Winners have been announced for the star-studded 2016 American Country Countdown Awards which aired LIVE May 1 on FOX from The Forum in Inglewood, CA. Based on country music’s longest-running radio countdown show (43 years), “American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks,” the awards honors country music’s biggest stars, based on album sales and radio airplay.
Three of country music’s leading ladies Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles and Cam kicked off the show with a performance of McBride’s hit anthem “This One’s For the Girls,” while legendary duo Brooks & Dunn performed their 2013 megahit “Red Dirt Road” after receiving the 2016 NASH Icon Award Presented by Ford F-Series. The award, which celebrates an iconic artist whose extraordinary talent has influenced generations of musicians, was presented by longtime friend and 2014 NASH Icon recipient Reba McEntire. Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey then introduced Toby Keith’s tribute to his friend Merle Haggard, with Haggard’s longtime band the Strangers featuring Merle’s son Ben.
Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt each picked up two awards: Bryan was named Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist Of The Year, while Hunt received Breakthrough Male Of The Year and Digital Album Of The Year. Other winners included Kelsea Ballerini (Breakthrough Female Of The Year), Garth Brooks (Touring Artist Of The Year), Florida Georgia Line (Group/Duo Of The Year), Chris Stapleton (Album Of The Year), and Carrie Underwood (Female Artist Of The Year).
The two-hour broadcast featured 14 performances including: Kelsea Ballerini “Dibs”, 2016 NASH Icon Award presented by Ford F-Series recipients Brooks & Dunn “Red Dirt Road”, Luke Bryan “Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Every Day”, Cam “Mayday”, Dan + Shay “Nothin’ Like You”/”From The Ground Up”, Florida Georgia Line who premiered “H.O.L.Y.,” a song from their new album due out this summer, Sam Hunt “Make You Miss Me”, Chris Janson “Buy Me a Boat”, Martina McBride “Reckless”, Thomas Rhett “Die A Happy Man”, Cole Swindell “You Should Be Here”, and Carrie Underwood “Church Bells”.
Checkout the list of winners at the 2016 American Country Countdown Awards:
ARTIST OF THE YEAR Luke Bryan
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Luke Bryan
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Carrie Underwood
GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR Florida Georgia Line
BREAKTHROUGH MALE OF THE YEAR Sam Hunt
BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE OF THE YEAR Kelsea Ballerini
BREAKTHROUGH GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR Old Dominion
SONG OF THE YEAR “Die A Happy Man” – Thomas Rhett
ALBUM OF THE YEAR “Traveller” – Chris Stapleton
DIGITAL SONG OF THE YEAR “Girl Crush” – Little Big Town
DIGITAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR “Montevallo” – Sam Hunt
TOURING ARTIST OF THE YEAR Garth Brooks
