2017 ACM Awards: first wave of performers announced

March 7, 2017

ACM Awards

Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley (Photo: by Cliff Lipson/CBS)

The Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards have announced the initial list of performers for the 2017 show, which will take place April 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The performers will include Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, and Maren Morris. The Backstreet Boys will make their debut appearance at the ACM Awards, performing with Florida Georgia Line; the two acts are touring together in 2017.

As previously announced, Keith Urban is the leading award contender for the show: He received the most nominations (seven) for the 52nd Annual ACM Awards. Bryan and Bentley will return for the second year in a row to host the ACM Awards, which is produced for television by Dick Clark Productions. CBS will have the live U.S. telecast.

March 14, 2017 UPDATE: These winners have been announced, and they will be performing at the 2017 ACM Awards:

  • Brothers Osborne – New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year presented by T-Mobile
  • Maren Morris (previously announced performer) – New Female Vocalist of the Year presented by T-Mobile
  • Jon Pardi – New Male Vocalist of the Year presented by T-Mobile

Maren Morris backstage at the 2017 Grammy Awards

February 12, 2017

by Carla Hay

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards took place on February 12, 2017, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

MAREN MORRIS

Grammy win:

Best Country Solo Performance (“My Church”)

Here is what this Grammy winner said backstage in the Grammy Awards press room.

Maren Morris at the 2017 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
Maren Morris at the 2017 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. (Photo by Phil McCarten/CBS)

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW

With four nominations, you were the most-nominated country artist at the Grammys this year, so how does it feel to walk away with a Grammy?

I’m still sort of processing it, but it feels amazing. I was nominated with a lot of my friends in those categories. To walk away with it, it’s really validating.

Can you talk about what going to Grammy Camp meant to you?

I was in the first crop of Grammy campers back in 2005. I think everyone who went to that camp hoped they’d get to be on that stage, or in the pre-tel get to walk away with some hardware, but I never really thought that would happen. So it’s crazy 11 years later to have one.

What was more nerve-racking: performing with Alicia Keys or giving your acceptance speech?

Singing with Alicia, we’ve sung together before, so it sort of feels really natural now, but I was more nervous about actually walking up the steps to accept my award and not falling over my dress. Luckily, that did not happen, but the night is young.

Can you talk about your chemistry with Alicia Keys?

Alicia and I did “CMT Crossroads” a few months ago. It aired in December. Ken Erlich [executive producer of the Grammys telecast] saw the special and thought that if I’m going to be performing, this would be an amazing collaboration. It just felt really natural to be paired with Alicia again because we had already sung together, and we sort of joked that country and soul are cousins. It just seemed natural. She’s stood in my shoes before as a Best New Artist nominee. And she won, back in the day, so it was cool to be sort of ushered in by her today.

How are you going to celebrate?

My family is here. My boyfriend is here. I’m going to my label’s party after this. And I’m going to my first drink in a month. I fit into the dress, so now we can throw down.

Does winning a Grammy put more pressure on you for your next album? And have you started working on it yet?

Well, now that you said it, it does. I don’t know. I don’t really look at things in terms of pressure. I think that’s extremely counter-productive to the creative process. I haven’t started writing my next record, so I guess I’ll have to answer that question later down the line, but if anything, this just gives validation to the fact that that album did something for people. I think going into the next one, it’s going to be fun. I don’t think it’ll be pressured at all.

 

 

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