ACM Awards: Old Dominion Teases ‘Sweet’ Performance

Old Dominion is heading back to the Academy of Country Music Awards after taking home the top group honor at last year’s ceremony.

In a sneak preview of Sunday’s award ceremony, airing on CBS and CBS All Access, the country band dished on what their performance at the 2019 awards will entail as they are up once again for group of the year alongside Midland, Lady Antebellum, LANCO and Little Big Town.

“We’re gonna try to make this version just a little sweeter,” guitarist Brad Tursi said in rehearsal about their hit song “Make It Sweet.”

“But we’re a little mad that we’re not sitting closer to Midland,” he joked, “because they usually have extra beers.”

The band’s Trevor Rosen said of the annual ceremony, “I think that’s the cool thing about the awards, you get to see all these different artists do their thing. So we wanna go up there and be Old Dominion.”

Matthew Ramsey added, “These are all our friends we’re here with…so it’s just cool to see all your friends and hang out and have a night together.”

Also in Sunday’s ceremony, Reba McEntire will take the stage as the ACM Awards host for the 16th time, while Jason Aldean will be the prestigious Artist of the Decade — an honor previously held by artists such as George Strait, Garth Brooks, Alabama, and Loretta Lynn.

In addition to Old Dominion’s performance, there will be a marquee show featuring This Is Us star Chrissy Metz in her country performance debut alongside Lauren Alaina, Mickey Guyton, Maddie & Tae and Carrie Underwood, all of whom appear on the soundtrack for upcoming movie Breakthrough.

Also performing Sunday will be Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, George Strait, Little Big Town, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, and more.

The 54th Academy of Country Music Awards air Sunday, April 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and CBS All Access.

Photo credit: Getty images/Terry Wyatt