In the days leading up to the ceremony, several stars were in town performing shows at The Star and speaking to fans and press — one of our favorites being Arlington’s own Mickey Guyton, who received the Charley Pride: I’m Just Me honor on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, this writer got an early taste of the red carpet during a press conference, asking host Reba McEntire what role family plays in her creative approach, whether it's natural family or chosen family.
“You know, John Wayne did that a lot,” she told me. “When you’re going to work, and you have people around you that you love to hang out with, love to work with, it makes it fun. It makes it so much more fun to go to work.”
But Thursday night is when the magic manifested.
Hours before the show, several celebrities lined up for the red carpet, which took place in a crowded, bustling event space at the Omni Frisco Hotel at The Star. Some of the earliest arrivals include Frisco native Grace Tyler, who independently released her debut EP, Everything I Didn’t Say, back in March. “It’s so cool to see Nashville come to town and just embrace my hometown,” she told the Observer.
Another notable Dallasite was Franklin Jonas — who is no longer going by Frankie or “Bonus Jonas,” as he was nicknamed by fans of his older brothers, the Jonas Brothers — who was joined by McKinney native Harper Grace. The two recently collaborated on a duet called “IDK,” and the they expressed hope to perform at the iconic Deep Ellum venue, Trees.
As more artists filled the room, surprises quickly ensued; 20-year-old Jessie Murph, who is known for her signature “dirty pop” sounds that fuse country, pop and rock, arrived in a frilly pink top with a pig in hand. Yes, you read that correctly — an adorable baby pig whom she’s named Wilbur.
Many of the country music veterans didn’t arrive until later. Outside of the event space was a man with a megaphone and a sign that read, “Polite cat calling.” When McEntire walked into the red carpet room, the man shouted through the megaphone, “You look like the queen of country.” McEntire walked into the red carpet area, posed for some photos, and even took a few selfies with a select group of fans who had been invited to participate on the red carpet.
The man with the megaphone shouted out more of the bigger acts as they walked in, including Shaboozey, whom he told “Man, I’ve had your song stuck in my head all year, but I’m not mad about it.” The “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” hitmaker replied, “It’s gonna be there a lot longer, sir.” When Jelly Roll and his wife Bunnie XO walked in, the man told him “I listen to your music every day when I wake up.” Jelly was the most gracious act on the red carpet, stopping to talk with as many people as he could, albeit briefly — even those he wasn’t scheduled to speak with. Our social media editor, Jordan Maddox, tried to get his attention, saying, “Hi Jelly Roll, we’d love to speak with you!” but it appears he didn’t hear.
But perhaps the biggest surprise of the night came from an appearance by Keith Urban and his wife, Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, who showed off a long, flowing hairstyle just days after arriving at the Met Gala with a shortened 'do.
Notably absent from both the red carpet and the ACM Awards was Grand Prairie’s Post Malone. But we imagine he’s hard at work getting ready for the Big Ass Stadium Tour tonight at AT&T Stadium, during which he will be joined by Jelly Roll as a co-headliner.
The ceremony itself proved fruitful for some Texas artists. Cody Johnson, of Huntsville, won the Song of the Year award for his hit single “Dirt Cheap.” Country legends Brooks & Dunn — Ronnie Dunn hails from Coleman, Texas — won the Duo of the Year award. Lainey Wilson ruled the night, taking home Entertainer of the Year for the second year in a row, as well as Female Artist of the Year, Artist-Songwriter of the Year and Album of the Year for 2024’s Whirlwind.
And yes, we know Wilson isn’t technically from North Texas, but she spent much time in Fort Worth filming portions of the final season of Yellowstone. Should she have another arc in the Taylor Sheridan universe — perhaps in his upcoming series The Madison, which began filming in Dallas and Fort Worth late last year — we’ll soon be able to claim her as one of our own.
After all, all roads lead to Texas.
