Broadcasting before live audiences from country music's home town, Nashville, Tennessee, the 56th Academy of Country Music awards show made for a star-studded Sunday night.
For the second year, the ACM awards took place in several smaller sites around Nashville, including the emblematic Grand Ole Opry House, rather than at the usual Las Vegas venue.
More than two dozen performers, including co-hosts Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton, as well as genre stars Kenny Chesney and Maren Morris, who won two awards, took part in the three-hour show. A number of performances were pre-recorded ahead of the Sunday night screening.
Luke Bryan took the top prize for Entertainer of the Year, while Chris Stapleton won Album of the Year for Starting Over. Morris was awarded Female Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for The Bones, and Thomas Rhett was named Male Artist of the Year.
The award nominees sat spaced out in the mostly empty front rows of the Opry, all wearing masks, as the audience applauded and cheered from the higher floors.
Bryan was scheduled to perform at the award show, but had to bow out after recently testing positive for Covid-19.
"I'm so sorry I could not be there," he said in a video message from Los Angeles, promising his fans he would be back soon.
Morris thanked the talented artists she competed with for inspiring her, saying, "I have heard some of the best music out of you all this past year".
Miranda Lambert, the most nominated female artist in the Academy's history with 35 ACM wins, kicked off the show alongside Elle King with a duet.
Among the performances, Carrie Underwood and Cece Winans stood out for a medley of gospel songs including Amazing Grace and Great is Thy Faithfulness.
Guyton, a nominee for new Female Artist of the Year, and the first Black woman to host the ACM awards, performed her song Hold On with a gospel choir accompaniment.
Urban, the 2019 Entertainer of the Year winner, who returned this year after hosting the 2020 ACM show, thrilled the audience with his new song Tumbleweed.
Full list of winners at the 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards:
Entertainer of the Year: Luke Bryan
Female artist of the Year: Maren Morris
Male artist of the Year: Thomas Rhett
Album of the Year: Starting Over, Chris Stapleton
Song of the Year: The Bones, Maren Morris, Laura Veltz, Jimmy Robbins
Single of the Year: I Hope You're Happy Now, Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
Duo of the Year: Dan + Shay
Group of the Year: Old Dominion
New Female Artist of the Year: Gabby Barrett
New Male Artist of the Year: Jimmie Allen
Musical Event of the Year: I Hope You're Happy Now, Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
Video of the Year: Worldwide Beautiful, Kane Brown
