FRISCO, Texas — Lainey Wilson was seemingly in all places on the Academy of Nation Music Awards, gathering 4 trophies on an evening that noticed Chris Stapleton win the entertainer of the 12 months honor.

Wilson carried out twice Thursday –- back-to-back –- and delivered heartfelt speeches after her wins, which put her subsequent to fellow winners and nation music legends.

She received album of the 12 months for Bell Backside Nation, accepting the respect barely breathless after performing her track “Grease.”

Wilson known as the album a “labor of affection” and mentioned she wrote 300 songs in the course of the pandemic. She mentioned folks usually inform her how a lot the album means to their lives, and she or he mentioned writing them “saved mine.”

When she received feminine artist of the 12 months, co-host Dolly Parton handed her the trophy. “I can not consider I simply met Dolly Parton, initially,” Wilson mentioned.

She gave credit score to the feminine artists who preceded her and the sacrifices she knew they’d all made: “I am up right here due to y’all. Due to folks like Dolly Parton, paving the best way.”

“For the little ladies watching this, this stands for exhausting work,” Wilson mentioned, referencing her trophy. “If you are going to be a dreamer, you higher be a do-er.”

Stapleton owned the stage on the finish of the night time, profitable the ACMs’ high honor.

“I’m shocked, actually,” Stapleton mentioned. “By any conceivable metric, I do not deserve this. … I’ve by no means considered myself as someone who would win this award.”

He devoted the award to his kids at residence, saying they sacrifice numerous time with him and his spouse due to his profession.

Breathless moments weren’t unusual in the course of the performance-heavy present. Cole Swindell received the night time’s first award, track of the 12 months, for “She Had Me at Heads Carolina.” He had simply carried out the track with Jo Dee Messina.

Swindell later received single of the 12 months for a similar track. “Thanks nation music followers, that is all I’ve ever been,” he mentioned. “I do not know what I ever did to get this lucky.”

Singer-songwriter HARDY entered the present because the main nominee and picked up 4 awards. “Wait within the Truck,” his duet with Wilson, who was the second-leading nominee, received the music occasion award.

“Thanks Lainey, you completely killed it,” HARDY mentioned. He credited her with making folks consider within the track, which references home violence and searching for revenge.

“This was a track about actual life,” Wilson mentioned. “I did not need folks to narrate to this track, however numerous them do.”

Outdated Dominion frontman Matthew Ramsey used the band’s win for group of the 12 months to handle latest divisiveness and gun violence. He referenced the social gathering environment of the present however mentioned he additionally acknowledged that “there are folks clearly hurting on the planet proper now making an attempt to determine how one can make sense of the divisiveness and shootings and issues like that.”

Ramsey continued: “We’re most proud to have the ability to make music for those who are hurting proper now. So thanks for together with us within the social gathering and permitting us to make music for whoever wants it.”

Garth Brooks and Parton hosted the two-hour awards present, streamed reside on Amazon Prime from the Ford Middle on the Star in Frisco.

The straightforward banter between Brooks, in his first internet hosting gig, and Parton carried the present’s early moments. Parton closed out the present with a efficiency of a track from her upcoming rock album.

A later routine concerned the pair video conferencing with Willie Nelson to want him completely satisfied birthday. The nation legend just lately turned 90, and the ACMs honored him with a efficiency of Nelson’s hit with Waylon Jennings, “Mammas Do not Let Your Infants Develop As much as be Cowboys” by Cody Johnson.

The present opened with Keith City performing, fittingly given the situation of the present, his track “Texas Time.”

Texas references and celebrities ran all through the present. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Corridor of Famer Emmitt Smith introduced the primary award.

HARDY was additionally a nominee as a songwriter for Morgan Wallen’s Sand in my Boots. The nation celebrity did not carry out as deliberate as a result of a vocal twine harm that is halted his tour and was not in attendance when he received finest male artist. Brooks took off his hat to honor Wallen, saying lacking out on the present “should be killing him.”

Hailey Whitters and Zach Bryan have received finest new artist honors.