The Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards ceremony has come early for two of country music’s finest songsmiths. It was announced Wednesday night (May 10) that acclaimed songwriter Ashley Gorley is named this year’s ACM Songwriter of the Year while HARDY is named Artist-Songwriter of the Year.
Videos by American Songwriter
Ahead of the ceremony, Gorley has three Song of the Year nods with Chris Stapleton’s “You Should Probably Leave,” Cole Swindell’s “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” and Morgan Wallen’s “Sand in My Boots.” Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson are the only other songwriters to have achieved such a feat in ACM history. His fellow nominees in the Songwriter of the Year category included Nicolle Galyon, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne, and Hunter Phelps.
To some, this win comes as no surprise. The songwriter has been dominating the charts for well over a decade, crafting chart-toppers for the likes of Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, and so many more. However, when he was told of his win, he was taken aback.
In the video below, Gorley is interrupted during an on-camera interview and alerted to the news of his win. “Is this real or no?” he asked. Watch his reaction below.
This year, the Songwriter of the Year category was split into two different awards. Country’s latest hitmaker HARDY has officially taken home Artist-Songwriter of the Year. Luke Combs, ERNEST, Miranda Lambert, and Wallen were nominated alongside him.
The star is enjoying a hit-riddled year and an avalanche of nominations as of late. Along with the news of his win came another shortly after. It was announced his hit “Wait in the Truck” featuring Lainey Wilson won Visual Media of the Year.
With five other ACM nominations this year – including several performing and co-writing nods in categories like Song of the Year and Music Event of the Year – the singer/songwriter is leading the pack as the night’s top nominee.
See what else will unfold at the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards. Co-hosted by Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, the event will broadcast from the Dallas Cowboys’ practice stadium, The Ford Center, in Frisco, Texas on Thursday (May 11). The ceremony will stream live on Amazon Prime Video, at 8 p.m. ET.
Photo Credit: Ryan Smith/ Courtesy Big Loud Records
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