The 2023 ACM Awards nominations are out, and while they included a few surprising snubs, like Jelly Roll and Scotty McCreery, there are also plenty of welcome additions to the list. Keep reading to see nine artists who we were pleasantly surprised to see nominated.
1. Dustin Lynch
We are so glad that Lynch finally has a nomination. He’s been worthy of one for years, but finally received his first nod, this one for Music Event of the Year, for his “Thinking ‘Bout You” collaboration with MacKenzie Porter. Although his nomination should have come much, much earlier, at least Lynch — finally — has his first ACM Awards nomination.
2. Jo Dee Messina
Messina’s last nomination came in 2001, for Vocal Event of the Year, for “Bring On The Rain.” The 52-year-old is nominated again this year, this time for her part in “She Had Me At Heads Carolina [Remix] with Cole Swindell. Messina is spending much of the year on her headlining Heads Carolina, Tails California Tour, and released her The Best of Jo Dee Messina album earlier this year. 2023 is shaping up to be a good, good year for Messina.
3. Jordan Davis
Davis received three ACM Awards nominations last year, but they were all for his “Buy Dirt” collaboration with Luke Bryan. This year, the Louisiana native received one nomination, but it’s for Male Artist of the Year, a category he shares with Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen, proving that Davis has earned his place as a country music hitmaker.
4. Dylan Scott
We love so much that Scott was nominated for an ACM Award this year, even if we are scratching our heads at the category. Scott, who had his first No. 1 hit with his 2016 single, “My Girl,” is nominated for New Male Artist of the Year. Scott earned his third chart-topping single last year with “New Truck.” He’s released two full-length albums and multiple EPs on Curb. Still, the fact that he is nominated at all is well-deserved.
5. Morgan Wade
Wade earned her first ACM Awards nomination, for New Female Artist of the Year. The singer-songwriter released her Reckless album in 2021, which included a hit single with the title track. She also earned her first CMT Music Awards nomination earlier this year, for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year, for “Wilder Days.”
6. Megan Moroney
Moroney is also enjoying her first time as an ACM Awards nominee, joining Wade, plus Priscilla Block, Caitlyn Smith and Hailey Whitters in the New Female Artist of the Year category. Moroney nabbed a CMT Music Award earlier this month, for Breakthrough Video of the Year, for “Tennessee Orange,” and will likely be a mainstay on the list of nominees for years to come.
7. HARDY
HARDY is no stranger to winning awards, but the fact that he is nominated for seven ACM Awards is welcome news indeed. HARDY’s multiple nods include ones for Artist-Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year, for his “wait in the truck” collaboration with Lainey Wilson. He also earned a nod for his part in writing Morgan Wallen‘s “Sand In My Boots,” also nominated for Song of the Year. If the 2023 ACM Awards belong to anybody, it’s HARDY.
8. The War and Treaty
The War and Treaty earned their first ACM Awards nomination this year, for Duo of the Year, but that’s not because they are a new act. The husband-and-wife duo, made up of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, released their first album, Love Affair, in 2016. While they have been earning critical acclaim for their music for years, and earned praise from other artists as well, it’s only now that country music is catching up to what their loyal fans have known for a long, long time.
9. Carly Pearce
While we aren’t at all surprised to see Pearce’s name on the list of nominations, we are pleasantly surprised that one of her three nominations is for Visual Media of the Year, for her “What He Didn’t Do” video. Directed by Alexa Campbell, part of the video was filmed underwater, a challenging feat for both Pearce and her film crew. With so much work involved, seeing Pearce and her team recognized for their hard work is a welcome acknowledgment.