Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley on what they're excited for at ACM Awards
Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley joined forces on “CBS This Morning” to preview Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards.
The superteam boasts 35 ACM Award nominations, 32 No. 1 hits and 13 No. 1 country albums over the years, and the two friends go way back.
“Dierks and I have a lot of history out there,” explained Bryan. “We’ve been on the same record label for many years, toured a lot together back in the early years -- the formative years of our career.”
Bryan and Bentley talked about the possibility of an Oscars best picture-type flub at this year’s awards show and admitted that “things happen.”
Bryan said last year’s show had a small snafu during a show skit.
“It wasn’t an artist,” said Bryan. “It was a camera guy who missed his cue to speak and Dierks and I were like, ‘OK, this is changing on the fly.’”
“That’s why we have a backstage bar,” cracked Bentley.
One thing Bentley and Bryan can’t wait for, though, is seeing the new musicians get on stage.
“Dierks has a song out with Cole Swindell,” said Bryan. “It’s Cole’s kinda first big performance and it’s always fun to see how they handle their first, because when you’re a country artist and you get a big-time TV award moment, it’s a big time for your career.” He admitted that during his first big TV performance, he had “huge amounts of anxiety.”
Bentley said he was starstruck during the first time he had a big TV gig.
“We were playing tracks ... I look down and see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill looking back up at us and I was like, ‘Wow, this is crazy,’” he said.
Both Bentley and Bryan will perform at the star-studded night, in addition to Reba McEntire and contemporary Christian artist Lauren Daigle, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Thomas Rhett and Maren Morris, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line with the Backstreet Boys, Brett Eldredge, Old Dominion have been added as performers joining the lineup of previously announced solo performances by Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Brothers Osborne, Lady Antebellum, Sam Hunt, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Jon Pardi and Chris Stapleton.
Bentley and Bryan are personally excited to see Urban perform “The Fighter” with underwood
“He’s the best,” said Bentley. “I never heard anyone play the guitar -- in any genre of music, he’s hands down the best.”
The ACM Awards will broadcast live on Sunday from 8 to 11 p.m. ET on CBS and CBS All Access.
