The Academy of Country Music awards show is breaking out the disco ball Sunday night, and it will wear a cowboy hat.
In a Studio 54-meets-Gilley’s moment, Miranda Lambert is premiering her new single, “Crisco,” at Sunday’s show.
The tune is a mashup of country and disco, with baking as a metaphor. Lambert sings, “It’s an old-time recipe, just a pinch of you and me. Whisk it up and toss it on the flame. Like butter on a biscuit, when you kiss me, I just melt away.”
In short(ening), just have fun with it.
“It has so many elements of the country music that I love that I’ve never put on tape,” Lambert says in a statement. “There’s a looseness to it, a joy. It feels like dancing in your kitchen with the person you love, spinning old records, not overthinking a thing.”
The ACM Awards are set for 5 p.m. Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, streaming live on Prime Video. Organizers emphasize that tickets are still available at AXS.com (the upstairs, in-the-door ducats start at about $130).
Shania Twain hosts the show for the first time. On the topic of new releases, her latest album, “Little Miss Twain,” is due July 24.
The broadcast has been extended by 30 minutes from its usual two hours. Check the list of performers, and you will see why. Along with Lambert, we have:
Blake Shelton, Carter Faith, Cody Johnson, Dan + Shay, Ella Langley, Jordan Davis, Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, Lee Ann Womack, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum, Riley Green, The Red Clay Strays, Thomas Rhett and Zach Top.
ACM New Female Artist of the Year Avery Anna and New Male Artist of the Year Tucker Wetmore are also in the mix. And, the presenters: Keith Urban, Andrew Whitworth, Ashley McBryde, Carl Edwards, Corey Lajoie, Lauren Alaina, Michael Bublé, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Shaboozey, The War And Treaty and TJ Osborne.
Among nominees, female artists take the lead with the most nods, including Megan Moroney (nine), Lambert (eight), Ella Langley (seven) and Wilson (seven). Chris Stapleton tops the guys with six, followed by Top (five) and Johnson (four).
Keep an eye out for Shelton’s moment closing the show, which will embrace Las Vegas sensibilities. We understand it will be a real sing-along moment, quite uplifting.
Anna and Wetmore are making their first awards-show appearances. The fast-rising Red Clay Strays, also in their awards premiere, are a band to watch.
The ACM Awards show is likened to a festival, with pauses for award presentations.
“It’s funny, we sort of brand ourselves now as country’s concert of the year. Being on Prime Video, there are very few commercials,” ACM Chief Executive Officer Damon Whiteside said. “We have just a few very short breaks. It feels like you’re just watching a big, wall-to-wall concert.”
ACM Awards is treating its Vegas broadcast as a homecoming. The show played Las Vegas regularly for a dozen years before COVID knocked the production off its schedule.
“This gives us an opportunity to create a whole new vision and look for the show, and a new set and everything,” Whiteside added. “One thing that’s very unique, that you won’t see in other awards shows, is it is very video-heavy. We have gigantic video screens.”
Emmy Award-winning Vegas set designer Andy Walmsley has designed a completely new stage. The visionary has a talent for making even arenas seem intimate and theatrical.
“The design is really impactful when you watch on TV. The visuals of the artists and sets are just incredible,” Whiteside said. “It truly looks like it’s custom-built for the MGM. It fits like a glove.”
In grand-showroom style, banquet tables are set across the floor for all the assembled stars. The energy is more organic and spontaneous than in a proper theater.
The country community brings an existing, organic connection to Las Vegas. Several performers, presenters and nominees have headlined here. Twain, Lambert, Urban and Shelton all have starred on the Strip. Musgraves opened for George Strait at T-Mobile Arena.
Shelton, of course, is a partner in Ole Red, the silly-busy honkytonk at Grand Bazaar Shops at the Horseshoe, where the ACM Awards opening party was held Thursday. Such superstars as Jason Aldean (at his Kitchen + Bar at 63 CityCenter and Luke Combs (with the incoming Category 10 at Flamingo, opening in October) have skin in the game in VegasVille.
“I do think that Vegas is a really strong country market, one of the strongest country markets out there,” Whiteside said. “There is a real kind of a synergy between country music, the fans that come to Vegas, or live in the Vegas area. It’s a very drivable market, obviously, and I think that’s partially why it works so well for country fans and country artists.”
It feels like the ACM Awards are looking beyond Sunday for a more consistent relationship with. Las Vegas. Whiteside says only, “We will be making an announcement about next year, soon.” I know where I’m putting my money.
Cool Hang Alert
The ever-artful Art Vargas is back at The Composers Room of Las Vegas at 7 p.m. Saturday. It’s the music, style, and showmanship of vintage Vegas. Also, swingin’ and golden era. All the throwback terms apply. “Noir Nightingale” Laura Shaffer is the guest vocalist. Go to thecomposersroom.com for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykatson X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.