Best Performances at the 2024 ACM Awards, Ranked Worst to Best

Thomas Rhett provided up his new track “Stunning as You.” Sauntering throughout the stage, TR continued in the identical musical terrain as a lot of his romantic, uptempo, pop-aimed hits. His voice was prime notch, however given the breadth of musical kinds represented all through the night, his polished efficiency nonetheless appeared a bit tame.

McCollum provided up his third Nation Airplay chart-topper “Burn It Down” whereas seated on a stool on a smaller stage. The Texan’s voice was in nice kind, although along with his efficiency following units from Chris Stapleton and Put up Malone, the track lacked power and verve by comparability.

Taking a cue from the track’s title, the stage was bathed in shades of violet, as a purple-clad Stefani traded verses and harmonies together with her husband and duet companion on their new track, “Purple Irises.” Purple flowers surrounded the couple whereas the display screen was emblazoned with a stained-glass impact of purple irises. Their voices blended effectively, and their energetic chemistry was simple, bringing heft to a reasonably standard-sounding track.

Nate Smith, who was not too long ago named Rookie of the 12 months at Billboard‘s Nation Energy Gamers ceremony earlier within the week, took the ACM Awards stage to carry out “Bulletproof.” He was then joined by 2000s pop-punk queen Avril Lavigne, whose searing, razor-sharp vocals introduced out the track’s punk edges. They shared an easygoing camaraderie, with every artist elevating the opposite. A strong collaboration from these two.

Kelsea Ballerini teamed with “Stick Season” hitmaker Noah Kahan to mesh two of their songs. The efficiency had a theatrical bent, starting with Ballerini mendacity on a blue sofa and singing “Mountain With a View” from her album Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, earlier than the cameras shifted to Kahan, standing on a grassy stage set, performing his Scorching 100 prime 10 hit “Stick Season.” Ballerini joined in on harmonies as they traded off lyrics from every of the 2 songs. The pair of tracks meshed properly, as did the performers’ voices, making this low-key efficiency a pleasure.

Over the course of his profession, Toby Keith earned 14 ACM Awards, together with back-to-back wins for entertainer of the 12 months in 2003-04. The late singer-songwriter was honored throughout this 12 months’s ceremony as Jason Aldean carried out Keith’s No. 1 “Ought to’ve Been a Cowboy.”

As an alternative of the straight-forward rendering many could have anticipated, Aldean provided up a slowed-down model of the track, highlighted by fiddle. Aldean doesn’t fairly have the burly, muscular voice to hold off the track’s swagger, however the efficiency got here throughout as genuine and honest, and he had no bother with the lyrics — it was clear he knew the phrases by coronary heart.

“We love you, Toby,” he mentioned, because the cameras centered on Keith’s spouse, Tricia, and his kids in addition to others within the viewers who have been wiping away tears.

This sister duo provided up excellent, familial harmonies on their new track “I Tried a Ring On,” acting on the satellite tv for pc stage, surrounded by the viewers. The emotional heartbreak ballad translated effectively, highlighting their confidence and tight-knit efficiency capability on certainly one of nation music’s greatest nights.

Lambert dripped confidence from the primary notes of her efficiency, sauntering to middle stage to carry out her new single, “Wranglers,” her first new music since signing with Republic Data, in partnership with Large Loud. Sporting a shiny hat and a fringed and bedazzled jacket-pants set, Lambert was in top-shelf, basic kind. She prowled the stage, performing as her twangy voice was imbued with a sultry drawl. The blues-dipped nation/rock observe gave her ample area to showcase the sting in her voice, and proved that her headstrong swagger is right here to remain.

Brown has a strong voice, however along with his slate of largely uptempo and sometimes pop-oriented fare, not often does he get an opportunity to totally showcase his vocal skills. On the ACMs stage this 12 months, he reminded viewers that he’s as a lot a supple-voiced crooner as an brisk performer when he provided a model of Ray Charles’ 1960 basic “Georgia on My Thoughts.” Clad in a go well with and surrounded by vocalists, piano, guitars and string gamers, Brown provided a stately, soulful and respectful rendering of a basic, briefly bringing a little bit of Georgia mindset to the Lone Star State.

Jelly Roll has been steadily lobbing hits at Billboard‘s charts over the previous 12 months, notching three No. 1 Nation Airplay hits, together with “Want a Favor,” and 6 tracks on the Scorching 100 since 2022. On the ACMs stage, he launched new music, performing his new soul-tinged, gospel-inflected country-rock observe “Liar,” which presents reasoning and defiance towards moments of temptation — whether or not that’s within the type of capsules or different addictions.

He sang of the inside voices encouraging his addictions, voices which might be “saying drink one other whiskey/ pop one other tablet.” However within the refrain, he calls out these vices for what they’re, on lyrics together with, “You burned me one too many occasions/ Like a satan in disguise.”

Jelly Roll has made his mark with songs that talk to struggles, hopes and therapeutic. On the ACMs stage, he stored that mission alive with a strong-hearted efficiency.

Although a lot buzz had been made within the weeks main as much as the ACM Awards, speculating whether or not Cowboy Carter purveyor Beyoncé would make an look on the ACM Awards, the viewers acquired a shock when one other pop star — Dua Lipa — appeared, performing with Chris Stapleton, who’s a perennial favourite collaborator for scores of artists from Pink to Taylor Swift.

Dua Lipa joined Chris Stapleton on “Suppose I’m in Love With You,” from Stapleton’s Larger album. The sultry efficiency paired his grizzled vocal together with her hovering, polished tones, making for what was certainly one of the crucial talked about performances.

Nation Music Corridor of Famer and host for this 12 months’s ACM Awards ceremony McEntire closed out the night with a efficiency of her new track, “I Can’t.” For many years, she has made commanding a stage appear easy, together with her octave-jumping, multi-syllabic vocal fashion and highly effective stage presence — and this 12 months’s ACM Awards efficiency was no exception.

A vocal choir, smoke and fireplace heightened the efficiency of the track’s empowering message. Because the efficiency got here to an in depth, sparks crammed the stage because the melody soared, confetti rained down and Reba stared down the digital camera as solely she will, delivering the track’s essence on to the guts.

Lainey Wilson kicked off the night time with an acceptable nod to the Lone Star State, providing up a efficiency of Little Texas’ “God Blessed Texas” — a track that made excellent use of her signature twang. Performing the track on a satellite tv for pc stage, she ventured into the viewers, strolling via the gang to the principle stage to carry out one other barn-burner, her new track, “Dangle Tight Honey.”

Wilson was all Louisiana swagger on the high-octane track, wielding her acoustic guitar whereas a bevy of backing vocalists, and later two guitarists, flanked Wilson on all sides of the stage. The track ended together with her holding her guitar aloft and welcoming host McEntire to usher within the awards night. Wilson ended the night because the night time’s greatest winner, taking residence the ACM’s entertainer of the 12 months trophy.

Put up Malone provided one of the crucial conventional nation performances on the present, with the metal guitar-swathed, fiddle-laced heartbreak track “By no means Love You Once more,” with the rapper-singer wielding his acoustic guitar and providing a gritty, whiskey-soaked vocal on traces reminiscent of “I’ll love you ’til tomorrow/ Then I’ll by no means love you once more.”

From there, Posty segued into his new hit, the Morgan Wallen collaboration “I Had Some Assist,” although the “Final Night time” singer was not there to affix him for the track. To not fear: Put up Malone did find yourself with a duet companion in spite of everything: He later joined host McEntire to honor the late Allman Brothers Band singer-guitarist Dickey Betts with an a cappella efficiency of “Ramblin’ Man.”

Seated on a stool, Texan Johnson provided up a honest efficiency of his new single “Grime Low cost.” His efficiency was pared again, setting the main focus squarely on this basic nation development and story of of a person whose land is so full of worth and recollections — the place the place kids grew up within the yard, the place lovers proposed and the place loyal canines have been buried — that no amount of cash could be sufficient to make him promote. As all the time, Johnson is aware of tips on how to ship a track, whether or not onstage or on document, and his simple efficiency was a spotlight.