach around the world and through time itself. While its presence in pop culture and the major charts ebbs and flows, it’s always been happening just around the corner from ubiquity, if you know where to look.
Because of all this, the music on the list of all-time best dance songs will naturally be strange bedfellows — a group of tracks and artists who to the naked eye may not have much to do with each other, but which share the DNA connecting the genre’s five-plus decades of existence.
This week we’re rolling out the 100 best dance songs of all time, 20 per day, through Friday (March 28). See 100-21 below.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-03-27 14:46:552025-03-27 14:46:55The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time (100-21): Staff List
Over the Billboard Hot 100’s 66-year history, hits have spent between one and 57 weeks in the top 10. Of the more than 5,200 top 10s to date, nearly 600 have logged a single frame in the tier. Conversely, The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” boasts the most top 10 weeks (57), followed by two other ubiquitous songs that hit first the top 10 in 2024: Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” (54) and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (45).
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(The average for a title over the Hot 100’s archives is 6.5 weeks in the top 10. Since 2000, it’s 5.6 weeks; among songs that peaked in 2024, it was 7.2%.)
What are key differences between songs that have short and long stays in the Hot 100’s top 10? Hit Songs Deconstructed, which provides compositional analytics for top 10 Hot 100 hits, has released its 2024 Staying Power report.
Here are three takeaways from Hit Songs Deconstructed’s in-depth research about Hot 100 top 10s during 2024.
Everlasting Love
A hefty 82% of songs that spent 10 or more weeks in the Hot 100’s top in 2024 featured a love/relationship lyrical theme. Encompassing all top 10s, the share was 52%. Among No. 1s, it was 44%.
As noted above, “Lose Control” fits that theme, as do songs with lengthy top 10 runs in 2024 including Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” and Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” each of which spent more than 20 weeks in the top 10.
Pop Harder to Stop
“Pop songs had the greatest staying power in 2024, with 36% remaining in the Hot 100’s top 10 for 10 weeks or more,” Hit Songs Deconstructed notes. “Country songs followed at 23% and R&B/soul rounded out the top three at 18%. Hip-hop/rap — while it was the most popular primary genre in the overall top 10 — came in fourth in terms of staying power, accounting for 14% of songs.”
Along those lines, “pop was the most common influence across-the-board, being featured in 95% of songs” with 10 or weeks in the top 10 in 2024, according to the report. Plus, pop was an influence in two-thirds of songs that charted for nine weeks or fewer.
Leaving? Not So Fast
Simply put (hopefully), faster songs were slower to leave the Hot 100’s top 10 in 2024 and slower songs were faster to leave the top 10.
A 65% majority of songs that charted in the 10 for at least 10 weeks last year had tempos of over 100 BPM, with the most common range being 100-119 BPM. Of songs that spent between one and nine weeks in the top 10, however, 62% had tempos under 100 BPM, with most in the 80-99 BPM range.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-03-27 14:36:102025-03-27 14:36:10What Are the Differences Between Songs That Have Short and Long Stays in the Hot 100’s Top 10?
Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, AFI and Jawbreaker will headline the Four Chord Music Festival at EQT Park in Pittsburg/Washington, PA on Sept. 13-14. The 11th annual edition of the event will also featuring Hot Mulligan, Bowling For Soup, State Champs, Set Your Goals, Knuckle Puck, Homegrown, Eternal Boy, Driveways, Charly Bliss and others joining Blink and Jimmy Eat World on night one.
Night two will host Say Anything, Face to Face, The Wonder Years, Drug Church, Punchline, Koyo, Deathbyromy, Sincere Engineer and others warming up the stage for AFI and Jawbreaker.
“We’ve worked hard to make this year’s festival something special, not only with this incredible lineup, but by making it more accessible for our fans than ever before. We can’t wait to celebrate with everyone at EQT Park!,” founder Rishi Bahl said in a statement.
A general public on-sale will launch on Friday (March 28) at 11 a.m. ET; The festival is also introducing a ticket layaway plan this year. In addition to single-day general admission and VIP options, Four Chord will also offer up a deluxe VIP option for both days that incudes access to a climate-controlled VIP lounge area, VIP acoustic performances, an exclusive VIP shirt not available to the public, unlimited water refill stations and a Four Chord water bottle, unlimited snacks, a custom VIP holographic commemorative ticket and early entry into the venue and early access to merch, as well as front row access to the main stage and a deluxe VIP lounge overlooking the field, up to three free alcoholic drinks, a parking pass, free storage a merch concierge and private, temperature-controlled bathrooms.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-03-27 14:23:382025-03-27 14:23:38Blink-182, AFI, Jawbreaker and Jimmy Eat World to Headline 2025 Four Chord Music Festival
Fans of the ACM Awards will get super-served at this year’s ceremony as the show, which had clocked in at two hours since moving to the commercial free Amazon’s Prime Video, will expand by 30 minutes.
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“It was a long discussion with Amazon because we pride ourselves on the fact that we’re the only major awards show that clocks in at two hours and that’s a big consumer benefit for our show,” says Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside. “However, this year there’s so many things that we want to accomplish in the show because we want to give a proper nod to our history, but we still have a lot of business to take care of in terms of the current nominees as well, so we just felt like the extra time will allow us to do some special things. I don’t think viewers are going to be unhappy that we’re giving them an extra 30 minutes of really amazing content.”
Ella Langley leads all nominees with eight nods, which Whiteside sees as a sign of how current and fresh the ACM Awards are. “To have essentially a brand-new artist lead the nominations, especially in our 60th year, it’s almost like a full-circle thing, because we really pride ourselves on often being the first organization to honor a new artist,” Whiteside says. “It speaks to the fact that we’ve always been an organization that is very new artist forward.”
Langley is followed by Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson, all of whom received seven nominations, with Chris Stapleton garnering six nods.
Whiteside also lauds Johnson’s seven nominations as “he just continues to grow and so it’s exciting to see him get acknowledged and, obviously, Morgan Wallen continues to be a juggernaut,” he says. He also enthuses over Kelsea Ballerini’s first nomination for entertainer of the year. “I can’t say enough about her and her journey and the way she continued to grow as an artist.”
Like Langley, a number of artists, including Dasha, Shaboozey, Red Clay Strays and Zach Top landed their first nominations this year. “It does feel like a really fresh crop of artists are getting recognized,” Whiteside says.
Beyoncé received no nominations, despite winning two country Grammys in February, including for country album of the year, just weeks before first-round ACM voting opened. “Were we hoping she’d be nominated? Absolutely,” Whiteside says. “We love that Beyoncé is in the country genre. That’s fantastic for all the country artists out there. It’s fantastic for the fans. The more successful she is, the more we’re bringing more mainstream people into the genre which we want.”
Unlike Grammy voters, who span all musical genres, the more than 5,000 ACM voters primarily make a living in country music and are mostly based in Nashville. “I think, more likely, they’re going to be voting for artists that they’ve got relationships with and work with on a regular basis and that are in the country music business 365,” Whiteside says, but adds, “We’d love to have Beyoncé on the show. She has an open invitation to be on the ACM stage anytime she ever wants to.”
As Whiteside, executive producer/show runner Raj Kapoor, and show producer dick clark productions work on the show, they are trying to strike the right balance between old and new. “It’s tough because we may have a really great idea on honoring this artist from the past, but then it’s like, ‘Well, that may take away a slot from a current artist’,” Whiteside says. So far, Wilson, Blake Shelton and Eric Church have been announced as performers. The three new artist winners-male, female and duo or group- who are announced in advance will also perform.
“It’s a little bit of a past/present/future approach,” Whiteside adds. “It’s going to be a really iconic night and a great way to look back and look forward and celebrate where we are right now as an industry.”
Plans around the ACM Awards are still being firmed up but will include free shows on the Star Plaza on May 6 and 7, as well as a Top Golf tee-off tournament on May 6, and an official after party following the awards.
With the Amazon deal and the contract with the Cowboys for the Frisco location both expiring this year, Whiteside says things could look very different next year depending upon if the deals aren’t renewed.
“For 2026, we may do a major pivot again and define what’s the future of the academy. This year is a very special year, but next year is going to be kind of turning the page,” he says. “It’ll be a fresh new year. We don’t know yet where we’ll be. We don’t know what [outlet] we’re going to be on. Everything’s a new day in 2026, so it’s going to be the evolution of the ACM Awards, but we’re excited about that because it’s a blank slate.”
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-03-27 14:15:582025-03-27 14:15:58ACM Awards CEO on Highlighting ‘What Differentiates Us’ for 60th Year & Why Beyoncé Has ‘Open Invitation’ to ACM Stage
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are set to receive the 2025 ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award at the annual Chapin Awards Gala on June 4 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City.
The 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and longtime activists, who have been married since 1982, will become the second married couple to receive the award. Songwriting greats Nicholas Ashford & Valerie Simpson received it in 2010.
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The Chapin Awards Gala will include a cocktail reception, dinner, and live music. Additional honorees will be announced in coming weeks.
The event is a major fund-raiser for WhyHunger, a global nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger. Founded in 1975 by Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres, WhyHunger funds and supports community solutions to protect the human right to nutritious food.
“We are deeply honored to receive the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award and to stand alongside WhyHunger in their tireless fight to end hunger,” Benatar and Giraldo said in a joint statement. “Music has always been a powerful force for change, and we believe in using our voices not just to entertain, but to inspire action. WhyHunger’s mission aligns with our lifelong commitment to justice and equity, and we are proud to support their work in ensuring that nutritious food is a fundamental right for all.”
“As we celebrate WhyHunger’s 50th anniversary and reflect on our collective journey to end hunger and advance the human right to nutritious food, it’s important to uplift those who have helped lead the way,” Jenique Jones, WhyHunger’s executive director, said in a statement. “Honoring Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo with the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award is a testament to their unwavering commitment to social justice and their powerful influence in igniting change through music.”
Last year’s gala honored singer-songwriter Michael Franti for his music-driven activism, recognizing his work with his and his wife Sara’s non–profit, Do It for the Love.
Benatar won four consecutive Grammy Awards for best rock vocal performance, female from 1981-84 and charted 15 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She won three American Music Awards and a People’s Choice Award.
Chapin, a singer, songwriter and social activist, made a big impact in his life, which was tragically cut short when he was killed in a car crash in 1981 at age 38.
Chapin, who wrote and performed such pop/folk classics as “Cat’s in the Cradle” (a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974), “Taxi” and “W*O*L*D,” was an early music industry advocate for the world hunger movement. He co-founded WhyHunger a full decade before music industry titans came together as USA for Africa to record “We Are the World” in 1985. Chapin gave tirelessly gave of his time and talents to perform at benefits and events in support of a range of social causes. (On the afternoon he was killed, he was driving to a benefit, where he was slated to perform.)
Chapin received two Grammy nominations in his lifetime – best new artist of 1972 and best pop vocal performance, male two years later for “Cat’s in the Cradle” (which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011). In its year-end issue for 1972, Billboard gave Chapin a Trendsetter Award, which was inscribed “For devising a storytelling style of songwriting with a narrative impact rare to popular music.”
The ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award was first presented in 1987 to Kenny Rogers, who had been part of “We Are the World” two years earlier. Two subsequent recipients of the award – Harry Belafonte and Kenny Loggins – were also part of that iconic smash, which raised millions for famine relief.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-03-27 13:34:352025-03-27 13:34:35Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo to Receive 2025 ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award
One of the indisputable perks of being a rock star is the ability to rock out with other rock stars when they swing through your hometown. Just ask Paramore singer Hayley Williams, who hopped up on stage with the Deftones during their headlining set at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday night (March 26) to duet with singer Chino Moreno one of their iconic songs.
In fan video of the superstar summit, Williams — wearing a black t-shirt, ruffled mini-skirt and combat boots — dances excitedly behind the band as they lean into the shoegaze-like song that was the lead single from the group’s self-titled 2003 fourth studio album. In the clip, she bounds around the stage behind Moreno, banging her head and spinning in circles as a video of ballet dancer tip-toeing across a cityscape plays behind them.
“And God bless you all/ For the song you sang us all/ For the hearts you break/ Every time you moan,” Williams wails along with Moreno on the chorus, while occasionally adding some other backing vocals on the song she clearly can’t get enough of. It wasn’t the first time Williams has done a Deftones pop-in. Back in 2010, she teamed up with the group for the single “Passenger” from their 1999 album White Pony.
The Deftones are on tour with the reunited The Mars Volta and their next gig will be at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Friday (March 28). The two groups will continue their U.S. tour through an April 9 gig at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. before the Deftones hop over to Europe for a series of summer festival gigs.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-03-27 13:17:212025-03-27 13:17:21Paramore’s Hayley Williams Joins Deftones in Nashville For ‘Minerva’
Many of the nominations for the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards went just about as expected. The five nominees for male artist of the year – Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen – are a replay of last year’s nods in that category. Six of the seven nominees for entertainer of the year are repeats from last year, as are four of the five nominees for both female artist of the year and duo of the year.
There was more turnover in the nominations for group of the year. Flatland Cavalry, Little Big Town and Old Dominion repeated from last year’s list, but Rascal Flatts and The Red Clay Strays took the slots occupied last year by Lady A and Zac Brown Band. This was the first nod for The Red Clay Strays and the first since 2017 for Rascal Flatts.
Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen’s “I Had Some Help” – both of which had long runs at No. 1 on both Hot Country Songs and the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 – are both nominated for single of the year, as expected.
This doesn’t mean there were no surprises in the ACM nominations. “Snubs and surprises,” as they have come to be called, are par for the course at all awards shows. To every artist who was deemed a “Snub” this year, keep in that mind that this setback might just set you up for a Comeback of the Year designation in a future year.
Here are the snubs and surprises in the 60th ACM Awards nominations.
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
Rauw Alejandro and Romeo Santos, friends for years, had long talked about collaborating together.
Nearly four years ago, it almost happened, but schedules, tours and other releases intervened. Now, the duo’s first ever collab, “Khé?” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, becoming the first No. 1 for either of them since 2023. The achingly romantic, yet immediately catchy and danceable track is the fourth from Rauw’s new album, Cosa Nostra, to hit the chart, and the first to climb No. 1, thanks in part to a lilting beat that allows it to flow between formats.
Ironically, “Khé?” wasn’t even destined to be in the set.
As Rauw told Billboard in an exclusive conversation, he originally wrote the song for his 2021 album Vice Versa. “I was preparing a song for Romeo and I went to the studio to work with [producer] Mr. Naisgai and [singer/songwriter] Elena Rosa, who wrote the chorus,” he said, during a break from rehearsals for his massive Cosa Nuestra arena tour, which kicks off April 5 in Seattle.
“We were looking for that Romeo flow, that would work for a collab with him. And that’s how we came up with the ‘Se nota tanto, que me está matando’ chorus. We tried to empathize with Romeo’s feeling, and I’d been doing bachata since Day 1 because I’m a bachatero. Then, when I showed it to Romeo, he loved it.”
Santos really did love it, but he was busy with other projects. But Rauw had faith. He never released the song, saving it instead for a rainy day. When he began recording Cosa Nuestra, he again reached out to Santos to brainstorm ideas. It was Santos who finally said: “Remember that song we did years ago? That’s the hit.”
Due to scheduling conflicts, they worked via Zoom, with Santos helping in the production –as he likes to do—and ended up incorporating an African kizomba beat into the song’s tropical and reggaetón fusion.
“Romeo loves kizomba, and since I was hanging out in jazz clubs and speakeasies in New York City, we added a touch of New York jazz,” says Rauw.
The two finally did meet up, in New York City, to film the video, a nostalgia-infused black and white ode to old Broadway that features both artists dancing in the steps of an old cinema and in the subway.
“It’s some of my best visual work, and I can’t wait to sing it live,” says an enthused Rauw. “I’m one of those people that believes God’s time is perfect. Artists have their calendars, and I always understood that, from the very beginning of my career. You have to respect other artists’ time. Many things have to fall into place for a collaboration to happen or be successful. But we always had a beautiful relationship. We have long phone conversations. And he’s fan. He doesn’t record with many people, only with the top. So, I feel honored to record with Romeo, the legend. It had happened. Because Romeo and Rauw are the guys for the babes. That’s the truth!”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-03-27 13:02:382025-03-27 13:02:38Rauw Alejandro On How He and Romeo Santos Crafted Their No. 1 Hit, “Khé?”
In between a recent run of pics from the studio, Justin Bieber took some time out on Thursday morning (March 27) to post a few adorable snaps with his and wife Hailey Bieber’s seven-month-old son, Jack Blues. In the first image in the carousel, the back of Bieber’s head obscures the toddler’s face, though Jack’s pudgy hand can be seen grabbing a hold of his dad’s ear.
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The subsequent slides include a stack of brightly colored fabric swatches, Hailey rocking a red sweatshirt and matching leggings combo and chatting with two women and another, zoomed-out picture of Jack laying on a towel on the floor — again grabbing the 31-year-old singer’s face — seemingly after bath time.
Bieber captioned the post “ITS CUZ I AM A MANIAC [freezing face, shrug emoji]… that we dedicated Jack Blues Bieber to Jesus.” To date the couple have not posted any images in which Jack’s face is visible.
It wasn’t all daddy duty, though. A subsequent slide captures a shirtless Bieber working a drum pad in the studio, followed by a grainy close-up of his face, a clearer one in which he is smiling while wearing a fuzzy blue hat and pink sweatshirt and a final, blurry picture of an obscured woman walking in front of a fireplace.
After a period off the radar in 2022 and 2023 while he was dealing with the effects of the Ramsay Hunt syndrome, Bieber has been more visible lately, posting a series of images from the recording studio. U.K. artist Sekou got in the action as well last week when he posted an Instagram Story from a recording session that featured Fred Again.., who co-produced and co-wrote Bieber’s 2019 hit “I Don’t Care” with Ed Sheeran.
Then, on Saturday, Bieber shared an Insta video of a jam session from the studio, captioning the nearly three-minute clip with a reflective comment. “I think I hate myself sometimes when I feel myself start to become inauthentic,” he wrote. “Then I remember we’re all being made to think we’re not enough but I still hate when I change myself to please people.” Among the friends and musicians tagged in the clip were singer-songwriter Jensen McRae, pastor Judah Smith, Josh Mehl, DJ Taylor James, producer Camper, and others.
The recent activity has once again gotten Beliebers excited about the prospect that the singer is getting closer to following up his last full-length project, 2021’s Billboard 200 No. 1 Justice album. At press time Bieber has not confirmed a title or release date for his next LP.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-03-27 12:45:412025-03-27 12:45:41Justin Bieber’s 7-Month-Old Son Jack Blues Grabs a Fistful of Dad’s Ear in Snuggly, Close-Up Pic
Ella Langley is the leading nominee for the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards. Six of her eight nods are for “you look like you love me,” her hit collaboration with Riley Green – single of the year, music event of the year, song of the year (as both artist and songwriter) and visual media of the year (as both artist and director).
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The sexy duet won musical event of the year at the CMA Awards in November. It reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, No. 7 on Hot Country Songs and No. 30 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. Langley, 25, is also nominated for both female artist of the year and new female artist of the year.
Other artists who break into marquee categories for the first time include Muscadine Bloodline, nominated for duo of the year, and The Red Clay Strays, nominated for group of the year. The latter act is nominated for two awards, more than any other ongoing group or duo this year.
Zach Top’s debut album, Cold Beer & Country Music, is nominated for album of the year. This marks the first time a debut album has been in the running for that top honor since 2016, when Stapleton’s Traveller and Sam Hunt’s Montevallo were both nominated. (Traveller won.)
Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Wallen, is nominated for single of the year, alongside “you look like you love me.” It’s the second time in three years that two collaborative hits have been nominated in this category in the same year. “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” by Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde and “Thank God” by Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown were both nominated in 2023.
Many of last year’s winners are back to defend in those same categories, including Wilson, last year’s winner for both entertainer of the year and female artist of the year; Stapleton (male artist of the year), Dan + Shay (duo of the year), Old Dominion (group of the year) and Jessie Jo Dillon (songwriter of the year).
This is the sixth year in a row that Luke Combs has been nominated for both male artist of the year and entertainer of the year. He has yet to win in the latter category. If he finally brings it home this year, he’ll clinch the ACM’s Triple Crown Award, which consists of wins in the appropriate new artist and artist categories as well as entertainer of the year. Combs won new male artist of the year in 2019 and male artist of the year the following year. Past ACM Triple Crown Award recipients include Wilson, Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney.
Little Big Town receives its 19th nomination for group of the year, which is just one shy of tying Alabama’s long-held record for the most nods in the history of the category. Little Big Town landed its first nomination in the category in 2006, the same year Alabama landed its 20th and last. (Neither act won that year. The award went to Rascal Flatts.)
Rascal Flatts is nominated for group of the year for the 13th time, and for the first time since 2017.
Old Dominion is nominated for group of the year for the 10th consecutive year. The group has taken home the award every year for the last seven years. If they win again this year, they will surpass Rascal Flatts for the most wins in the category. (If Rascal Flatts wins, they, and not Old Dominion, will become the winningest group in the history of the category.)
Brooks & Dunn is nominated for duo of the year for the 16th time. They won in that category at the CMA Awards in November, beating recent category favorites Dan + Shay and Brothers Osborne. Dan + Shay are nominated for duo of the year at the ACM Awards for the 12th year in a row. Brothers Osborne is in the running for the 11th year in a row.
Stapleton receives his 10th consecutive nomination for male artist of the year, an award he has won four times. Stapleton is also nominated for entertainer of the year for the seventh time.
Kacey Musgraves receives her ninth nomination for female artist of the year. She won in 2019. Ballerini is nominated for the eighth time. She has yet to win in that category.
Bailey Zimmerman, who was nominated for new male artist of the year two years ago, is a finalist in that category again this year. (ACM rules allow artists two tries at newcomer awards.) Kassi Ashton and Ashley Cooke are both nominated for new female artist of the year for the second year in a row. Restless Road is nominated for new duo or group of the year for the second year in a row.
Charlie Handsome is competing with himself for album of the year. He is nominated as a producer of both Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken and Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion. Similarly, Dustin Haney is competing with himself for visual media of the year, as the producer/director of Cody Johnson’s “Dirt Cheap” and the director of Johnson & Carrie Underwood’s “I’m Gonna Love You.”
Alysa Vanderheym, a songwriter and producer best known for her work with Ballerini, makes history as the first woman to receive an ACM nomination for producer of the year. Women producers are slowly but surely making inroads in this male-dominated field. At this year’s Grammys, Alissia Benveniste (who goes by just her first name), became the first woman in six years to receive a nod for producer of the year, non-classical. Her credits included work with Jamila Woods, Rae Khalil and BJ the Chicago Kid.
The eligibility period for the 60th ACM Awards was Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2024. Awards are voted on by members of the Academy of Country Music, which has more than 5,000 members. In five categories, an artist may receive more than one nomination if they are also credited as a producer, director or songwriter.
Hosted by Reba McEntire, the 60th ACM Awards will stream live exclusively on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Tex. A limited number of tickets to the 60th ACM Awards are available for purchase on Seat Geek.
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music, and Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as executive producers for DCP. John Saade will also continue to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
The following is the full list of nominees for the Main Awards, the Studio Recording Awards and the Industry Awards categories:
Main Awards
Entertainer of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Female Artist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson
Male Artist of the Year
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Muscadine Bloodline
The War and Treaty
Group of the Year
Flatland Cavalry
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
The Red Clay Strays
New Female Artist of the Year
Kassi Ashton
Ashley Cooke
Dasha
Ella Langley
Jessie Murph
New Male Artist of the Year
Gavin Adcock
Shaboozey
Zach Top
Tucker Wetmore
Bailey Zimmerman
New Duo or Group of the Year
Restless Road
The Red Clay Strays
Treaty Oak Revival
Album of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
Am I Okay? (I’ll Be Fine) – Megan Moroney; producer: Kristian Bush; Columbia Records / Sony Music Nashville
Beautifully Broken – Jelly Roll; producers: BazeXX, Brock Berryhill, Zach Crowell, Devin Dawson, Charlie Handsome, Ben Johnson, mgk, The Monsters & Strangerz, Austin Nivarel, SlimXX, Ryan Tedder, Isaiah Tejada, Alysa Vanderheym; BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville / Republic Records
Cold Beer & Country Music – Zach Top; producer: Carson Chamberlain; Leo33
F-1 Trillion – Post Malone; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson; producer: Jay Joyce; BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville
Single of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey; producers: Sean Cook, Nevin Sastry; American Dogwood / EMPIRE
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; producer: Trent Willmon; CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
“White Horse” – Chris Stapleton; producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton; Mercury Nashville
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Will Bundy; SAWGOD / Columbia Records
Song of the Year
Awarded to songwriter(s)/publisher(s)/artist(s)
“4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson; songwriters: Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere, Lainey Wilson; publishers: Louisiana Lady; One Tooth Productions; Reservoir 416; Songs of One Riot Music; Sony/ATV Accent
“The Architect” – Kacey Musgraves; songwriters: Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves, Josh Osborne; publishers: Songs for Indy and Owl; Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; songwriter: Josh Phillips; publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing; Write or Die Music; Write the Lightning Publishing
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; songwriters: Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith, Morgan Wallen, Chandler Paul Walters, Ryan Vojtesak; publishers: Bell Ear Publishing; Master of my Domain Music; Poppy’s Picks; Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing; Universal Music Corporation
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; songwriters: Riley Green, Ella Langley, Aaron Raitiere; publishers: Back 40 Publishing International; Langley Publishing; One Tooth Productions; Sony/ATV Tree; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp
Music Event of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
“Cowboys Cry Too” – Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan; producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan, Alysa Vanderheym; Black River Entertainment
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
“I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood; producer: Trent Willmon; CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville
“we don’t fight anymore” – Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton; producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce; Big Machine Records
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Will Bundy; SAWGOD / Columbia Records
Visual Media of the Year
Awarded to producer(s)/director(s)/artist(s)
“4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson; producer: Jennifer Ansell; director: Dano Cerny
“Think I’m In Love With You” – Chris Stapleton; producers: Wes Edwards, Angie Lorenz, Jamie Stratakis; director: Running Bear (Stephen Kinigopoulos, Alexa Stone)
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Whale Tale Music; directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney
Artist-Songwriter of the Year
Luke Combs
ERNEST
HARDY
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Songwriter of the Year
Jessi Alexander
Jessie Jo Dillon
Ashley Gorley
Chase McGill
Josh Osborne
Studio Recording Awards
Producer of the Year
Dave Cobb
Ian Fitchuk
Charlie Handsome
Jon Randall
Alysa Vanderheym
Audio Engineer of the Year
Brandon Bell
Drew Bollman
Josh Ditty
Buckley Miller
F. Reid Shippen
Bass Player of the Year
J.T. Cure
Mark Hill
Rachel Loy
Tony Lucido
Craig Young
Drummer of the Year
Fred Eltringham
Tommy Harden
Evan Hutchings
Aaron Sterling
Nir Z
Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year
Tim Galloway
Todd Lombardo
Mac McAnally
Bryan Sutton
Ilya Toshinskiy
Piano/Keyboards Player of the Year
Dave Cohen
Ian Fitchuk
Billy Justineau
Gordon Mote
Alex Wright
Specialty Instrument Player of the Year
Dan Dugmore
Jenee Fleenor
Josh Matheny
Justin Schipper
Kristin Wilkinson
Electric Guitar Player of the Year
Kris Donegan
Jedd Hughes
Brent Mason
Sol Philcox-Littlefield
Derek Wells
Industry Awards
Casino of the Year – Theater
Deadwood Mountain Grand – Deadwood, S.D.
Foxwoods Resort Casino – Mashantucket, Conn.
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort – Cherokee, N.C.
The Theater at Virgin Hotels – Las Vegas, Nev.
Yaamava’ Theater – Highland, Calif.
Casino of the Year – Arena
Golden Nugget Lake Charles – Lake Charles, La.
Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena – Atlantic City, N.J.
Harveys Lake Tahoe – Stateline, Nev.
Mystic Lake Casino Showroom – Prior Lake, Minn.
Turning Stone Resort Casino – Verona, N.Y.
Festival of the Year
C2C Country to Country – London
CMC Rocks – Ipswich, Queensland
Stagecoach Festival – Indio, Calif.
Two Step Inn – Georgetown, Tex.
Windy City Smokeout – Chicago
Fair/Rodeo of the Year
Calgary Stampede – Calgary, Alberta
California Mid-State Fair – Paso Robles, Calif.
Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, Wy.
Minnesota State Fair – Falcon Heights, Minn.
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – Houston
Club of the Year
Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, Tex.
Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville
Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, Okla.
Georgia Theatre – Athens, Ga.
Joe’s on Weed St. – Chicago
Theater of the Year
The Caverns – Pelham, Tenn.
MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston
The Met Philadelphia – Philadelphia
The Rave/Eagles Club – Milwaukee, Wisc.
Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, Tenn.
Outdoor Venue of the Year
BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, N.H.
CMAC – Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center – Canandaigua, N.Y.
Saint Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, Fla.
The Wharf Amphitheater – Orange Beach, Ala.
Whitewater Amphitheater – New Braunfels, Tex.
Arena of the Year
Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, Tex.
Moody Center – Austin, Tex.
TD Garden – Boston
Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center – Knoxville, Tenn.
Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
Deana Baker
Bobby Clay
Gil Cunningham
Weston Hebert
Stacy Vee
Taylor Williamson
Promoter of the Year
Brent Fedrizzi
Alex Maxwell
Patrick McDill
Anna-Sophie Mertens
Rich Schaefer
Aaron Spalding
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
