The 2022 ACM Awards, which took place at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Monday (March 7) night, made history as the first live major awards show to be exclusively livestreamed (on Prime Video).
During the show, Morgan Wallen — whose Dangerous: The Album was the biggest album of 2021 on the Billboard 200, setting a record for longest stint in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for a country album — won album of the year at the 57th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. That win arrives slightly more than a year after Wallen, country’s biggest rising commercial star, was caught on video using the n-word among his friends late one night in February 2021. Following the incident, Wallen apologized and asked fans not to defend him. While many radio stations initially pulled his songs, Wallen’s music gradually returned to airwaves and he’s set for a massive 2022 tour. This win is his first major awards show moment since the leaked video showed him using a racial slur.
Here’s Wallen’s acceptance speech at the 2022 ACM Awards:
“I wrote some stuff down. When I started this album, I was a kid. By the time I put it out, I was a father, and that’s become more important to me than anything else. To my son: This album and this award will signify that his daddy was a fighter, that he chased his dreams and worked hard to make them a reality. I want to say a special thank you to all the songwriters, producers and musicians who played on this album. I wish you were standing next to me now. This project would not be complete without each of you. I’d also like to thank my good lord and savior Jesus Christ, my family, my close friends, my band, my team in Nashville, country radio and everyone who has shown me grace along the way. Most importantly, I have to address my fans personally and directly: Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m blown away by you guys. God bless.”
Additional reporting by Jessica Nicholson.
The 57th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by MRC Live & Alternative, which is owned by MRC. MRC is a co-owner of Billboard through a joint venture with Penske Media titled P-MRC.
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Tagged: ACM Awards, Country, entertainment blog, music, music blog