The 2021 ACM Awards have another winner, with Carly Pearce and Lee Brice taking home the award for Music Event of the Year for their duet “I Hope You’re Happy Now.” The pair shared the news on Thursday night, posting videos of themselves being surprised with the award at a press event ahead of Sunday’s show.
“I don’t think you guys know this yet,” a reporter tells them, “but we’re exclusively unveiling one of the winners of the awards right in this moment and it happens to be you guys. Music Event of the Year.” “Oh my God!” Pearce exclaimed, hugging Bryce. “Are you serious?” “Wow, I thought this was an interview or something,” Bryce said as the two were handed their trophies. “Look there, you did get me.”
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An emotional Pearce shared, “Just to think about how hard I and my team fought to get this songwrite and how much your voice lent just exactly what I always wanted for it. I just am… this is really cool. Wow! I can’t believe it.” “Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this,” Brice told her. “Thank y’all so much for letting us be in this category and then now, wow, we’re holding it in our hands.”
“SURPRISE!!!! Is this even real life?” Pearce captioned her post. “This song continues to show me that all of my country music dreams are coming true. Thank you @acmawards @leebrice & all of YOUUU for making ‘I Hope You’re Happy Now’ this year’s Music Event of the Year!!”
Bryce wrote, “I’m over the moon on winning this award but especially happy for @carlypearce! This is her story, her song and I am honored to be a part of it. Seeing this from the very beginning from her perspective to now winning awards is full circle and humbling but rewarding.” “I Hope You’re Happy Now” was written by Pearce, Luke Combs, Randy Montana, and Jonathan Singleton, and the song also won the CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year in November 2020.
Pearce and Bryce will perform the song together during Sunday night’s ACM Awards broadcast, which will air from three venues in Nashville — the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium and the Bluebird Cafe. “I Hope You’re Happy Now” is also nominated for Single of the Year during the show and Pearce is up for Female Artist of the Year. The 2021 ACM Awards will air Sunday, April 18 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and on demand on Paramount+, which you can sign up for here.
