It’s been almost a week since the 2019 Academy of Country Music Awards were broadcast live on CBS. As I reflect on the show, I can say that the award show taught me a few things about country music.
- Reba is still awesome. To be fair, I’ve known this for many years. She never ceases to impress me. There is a reason why she has hosted the show so many times – she is great at it.
Reba is funny. I’m not sure if she writes her own material or if there’s a team of writers who write her lines during the broadcast, but it doesn’t matter. She has the personality that allows her to pull it off consistently. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if Reba throws in a few ad libs along the way.
2. Hard work and persistence pays off. I had the opportunity to meet Dan and Shay at the CMA Music Festival a few years ago. There were so talented and nice when I met them. I’m am happy to see them get rewarded for their hard work. “Tequila” is a great song and it was certainly deserving of Song of the Year and Single of the Year honors. I was happy to see them be recognized as Duo of the Year as well because it’s not just one song that makes them relevant. They have a growing collection of hit singles that proves they belong in country music and will likely be on the country charts for many years to come.
3. Tradition will never go out of style. Besides Reba, George Strait was on stage more than any other artist. Brooks and Dunn also performed and Clint Black was a presenter. It was nice to see some familiar faces mixed in with the new ones. It seems clear to me that traditional country music is respected and will always have a place in country music. It is true that country music has evolved and welcomed artists other other genres. I wish mainstream radio would play more of these artists, but to see them get some recognition on an awards show was nice.
4. People want to hear music from female artists. This is not new, but I think the awards made it even more clear. It’s been known for a while now that female don’t get enough airplay on mainstream country radio. Reba touched on the serious topic with a joke early in the show, but I’m pretty sure everyone got her message.
There were a lot of great performances by females. Female artists bring a new perspective to music that is needed. These are the women who will inspire and serve as a role model for today’s young women. I was also happy to see Kacey Musgraves win Album of the Year award. It was a great Little Big Town performed their new song “The Daughters” and people responded on social media with praise for the emotional performance. There were so many women who did wonderful performances on the show.
Rick Amburgey is an experienced journalist and country music fan. He can be contacted on Twitter at @ViewsCountry.