The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards are underway at The Star in Frisco, Texas, and one of the night’s biggest awards was just handed out….Album of the Year.
Country albums are a labor of, as every artist will tell you. Months, and sometimes years, go into making a project an artist can be proud of. These projects are no small feat, from choosing the right songs and studio musicians to recording spot-on vocals and mixing and mastering to perfection.
It’s no surprise that the Album of the Year award is often the one a singer is most proud of because it embodies everything they’ve worked to accomplish. This year’s nominees are all worthy contenders and country stars who have been in the business long enough to know what a great album should sound like.
2024 Album of the Year nominees include:
Gettin’ Old– Luke Combs
Gettin’ Old the fourth studio album for Luke Combs. It features Combs’ chart-topping remake of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” a song that is in the running for Single of the Year and Song of the Year. A win in this category would be the icing on the cake for Combs who has already had an incredible year.
Higher– Chris Stapleton
Higher is the fifth album from Chris Stapleton. Released late last year, the album contains 14 tracks, most of which are written by Stapleton. It topped Billboard’s Top Country Album chart in the U.S., a feat that can partially be attributed to the success of lead single, “White Horse.”
Leather – Cody Johnson
They say that the third time’s the charm, and Cody Johnson is hoping that holds true for his third major label studio album release, Leather. The 12-song project features CoJo’s hit single, “The Painter.”
One Thing at a Time– Morgan Wallen
With a whopping 36 tracks, One Thing at a Time is Morgan Wallen’s greatest success to date. The project debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200, and spent 19 weeks atop the chart. It became the chart’s longest-running No. 1 country album of all time.
RELATED: 10 SONGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW WERE WRITTEN BY MORGAN WALLEN
Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good)– Kelsea Ballerini
The 7-song EP is a re-release of her 6-song project created by Kelsea Ballerini after her highly-publicized divorce from fellow artist, Morgan Evans. Released to rave reviews, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat inspired Ballerini to release the album again, but with slightly altered lyrics and bonus track that met the 7-song requirement to be considered for an ACM Award.
2024 ACM Album of the Year Winner
This year’s Album of the Year winner is…..Chris Stapleton!!!
The award is presented to the artist, producer(s) and record label. In this case, the award goes to Chris Stapleton, his wife Morgane, and producer Dave Cobb, marking the first ACM win for Morgane.
.@ChrisStapleton just won Album of the Year for Higher! 🏆 #ACMawards pic.twitter.com/Wo6O5f8eEi
— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) May 17, 2024
See a video for “White Horse,” a track from Chris Stapleton’s award-winning album below.