ARTIST NOMINEES: ERNEST, HAILEY WHITTERS, HARDY, MACKENZIE PORTER, MORGAN WALLEN
BIG LOUD INDUSTRY NOMINEES: JOEY MOI, JOSH DITTY, AND JUSTIN CLOUGH
HARDY EARNS MOST NOMINATIONS WITH SEVEN NODS
ERNEST, WHITTERS, PORTER CELEBRATE AS FIRST-TIME NOMINEES
Big Loud Scores 20 2023 ACM Awards Nominations | Courtesy of Big Loud Records | Download Here
NASHVILLE, TENN. – Marking a monumental milestone in its seven-year history, Big Loud Records, its artists, and staff raked in 20 total nominations this morning in anticipation of the upcoming 58th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
Claiming nominations in 10 categories, the label’s acclaimed roster and staff collectively are up for consideration for: Entertainer of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, New Female Artist of the Year, New Male Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Visual Media of the Year, Music Event of the Year, Audio Engineer of the Year, Producer of the Year, and three of the five nominees for the newly-created Artist-Songwriter of the Year.
HARDY leads the charge with seven nominations, the most of any artist this year, including nods for Song of the Year, Music Event of the Year, and Visual Media of the Year for his current Top 5-and-climbing collaboration “wait in the truck” feat. Lainey Wilson.
“I woke up in shock this morning. I had no idea that I’d be nominated for so much,” HARDY says in disbelief. “This truly feels like my year, and I’m just thankful that the industry would consider me as one of the top songwriters and artists in this town. Thanks to the ACM, Big Loud, The Neal Agency, and my publisher, Relative Music Group for all of the support. Thank you for all of it.”
Record-breaking genre titan Morgan Wallen earns four, including a coveted Entertainer of the Year nomination, his second in the category. Wallen is the reigning ACM Album of the Year winner for Dangerous: The Double Album.
First time nominee ERNEST doubles down with two nominations in the New Male Artist of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year categories. Further proving that “he’s poised to have a huge year” (Country Living), the just-named Opry NextStage class member has claimed eight #1 singles as a songwriter and is currently on the road supporting Wallen’s One Night At A Time World Tour.
“I wasn’t expecting this at all,” shares ERNEST. “It feels so good to be acknowledged by the ACMs alongside such awesome talent. I couldn’t be more honored.”
Iowa-born country darling Hailey Whitters is a first-time nominee today, spotlighted in the New Female Artist of the Year category. Whitters’ debut single, “Everything She Ain’t” from her standout third album RAISED has taken both critics and country radio by storm inside the Top 25 now.
“I am so excited to be nominated for an ACM Award for the first time,” Whitters says. “After more than a decade working as a songwriter, it’s so rewarding to get this recognition as an artist.”
Rising country songstress MacKenzie Porter earns her first ACM Awards nomination for her platinum certified, six-week #1 collaboration “Thinking ‘Bout You” alongside Dustin Lynch. The longest-running Top 10 single in Billboard Country Airplay chart history at 28 weeks, the record shattering track landed as the #1 song on the Mediabase 2022 year-end country chart and #2 on the Billboard 2022 year-end Country Airplay Songs chart.
“I’m absolutely freaking out,” exclaims Porter. “Last year I was at home sitting on my couch, watching the ACMs and dreaming about the idea of attending, and it felt like a distant dream. Now we are nominated, and it doesn’t feel real.”
Three Big Loud Records staff members also took home nominations today, with Josh Ditty and Justin Clough receiving their first-ever nominations for Audio Engineer of the Year and Visual Media of the Year respectively. Joey Moi continues to establish himself as a pacesetter who’s “on a tear” (Billboard), pushing the boundaries of country’s sound and earning his fourth consecutive nomination for Producer of the Year.
“I’m honored to be nominated among this excellent group of producers,” Moi says.
BIG LOUD RECORDS 2023 ACM AWARDS NOMINATIONS
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Morgan Wallen
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Morgan Wallen
NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Hailey Whitters
NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
ERNEST
SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/
VISUAL MEDIA OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/
ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
AUDIO ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Josh Ditty
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Joey Moi
ABOUT BIG LOUD RECORDS
Big Loud Records’ head-turning success story began in 2015. Counting over 25 billion global streams, 16 #1 U.S. airplay and 20 #1 Canadian airplay hits, and 67 RIAA certified titles, the Big Loud Records roster is home to genre standouts Morgan Wallen, Jake Owen, Lauren Alaina, HARDY, ERNEST, MacKenzie Porter, Larry Fleet, Charles Wesley Godwin, Ben Burgess, Stephen Wilson Jr., Dallas Smith, Griffen Palmer, Shawn Austin, Lily Rose, Jake Worthington, Ashley Cooke, and Lauren Watkins. In 2019, the cutting-edge label partnered with award-winning songwriter Nicolle Galyon to form all-female label Songs & Daughters, signing critically-acclaimed Iowa-born artist, Hailey Whitters. Records was honored as the #1 Billboard Hot Country Songs label in 2021 + 2022, the 2022 MusicRow Label Group of the Year, and was named Platinum Label at the 2021 + 2023 CRS/Country Aircheck Awards. Learn more about Big Loud Records here, and connect with us on social media here.
ABOUT ERNEST
Nashville’s most unpredictable hitmaker ERNEST is “The Charmer” (MusicRow), a triple threat talent and one of Music City’s on the rise artist/writers who is changing the status quo. A 2022 Variety Hitmaker, the chart-topping songwriter fuses influences ranging from Eminem to George Jones, crafting a twist-heavy verse style that’s become his signature, proving its mettle, and earning him eight #1 hits to date. The eccentric free spirit and 2X CMA Triple Play Award winner just dropped the deluxe edition of his critically acclaimed album FLOWER SHOPS (THE ALBUM), rebranding the collection FLOWER SHOPS (THE ALBUM): Two Dozen Roses, doubling its track list with 13 fresh cuts. The March 2022-released original has been praised as one of Holler and The Tennessean‘s best albums of the year, showcasing the more classically country side of his craft. Nashville’s “busiest – and most consistently successful – creative force” (The Tennessean) wrapped his first-ever sold-out headlining Sucker For Small Towns Tour this past fall, and is on the road now as direct support on Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time World Tour.
ABOUT HAILEY WHITTERS
This Iowa-born, Nashville-based rising Country star scored her breakthrough moment in 2020 with the release of her self-funded debut album THE DREAM, which was praised as “the year’s deepest country album” (The Washington Post) and went on to appear on more than 15 year-end best of lists including #1 on both Stereogum‘s “10 Best Country Albums of 2020” and Garden & Gun‘s “Best Southern Albums of 2020” list. The subsequent deluxe album LIVING THE DREAM found Whitters’ self-fulfilling THE DREAM‘s prophecy and enlisting her friends and collaborators Brent Cobb, Jordan Davis, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Little Big Town, and Trisha Yearwood to appear on five new songs, leading NPR’s Fresh Air to call her “one of the most interesting voices in country music.” In 2021 alone, Whitters toured with Luke Combs and Midland, was named the inaugural Opry NextStage Artist of the year, scored her first CMT Music Award nomination for “Breakthrough Video of the Year” (“Fillin’ My Cup” feat. Little Big Town) and received her first GRAMMY nomination for Song of the Year for “A Beautiful Noise,” which was written by Ruby Amanfu, Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, Alicia Keys, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Linda Perry and Hailey Whitters, and performed by Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile. On March 18, 2022, Whitters released her third studio album RAISED via Pigasus / Songs & Daughters / Big Loud, followed by her debut headline Heartland Tour, performances at Tortuga Music Festival and Stagecoach Festival, and a national tour with Jon Pardi and Lainey Wilson. Now boasting over 150 million streams across her catalog, Whitters’ breakout single “Everything She Ain’t” is currently climbing multiple charts and has inspired multiple viral TikTok trends.
ABOUT HARDY
Big Loud Records’ heavy-hitter HARDY has never been just one thing. Uncaging a new chapter, HARDY soared to new heights with the release of the mockingbird & THE CROW, his critically acclaimed half-country, half-rock sophomore album, adding to over 2 billion career streams. The dichotomous, 17-track effort debuted top five all genre on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and kinged seven additional Billboard charts in its first week, including Top Country Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Top Album Sales. The pride of Philadelphia, Miss. has earned his reputation as “a promising purveyor of keeping the spirit of classic heavy Southern rock alive” (American Songwriter), “capable of writing the big hits for radio, obstinate enough to do something completely unexpected, and savvy enough to find the throughline for it all” (Rolling Stone). A three-time CMA Triple Play award recipient, HARDY is the reigning ACM Songwriter of the Year, the 2022 BMI Country Songwriter of the Year, and a two-time AIMP Songwriter of the Year. HARDY has written 12 #1 singles since 2018, including his own double platinum #1 single “ONE BEER” feat. Lauren Alaina + Devin Dawson, and chart-topping, platinum Dierks Bentley + BRELAND collaboration, “Beers On Me.” He’s previously toured with Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Cole Swindell, and more, and is headlining a 19-date, nationwide sold-out run on his the mockingbird & THE CROW Tour.
ABOUT MACKENZIE PORTER
Rising to international acclaim with a distinct country-pop shimmer reminiscent of iconic predecessor Shania Twain, Canada-born and Nashville-based MacKenzie Porter‘s sound knows no borders. Making an introductory statement with her critically acclaimed, chart-dominating, six-week U.S. #1 Dustin Lynch duet “Thinking ‘Bout You,” Porter has continued to make her own mark with standout hits such as “Pickup,” which earned her a 2023 CMT Music Awards nomination for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year, and best-known head-bobber “These Days.” Her “mesmerizing vocals and hook-driven songs” (Billboard) spark headline-worthy moments and accolades, debuting at Nashville’s hallowed Grand Ole Opry in late 2021 and standing alone as the only female in her category nominated for Favorite Country Song at the 2022 American Music Awards. The MusicRow Discovery Artist of the Year has additionally earned seven CCMA nominations in the last two years alone, including a nod for Entertainer of the Year. A trailblazer in her field, Porter is the first female this century to have five #1 songs at Canadian country radio, claiming her first crossover Top 10 at Canadian pop radio with “These Days (Remix)” – the first since 2003 for a Canadian country artist. The triple threat is a member of CMT’s elite Next Women of Country Class of 2021, previously starred as an actress in cult-followed sci-fi television series Travelers, and has toured the globe opening for Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Walker Hayes, Jordan Davis, Brad Paisley, Chris Lane, Dallas Smith, and Rascal Flatts.
ABOUT MORGAN WALLEN
Hailed by Billboard for making “his superstar arrival as a touring artist” in 2022, Morgan Wallen recently wrapped his 55-show Dangerous Tour with his first headlining stadium show at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX, which saw him shatter attendance records previously held by Elton John and Lady Gaga. Now, the CMA Entertainer of the Year nominee who had record-setting shows in 30 venues across the country – with the only country tour nominated for Pollstar’s Major Tour of the Year – is embarking on a massive world tour in 2023. Spanning 30 stadium-plays across 5 countries and 3 continents, plus arenas, amphitheaters and festivals, Wallen’s 65-show 2023 One Night At A Time World Tour will deliver the man The New Yorker dubbed as “the most wanted man in country” to fans worldwide.
With over 18.2 billion on-demand streams and eight chart-toppers at country radio, the East Tennessean’s latest hit “Thought You Should Know,” cowritten with Nicolle Galyon and Miranda Lambert, remained at No. 1 for three consecutive weeks. Recent breakout hit “You Proof” became his fastest climbing single to-date, reaching No. 1 after just 14 weeks and remaining at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for a record-breaking ten non-consecutive weeks. Current singles “One Thing At A Time” and “Last Night” remain top-20-and-counting on country airplay charts, as “Last Night” becomes Wallen’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1. On the heels of the unparalleled success of his 4x platinum, ACM Album of the Year, Dangerous: The Double Album (Big Loud/Mercury/Republic Records) – which topped 2021’s all-genre Billboard 200 Albums year-end chart and notched historical chart status as Billboard’s longest running Top 10 album in history for a solo artist (with 113 total weeks spent in the Top 10, eclipsing Adele’s 21 and Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The USA), Wallen’s 36-song deeply personal third studio album, One Thing At A Time, is available now, where it remains at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts for its fifth consecutive week. With ten career weeks atop the Billboard Artist 100 all-genre charts, $3 from every U.S. ticket sold for the One Night At A Time World Tour will benefit the Morgan Wallen Foundation.
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