Tucker Wetmore has won the ACM New Male Artist of the Year. The career-defining achievement marks the rising country music star’s first-ever ACM award.
The moment was even more special because the Academy of Country Music sent the trophy internationally – a first in recent history – during the final night of Wetmore’s three-show, sold-out run at the O2 Forum Kentish Town. The surprise began when a video message from singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett interrupted the show before Wetmore’s mother, Sia, walked on stage to present him with the award.
Wetmore was overwhelmed with emotion: “I’m at a loss for words right now for the first time in a long time. I can’t do any of this without you guys. I can’t do any of this without that woman [mom] right there… Y’all made this possible. Every single person in this venue. And there’s countless more outside of this venue that I can’t sit here and name because I’d be here all night. Thank y’all so much and thank you ACMs for this amazing honor.”
The 61st ACM Awards will stream for a global audience live on Prime Video Sunday May 17 at 8 p.m. ET from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Viewers can also catch the ceremony on Twitch and the Amazon Music app. Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, and Riley Green are among the acts slated to perform at the show.
Among the artists up for awards this year are Chris Stapleton, Lambert, Jelly Roll, and Megan Moroney. This year’s four most-nominated artists are all women: Moroney leads with nine nods, followed by Lambert (eight) and Ella Langley and Wilson (seven each). This marks the second year in a row that a female solo artist has led the nominations. Last year, Langley led with eight nods.
