8 Memorable ACM Awards Moments

The 2019 ACM Awards revealed their list of nominees this week, and the names on the ballot seem to indicate that this will be an eventful show — Kacey Musgraves could continue her winning streak and Dan + Shay could set a record — but the past few decades of the ceremony have certainly provided their fair share of memorable moments.

From historic wins to statement-making performances, country’s biggest stars always turn out for the ACMs, which have been held in multiple locations since its incarnation in 1966, including Los Angeles and Texas before landing in Las Vegas, making Sin City a country music haven for the weekend each year.

Scroll through for a few of the most memorable moments in ACMs history.

Loretta Lynn wins Entertainer of the Year

In 1976, Lynn made history when she became the first woman to win Entertainer of the Year at the ACMs. In the years since, the trophy has gone to women including Dolly Parton, Shania Twain and this year’s host, Reba McEntire. The last woman to win the award was Taylor Swift in 2011, and there are no women nominated in the category this year.

Listen to Mr. T

The ACMs occasionally feature a celebrity appearance or two, and Mr. T made a surprise cameo during the 1983 awards to read the rules, letting the audience know that he was the one they’d have to answer to if they broke them, since, as he said, he was the “boss.”

Alan Jackson protests

Jackson wasn’t happy about being asked to perform to a backing track for the 1994 show, so he wore a Hank Williams shirt — a controversial move at the time — and had his drummer pretend to play without drumsticks during his performance of “Gone Country.”

LeAnn Rimes wins big

Rimes was just 15 in 1997, but that year, she took home two trophies — New Female Vocalist of the Year and Best Female Country Vocal Performance from the title track to her successful 1996 album, Blue.

A patriotic moment

Several months after 9/11, the mood in America shifted from sadness to anger, and Keith answered with his charge-em-up anthem “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.” His performance of the song during the 2002 ACMs, in which he sang in front of an American flag background, earned him a standing ovation from the flag-holding audience.

Meet Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift burst onto the country music scene in 2006 with her debut single, “Tim McGraw,” and the ACMs gave the teenager the chance to perform the song in front of McGraw during the 2007 ceremony. Guitar in hand, Swift ventured into the audience and introduced herself to McGraw, meeting the star and his wife, Faith Hill, for the very first time and cementing a musical relationship that’s lasted since.

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert win for ‘Over You’

Shelton and Lambert wrote the searing ballad “Over You” together about the death of Shelton’s brother in a car accident years prior, and won the ACM for Song of the Year for the track in 2013. While accepting the honor, Shelton took the moment to praise his then-wife and her talent before thanking her.

“I’ll tell you something, I’ve learned so much from this human being standing next to me, a lot of things about myself. She blows me away,” he said. “I used to think I was a decent songwriter until I started hanging out with her, and she really taught me how to write a good song, and this is proof of it. Thank you so much baby, I love you.”

Miranda Lambert makes history

Brooks & Dunn held the record for the most ACM wins with 29, but Lambert topped them with her 32nd win in 2018. The night, she picked up trophies for Song of the Year for “Tin Man” and Female Vocalist of the Year, which was her ninth consecutive win in the category.

Photo Credit: Getty / Ethan Miller