NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Country star Chris Young combined his skills as an artist and a producer to earn seven nominations at the Academy of Country Music Awards, including album of the year and single of the year.
The show’s co-hosts Jimmie Allen and Munhall native Gabby Barrett announced the nominations on Thursday. Allen and Barrett will share hosting duties with country superstar Dolly Parton during the show being livestreamed on Prime Video from Las Vegas on March 7.
Young shares three of those nominations with his collaborator Kane Brown for their hit song “Famous Friends.”
Miranda Lambert earned five nominations, including entertainer of the year, and is now tied with Reba McEntire for her 16th female artist of the year nomination. First-time nominee Walker Hayes also received five nominations, due to his viral Applebee’s themed song “Fancy Like,” up for single of the year.
Chris Stapleton, a five-time nominee, is up for entertainer of the year, alongside Lambert, Eric Church, Luke Combs and Carrie Underwood.
Album of the year nominees include Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen, Young, Lambert, Jack Ingram and Jon Randall.
Wallen is back as a four-time nominee after being removed from last year’s ACM ballot after he was caught on camera using a racial slur. Wallen earned nominations for album of the year for “Dangerous: The Double Album,” which was the most popular album across all genres last year. He also earned nominations for male artist of the year and song of the year.
Co-hosts Allen and Barrett also earned nominations for male and female artist of the year, respectively.
Pop star Taylor Swift also got a nomination — her first from the ACMs since 2018 and her 32nd nomination total — for “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version)” off her re-recorded version of “Red (Taylor’s Version).”
