Jason Aldean to perform Toby Keith tribute on Thursday's ACM Awards: What you need to know

Brandy McDonnell, The Oklahoman
·4 min read

Jason Aldean will honor the late Oklahoma music icon Toby Keith with a special salute during this year's Academy of Country Music Awards.

The 59th ACM Awards are set to stream live at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 16 from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The show will stream exclusively for a global audience across 240 countries and territories on Prime Video. A Prime membership isn't required to watch live, and fan also can see the show on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.

A three-time ACM Entertainer of the Year winner and the reigning ACM Artist of the Decade, Aldean will perform a special rendition of Keith's breakout hit “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” during the ACM Awards.

Toby Keith, right, makes a surprise appearance at Jason Aldean's sold-out "Highway Desperado Tour" stop Oct. 13, 2023, at Paycom Center in downtown Oklahoma City.
Toby Keith, right, makes a surprise appearance at Jason Aldean's sold-out "Highway Desperado Tour" stop Oct. 13, 2023, at Paycom Center in downtown Oklahoma City.

Keith, who died Feb. 5 at the age of 62 after a multi-year battle with stomach cancer, was a 14-time ACM Award recipient, including multiple wins for ACM Top Male Vocalist and ACM Album of the Year. The Norman resident was named ACM Entertainer of the Year twice, in 2002 and 2003.

Last October, Keith made a surprise appearance at Aldean's Oklahoma City concert at Paycom Center, where he performed "Should've Been a Cowboy," with Aldean backing him on vocals and guitar and the whole crowd wailing along. The Songwriters Hall of Famer went on to cap his 2023 with three sold-out December shows at the Park MGM Las Vegas, which turned out to be his last public performances.

Who else will be performing at the ACM Awards?

Another Oklahoma native and entertainment icon, Reba McEntire is hosting the ACM Awards for the 17th time. Reba, who debuted her new song "I Can't" last week on "The Voice," will take the ACM Awards stage for a special performance featuring new music, too.

The star-studded performance lineup also includes a duet by six-time ACM Award recipient and Tishomingo resident Blake Shelton and his wife, pop icon Gwen Stefani.

Gwen Stefani, left, and Blake Shelton perform at the Oklahoma Is All for the Hall concert March 30 at the BOK Center in Tulsa.
Gwen Stefani, left, and Blake Shelton perform at the Oklahoma Is All for the Hall concert March 30 at the BOK Center in Tulsa.

Female Artist and Album of the Year nominee Kelsea Ballerini will do a duet with singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, while New Male Artist of the Year nominee Nate Smith will perform with pop-punk icon Avril Lavigne.

Post Malone is set to make his ACM Awards debut. The awards show's performance lineup also includes former Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Parker McCollum, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson.

ACM Awards presenters include Alabama, Breland, Tyler Cameron, Jordan Davis, Sara Evans, Carin León, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Dion and Rozene Pride, Noah Reid, Richard Sherman, Charissa Thompson, Randy Travis and Clay Walker.

Country singer Luke Combs brought his Growin' Up And Gettin' Old Tour to Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, for the first of two shows on May 3. Combs' special guests for the first night included Cody Jinks, Charles Wesley Godwin, Hailey Whitters and The Wilder Blue.
Country singer Luke Combs brought his Growin' Up And Gettin' Old Tour to Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, for the first of two shows on May 3. Combs' special guests for the first night included Cody Jinks, Charles Wesley Godwin, Hailey Whitters and The Wilder Blue.

Who is nominated for the ACM Awards?

Luke Combs leads the 59th ACM Awards nominees with eight nods, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Single of the Year, plus Music Event of the Year alongside Riley Green for their song “Different ‘Round Here.”

Megan Moroney and Morgan Wallen each earned six nominations, followed by Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson with five nominations each.

Jelly Roll garnered four ACM Awards nominations, as did "Buy Dirt" hitmaker Jordan Davis. Kelsea Ballerini nabbed three nods.

Zach Bryan performs at the BOK Center on Aug. 11, 2023, in Tulsa.
Zach Bryan performs at the BOK Center on Aug. 11, 2023, in Tulsa.

Likewise, Oklahoman Zach Bryan, who hails from Oologah, received three ACM Awards nominations, for Artist-Songwriter of the Year and received nominations as artist and producer for Music Event of the Year for “I Remember Everything," his Grammy-winning duet with Kacey Musgraves.

Brooks & Dunn, Maddie & Tae and Kylie Morgan also are among the nominees with Oklahoma ties for the 59th ACM Awards.

Megan Moroney performs on the Pony Up stage at the Two Step Inn country music festival at San Gabriel Park on April 21 in Georgetown, Texas.
Megan Moroney performs on the Pony Up stage at the Two Step Inn country music festival at San Gabriel Park on April 21 in Georgetown, Texas.

How can fans watch the ACM Awards red carpet show?

Starting at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 16, the Official ACM Awards Red Carpet Show will air on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.

Featuring a special performance by Megan Moroney, the show will be hosted by Amber Anderson and Kelly Sutton, Makho Ndlovu and Elaina D. Smith, with Katie Neal serving as a correspondent from the carpet.

After the 59th ACM Awards stream live, the full rebroadcast will be available to watch on Prime Video. The awards show will be available to stream the next day starting at 7 p.m. Friday, May 17 on the Amazon Music App and for free on Amazon Freevee.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Toby Keith tribute on Thursday's ACM Awards to feature Jason Aldean

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