Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton are co-hosting the Academy of Country Music Awards this Sunday, April 18.
Hosting Duties
Keith Urban is a 15-time ACM Award winner and Mickey Guyton is a New Female Artist of the Year nominee. Urban is hosting for the second time in a row, whereas Guyton is hosting for the first time. More importantly, Guyton is the first-ever Black woman and the second Black artist to host the show.
The first Black artist was the legendary Charley Pride, who co-hosted the event in 1984.
This is the 29th time multiple hosts have taken the ACM Awards stage. Similarly, this is not the first time Guyton and Urban have taken the ACM stage together. Last year, Urban accompanied Guyton on the piano for a performance of her hit single, “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?”
Urban and Guyton chat in a short but sweet video about co-hosting the show. You can see the hosting chemistry already in action.
Mickey Guyton Makes History
According to a press release, the performance sealed the deal for this year’s hosting duties. In the same press release, Guyton spoke about what it means to be the first Black woman to host the famous event.
“Last year I had the opportunity to perform at the Academy of Country Music Awards with someone I long admired, Keith Urban, and this year I am incredibly excited to share hosting duties with him. As I’ve said before ‘if you can see it, you can be it,’ and it’s such an honor to step onto the ACM stage as the first ever Black woman to host the show. Over the years, the Academy of Country Music has always been a home for me through opportunities both onstage and throughout their work on diversity and inclusion. This is a moment of great significance for me and I am so thrilled to share it with all the fans.”
Of the hosts, Urban is a double nominee, with two for the Music Event of the Year Category. Guyton has one nomination, her second-ever for an ACM Award. But just like she did as a host for the ACM Awards, she recently made history as the first Black female solo artist to earn a Grammy nomination in a country category. It was for her song “Black Like Me,” in the Best Country Solo Performance category. She lost to white male solo artist Vince Gill, who has ten Grammys in the category.
More to Know About the Show
Chris Stapleton and Maren Morris are in a tie for the most nominations with six each. One of Morris’ includes her as a member of supergroup The Highwomen.
It’s important to note for the first time in ACM Awards history, a woman artist is present in every Single of the Year nomination. These female artists include Miranda Lambert, Gabby Barrett, Maren Morris, Carly Pearce (with Lee Brice), and Ingrid Andress.
Likewise, four Black artists – including Guyton – are present in nominations, as well. This is a new record for the award show. These Black artists are Kane Brown, Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton, and John Legend (in a duet with Carrie Underwood). No Black artists were nominees last year.
The show is broadcasting simultaneously from multiple locations in Nashville, Tennesee. These locations are, of course, iconic venues in country music history: the Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium, and the Bluebird Café.
You can watch live on Sunday, April 18th at 8 PM EST/8 PM CT on CBS.
