The 2021 ACM Awards: The Best and Worst Performances Show Country Music in Transition

Country music is coming to terms with the fact that its tone for the past 10 years or so has become increasingly antiquated. Some of that is due to the fact that its biggest breakout star got caught using a racial slur on camera. Part of it has to do with the reductive lyrics of stadium country. No matter the reason, this year's Academy of Country Music Awards seemed to want to rectify some of those issues.

Last night was largely a departure from short shorts and pickups and more of a two-pronged ode to church and being a badass. The performances were shockingly diverse, and one of the shows biggest roles—co-host of the evening's events—was filled by Mickey Guyton: the first time a Black woman has been at the helm since the show's inception.

Though the room may have been empty, the performances were at a higher caliber this year. With big numbers all over Nashville, names like Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, and Eric Church upheld their roles as reliable favorites, but the biggest moments of the night came from those who may not know the ACM stage that well. The War and Treaty and Jimmie Allen should always have a home at these shows. (Or, hell. Let next year just be a Miranda Lambert concert. She's proving that she can do just about anything they throw at her.) A good swing at performances unfortunately doesn't remedy the awards aspect, which remained fairly predictable (Luke Bryan as Entertainer of the Year??), but hey. Getting it wrong is practically the M.O. of award shows.

Below are the 10 best performances of the night, along with a couple that left us... a bit confused.

It's Eric Church, so this was bound to be solid. On paper, it's the prototypical country song with a rockabilly twist, but the real selling point for any Church song is Church himself. If anyone has the capability to perform to an empty room and make it feel full, it's Church.

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Luke Combs would be higher on this list if this song weren't so grating. The whole motif of country songs with numbered lists about genre staples (beer can, truck milage, Duracells in a Maglite?) that conjure up earnest nostalgia should be retired. But this performance is proof that Combs isn't attached to a shtick—flanked by a full band with strings, he suited up and gave an excellent vocal showcase that wast a standout of the evening.

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This is a legend performance. For any fan of country music, there's a respect you hold for Alan Jackson—a staple of '90s country that helped define an entire era for the genre. "Drive" in particular is a nod to a beautiful era of music and Jackson's signature Georgian honky tonk voice delivers it perfectly.

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The only thing that should be changed about this performance is that it should have had a better spot in the show. Rounding out the night is great, but every award show could use this energy, and Brothers Osborne brought it in droves with "Dead Man's Curve." With speedy lyrics and an exciting melody, the song was the touch of nitrous needed to push the show over the finish line.

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This is an insane way to start the ACMs. It's gaudy. There's neon fringe. There's a kitschy, unnecessary car sequence.

And yet, it not only worked—it set the tone for the entire evening. Lambert (who performed three times throughout the evening) shared with the stage with Elle King, doling out one of the best ear worms of the night (even if that title is a mess).

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In what appears to be a surprise appearance from Paisley, Jimmie Allen and country's golden boy took to the stage for their duet "Freedom Was a Highway." The moment was sweet for Allen, even if it's getting harder and harder to pull off a "real" surprise. Nevertheless, it was nice to see a legend share a stage with an up and comer.

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There's something beautifully stripped down about Maren Morris's 2021 ACM outing. Sharing the stage with her husband, the performance was simple and intimate without taking us into that awkward early 2000s Tim/Faith area. It's also a great reminder of how fortunate country music is to have Morris, further evidenced by her back-to-back female vocalist of the year win.

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Putting McBryde on any line up is such a slap in the face to everyone else in the mix because McBryde's version of "fine" is most people's "excellent." Performing "Martha Divine," McBryde continues to inject a needed dose of grit and gumption into the country female canon.

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I mean, it's Carrie. The woman has two modes: killing men and praising Jesus. And she's all out of men. For over 15 years, the woman has provided flawless live vocals, and last night was no exception. Pair that with the otherworld godliness of Cece Winans on a gospel medley? It's pure magic.

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Dierks went full bluegrass in the best way. Bentley's duet with The War and Treaty (for a cover of U2's "Pride") was an undisputed highlight of the night. And while Bentley's rasp is always a star, the real standout here is the combination of Michael Trotter Jr's falsetto and gritty belting.

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It's so nice to see Chesney back on stage, and his performance was a reminder of how cherished he is in the country community, even if that man hasn't left the sands of (insert island country you wish you could visit) in 30 years. Unfortunately, the Academy said, "what if we try to sneak in the in memoriam here, too?" It all felt rushed and weird, especially considering that you have someone like Charlie Pride in this year's departed line up.

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The song "Austin" was always absurd—a love journey told via voicemails. It's all very 2001. But in the 20 years since its release, this performance serves as a reminder that Shelton has become more of a perennial country music figurehead. An ambassador if you will. The vocals just aren't there.

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