Ashley McBryde's ACM Awards speech was not like the others. Here's what — and who — inspired this moment. Continue reading…

Some of the biggest names weren’t even at the show. The 61st Annual ACM Awards took place last night in Las Vegas, with Ella Langley having a massive night and taking home seven trophies total – a record for one artist in the history of the show. The night’s top prize, though, went to Cody Johnson, who took home his first ACM for Entertainer of the Year (in addition to winning Male Vocalist of the Year). CoJo beat out a stacked field of nominees including Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney, Lainey Wilson and Chris Stapleton for the award. But of the seven nominees, only three were actually in attendance at the show. Moroney announced beforehand that she wouldn’t make it because she was serving as Maid of Honor at her best friend’s wedding. And Morgan Wallen skipping out was no surprise, given the fact that he usually doesn’t attend awards shows (and has even thrown shade at them in the past). Clearly he doesn’t really care about them too much. Luke Combs and Jelly Roll were also absent from the evening, although no reason was given by either artist for not being there. Luke is currently on his My Kinda Saturday Night stadium tour and played at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday night, while Jelly Roll performed at Boots in the Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday night. Maybe they just wanted to get back to their families, which is completely understandable, but also raises a bigger question: Do artists really care about awards shows anymore? Over the past few years it’s clear that fans don’t pay as much attention to awards shows as they used to. Gone are the days when fans relied on awards shows to tell them who to listen to: Morgan Wallen, one of the biggest artists in the world, has consistently outstreamed…well, everybody else in country music, despite getting virtually no recognition at awards shows. Artists like Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, Turnpike Troubadours and Cross Canadian Ragweed are selling out massive venues, and they’ve never even gotten a mention on any awards show. Being seen on the red carpet of an awards show seems like it’s lost a little bit of its prestige, when it’s not necessarily an indicator of success or lack thereof. And artists clearly don’t feel the need to be in attendance, even when they’re nominated for some of the biggest awards of the night. The ratings would also seem to reflect the declining influence and popularity of awards shows: The CMA Awards, which are broadcast on ABC, hit an all-time low last year, which was down from 2024’s previous all-time low, which was down from 2023’s previous all-time low…you get the picture. And while the ratings for the ACM Awards aren’t released due to streaming on Amazon Prime, the fact that they were moved from network television to streaming surely doesn’t speak well for the number of eyeballs tuning into the yearly event. Now, credit where it’s due: This year’s show wasn’t terrible. There were some great performances from artists like Ella Langley, Zach Top and Red Clay Strays, and it was great to see artists like Parker McCollum and Cody Johnson take home some big awards. It’s also great that the show is finally recognizing artists from outside the mainstream, with 49 Winchester, Flatland Cavalry and Muscadine Bloodline finally getting some well-deserved nominations. But the point remains: Some of the biggest artists in the genre decided not to attend the awards show. And when the artists are the main draw for fans to tune in, that seems like a bad sign for the importance of these shows.The post Four Out Of Seven Entertainer Of The Year Nominees Weren’t At The ACM Awards – Is That A Bad Sign For Awards Shows? first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

He doesn’t miss. If you gathered together 50 or so of the most dedicated fans of the alternative country scene, chances are at least a dozen will tell you that Charles Wesley Godwin is one of the best artists working today. With three albums and an EP’s worth of what can only be described as brilliance, the “All Again” singer has proven time and again why he’s one of today’s premier songwriters and voices in the genre. Though it’s hard to ignore his wholly unique vocals, it’s his writing ability that is one of Godwin’s defining characteristics. From murder ballads such as “Cranes Of Potter” and “Blood Feud” to gorgeous tributes to his family on “Gabriel,” “Dance in the Rain” and “It’s The Little Things,” there’s truly not a song the West Virginian can’t write. Of course, these stellar songs are all backed by some killer production that draws upon traditional country, Appalachian folk and Americana stylings. He’d turn heads a few weeks back at Stagecoach when he’d announce that the highly-anticipated “Better That Way,” was coming, featuring none other than superstar Luke Combs. During the performance, Godwin would acknowledge the fact the new album has been in the works for quite awhile at this point before ultimately dropping the bomb that Combs is featured on the track, drawing a huge roar from the Stagecoach crowd. “It’s been two and a half years since our last album; I know that’s too long. But this has been a labor of love, and we turned a new one in in the wintertime. We have the first single on that album coming out on May 15th. It’s called “Better That Way.” I got my buddy Luke Combs on it.” As it turns out, Godwin didn’t just have the single drop incoming last Friday, he’d go ahead and announce the release of his fourth studio album, Christian Name, which is coming out Friday, July 24th. View this post on Instagram Discussing the album, Godwin would admit that the writing process was one of the most difficult yet fulfilling experiences he’s ever gone through. Additionally, he’d give some insight into why he chose the title, Christian Name, explaining that he’s always viewed creating music as his way of glorifying God. “Writing and recording this album over the last two and a half years has been one of the most difficult, yet at the same time, most fulfilling experiences of my life. Music and songwriting have always been my escape. This time, they became a path to healing and a means of glorifying God. I truly cannot wait to share this album with the world, and I hope it helps someone out there the same way it helped me.” As for “Better That Way,” it looks to be a hit for Godwin, especially with one of the biggest artists in the genre, Combs, being featured on it. Though it might be a little more streamlined than the likes of “Cranes of Potter” and “Seneca Creek,, it’s an incredibly fun, rock-solid track that serves as a beautiful ode to both Godwin and Combs’ wives as well as a stellar prelude to the rest that Christian Name has to offer. In fact, Godwin and Co. have already serviced the track to country radio, so here’s to hoping it takes off and gives him the attention from a mainstream perspective he desperately deserves. Just in case the official drop with Combs wasn’t enough for fans of the Appalachian star, he went ahead and dropped a solo, acoustic version on his YouTube channel live from Mountaineer Roasting, a local coffee shop in his hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia. Though the official version is a far cry from being anything close to pop country, I think longtime fans of the West Virginian will prefer this version better. Featuring just Godwin and guitarist/producer, Al Torrence, both on acoustic guitars, the performance harkens back to the early, more stripped back days of Seneca Creek. Like any performance from the “Temporary Town” singer, it’s an absolute stunner and nothing short of a must-watch if you’re a longtime fan. Watch here: The post Charles Wesley Godwin Shares Stunning, Solo Version Of New Luke Combs Duet, “Better That Way” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The next pop star who wants to go country? Last night, Michael Bublé attended the ACM Awards, and most casual fans probably know him for his incredible Christmas songs, which have his killer crooning vocals on fully display. He’s become a quintessential part of the 21st century Christmas soundtrack for so many people, and he also has a long-history of producing some of the best mainstream jazz as well, with hits such as “Haven’t Met You Yet,” “Save the Last Dance For Me” and “Everything.” And he revealed late last year that he was in the process of making a country album himself, and he previously talked about doing classic-sounding record, making sure to note that it does NOT sound like modern country that is currently plaguing the Top 40 at country radio as of late. “It’s old-school, it’s not like, modern. It’s my interpretation. I have never had an experience that has been better musically. I am so excited to put out this record. I don’t know if ten people are going to love it, but I don’t care.” He’s worked with artists like Blake Shelton (they were both judges on The Voice, though at different times) and Shania Twain before, so country isn’t a completely new space for him, and on the red carpet ahead of the show last night, he told ExtraTV that he was very happy to be there, noting that he feels very special to be invited into the country universe. He explained that he appreciates the values that are an intrinsic part of the genre, saying he also loved the humility, goodness and faith that is the invisible chord, so to speak, that runs through so much of the music and sets country apart from every other type of music. Bublé also noted that so many artists were coming up to introduce themselves to him, no matter how famous they are, and it speaks volumes about how these kinds of events usually go with more mainstream, all-genre award shows. There are divas in country too, of course, but I do think there’s a much different feel to the country-specific shows than something like the Grammys: “Being in the moment with all you beautiful people. You know, I think the people that are lucky enough to be invited to this world realize what a beautiful universe it is. You know, you’ve got like-minded people that have the same values, and here we are tonight, we’re standing on the shoulders of our heroes. We’re with the people that we’re crazy about, and the doors are open, and everybody’s coming and introducing themselves no matter how famous they are.  No one has that thought that you just should know who they are. There’s humility and there’s goodness and there’s faith, and there’s all these things that I’m really grateful to be a part of it.” It might a well-coached response, but I think there’s sincerity and he clearly has some sort of reverence and appreciation for the genre so I’m intrigued to hear what he does with a country album. There’s no question the man can sing, and that’s obviously a very important component for any genre. He also told The Tennessean that he’s been in Nashville working on his “love letter to country,” and he views it as a genre like jazz in terms of its importance within the “great American songbook”: “Actually, I’m making a country album. That’s what I’m dong in Nashville. I’m making a love letter to country, man. You know, for me, country music was never different than jazz. It was always part of the great American songbook.” Bublé previously said he was working with producer Dan Huff, who in the last five years alone, has produced the likes of Riley Green’s Way Out Here, Don’t Mind If I Do and Ain’t My Last Rodeo, Brooks & Dunn’s Reboot II, Jon Pardi’s Mr. Saturday Night, Ella Langley and Kameron Marlowe’s “Strangers” and Morgan Wallen and Thomas Rhett’s #1 hit, “Mamaw’s House.” This isn’t even mentioning his production credits on the likes of recent records from Midland, Keith Urban, Mackenzie Carpenter, Darius Rucker and more. So it sounds like he’s off to a solid start… There’s no word on who he might be writing with or other Nashville people who might be involved, but I’ve always liked his voice and music, so we’ll see if there’s any substance to it and whether or not he can translate that cool jazz style into a classic country album like he wants to. The post “Everybody’s Introducing Themselves No Matter How Famous They Are” — Michael Bublé Says He Loves The Humility & Faith Of Country Music first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Cody Johnson's ACM Entertainer of the Year award win was a longtime coming. Continue reading…