The Academy of Country Music’s Music Event of the Year award recognizes some of the best collaborations of the past year and highlights some often unusual artist pairings.
During Thursday night’s 59th ACM Awards show, the 27th Music Event of the Year trophy was awarded. This year’s nominees were:
“Can’t Break Up Now” – Megan Moroney and Old Dominion
“Can’t Break Up Now” was released in 2023 as the second single from Old Dominion‘s fifth studio album, Memory Lane. The band enlisted Megan Moroney, who happens to be this year’s most nominated artist at the ACM Awards, to join them on the track following the success of her debut single, “Tennessee Orange.”
“Different ‘Round Here” – Riley Green feat. Luke Combs
“Different ‘Round Here” was the title track for Riley Green’s debut album. It was never released as a single, but was a fan favorite at shows. When recording his sophomore album, Green enlisted Luke Combs for a collab on the song and released it as a single.
“I Remember Everything” – Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves
Zach Bryan teamed up with Kacey Musgraves for “I Remember Everything” and released it as the lead single from his self-titled fourth studio album. The song was a huge commercial success, earning both Bryan and Musgraves their first No. 1 song. They also earned a Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and became the first song to simultaneously top the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts.
“Man Made A Bar” – Morgan Wallen feat. Eric Church
A deep cut from Morgan Wallen’s 2023 album, One Thing At A Time, “Man Made A Bar” was released as a single in 2023. A few months later, the pair performed at the 2023 CMA Awards, marking their debut live performance of the song. Morgan and Eric have repeatedly reprised the song, including a surprise appearance from Church during Wallen’s recent Stagecoach set.
“Save Me” – Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson
Much like Riley Green’s “Different ‘Round Here,” Jelly Roll recorded “Save Me” as a solo track in 2020, but recorded a remix and included Lainey Wilson for a later album. Lainey and Jelly’s collab was released in 2023 as the second single from the latter’s album Whitsitt Chapel. The pair have performed it live on several occasions, including at the 2023 CMA Awards and on American Idol.
Scotty McCreery took the stage during Thursday night’s ACM Awards at The Star in Frisco, Texas, to announce that Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson were this year’s lucky recipients of the Music Event of the Year trophy.
Watch the music video for Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson’s winning collab below!