Luke Bryan (Nominated for ACM Entertainer) OC: …dream come true. :36
“Being nominated for ACM Entertainer of the Year is just, it’s just amazing. I mean, I look back over my career and I’ve won a couple of Entertainer awards and every time you see your name a part of that group of people, you’re just honored by it. I’ll tell you what, I go on stage every night trying to be the best entertainer I can be and try to get everybody in the crowd, in the room sing and love one another and have fun So, any time the ACMs recognizes me for that, it’s a dream come true.”

Luke Bryan (fan expectations for BHLHDH) OC: …something for everybody. :37
“I think fans can expect a little something of everything. They can expect a love song, a dancing song; obviously, ‘One Margarita’ being a big ole fun summer drinking song. And I think we have songs that will make you cry, touch your emotions, and I think, like I said there are songs that you can fall in love to out there. And there are songs that talk about the true meaning of life when you think about a song like ‘For a Boat,’ and you got a father teaching his son about the important things in life. So, I’m just proud of the way the album come together, and I feel like there’s something for everybody.”

Eric Church (ACM Entertainer Nod) OC: …live up to. :51
“Coming off the CMA Entertainer of the Year – I’ve said this in interviews and I really believe this – I did not know what that award would mean to me because we’d never won that award (laughs) and never thought we would, and I felt a responsibility. I know what that award means to the format; I know what that means historically, and I tried to live up to that. I think with the vaccinations, I think with the touring, I think with the things we’ve tried to do during this, I’ve done more in that regard than I ever would’ve, because I understand the people that came before me, and I understand the people that will come after me. So, that nomination means more to me now than it probably ever has, because we’ve won. I think representing the format that I adore is something that I’m trying to live up to.”

Eric Church (ACM Male Artist 2021) OC: …category. :12
“I’ve not been in that category in a while. I think it’s a great honor. I mean, I’ve said this a thousand times – I’ve always thought of myself as more of a stylist than a vocalist, but it’s an honor to be with the guys that are in the category.”

Eric Church (ACM Music Event of the Year 2021) OC: …hopefully it wins. :34
“Luke Combs is somebody that we went to the same college, we’re from North Carolina both of us, I’ve got to know him, not only as an artist, but on a personal level. We’ve hung out together in North Carolina, here in Tennessee. I’m so proud of him and what he’s done. I’m proud that I was able to influence him and that he was able to do his own thing. And this song was, it was great to record it with him. I love the song. I love the writing of the song. I had nothing to do with that. They wrote it to the wall, and it was an honor to join him, and hopefully it wins.”

Chris Stapleton (theme of Starting Over album) OC: …as humans. :54
“I’ve never really looked at records necessarily as having a theme.  I’ve never made a record in that kind of a constraint necessarily. And there are a lot of great records that have this theme and this overlying thread that kind of runs through them.  Maybe the thread for me is just I’m singing. I wrote a bulk of the songs. It’s the same guys playing all the songs. If there’s a theme – if there’s a theme it’s hopefully there’s a theme of truth somewhere in it. And what I mean by that is hopefully we’re conveying in the songs some experiences that feel real and hopefully people can find themselves in those songs and in the album. And for me if I’m looking for a theme it’s that kind of, I don’t know, that thing that binds us all together as humans.”

Chris Stapleton (Maggie’s Song) OC: …of our family. :33
“She deserved a tribute of a song. Now, whether or not I did her justice in the song, I don’t know, but she was a dog that deserved a song so I wrote a song about her the day after she died. That song happened to carry through to me being allowed to play it live, and we wound up in the studio and we recorded it. And now it lives in the world to make people more sad than they deserve to be (laughs) in a year that we don’t need much of that. But I loved that dog very much, and she was a great member of our family.”

Brothers Osborne (how Skeletons came about) OC: …came about. 1:02
“Skeletons is a record that was essentially brought on because we wanted to play more new songs live. So, going into this record T.J. and I decided let’s make a record that no matter what song we just cherry pick out of the record we can do it during our show. And that is how we decided the songs that we ended up on the record. And we started with just like every other artist, 30, 40 plus songs. We started whittling them down, ‘well we might be able to play that. I don’t know if we would be able to play that.’ And that’s how we ended up with Skeletons. And it was really birthed from just playing live shows. One of the cool things about this record is that this is the first record where our entire band is playing on it. Previous records our drummer Adam and our bass player Pete they were playing, but this one has our other guitar player Jason and our keys player Billy Justin now. And it made a huge difference because for the first time we all got in the studio after playing hundreds of shows together, we put the headphones on and started playing and it was like oh it’s just the guys. We’re jamming with the dudes. And that’s how the record came about.”

Keith Urban (P!NK duet) OC: …it together. :29
“This song was written as a duet, and I sent the song to her and luckily she loved it. I loved the song and I was really hoping she would love it, because she’s truly one of the great singers of our generation. So, to hear her voice on this song was phenomenal. We had such a great time getting to do that. I wish we could’ve done it in the same space, but you know with the situation we’re in, of course, we couldn’t do that. So, she recorded her vocal at her house and I did mine at my house, and we put it together.”

LBT (Group nomination) OC: …yeah. :12
“That’s the coolest thing. Yeah. We’re all friends and we all root for each other and cheer each other on, and we love the music they’re making. And we just celebrate, man. We’re, we’re fans. Yeah.”

Maddie & Tae (Duo nomination) OC: …super fun. :24
“Having that nomination was like, oh wow, our peers do still feel like we’re doing something special and do still believe in us and that was a really nice spirit-lifter where we were like, ‘Oh my gosh. We are doing something right and we’re making music that people are enjoying,’ and that was just a huge, huge compliment. And we’re nominated with some of favorite people in the industry, so super fun.”

Carrie Underwood (Musical influences) OC: …do it too. :54
“I think my biggest influences musically, or career-wise, would have to be women like Reba, like Dolly, like Faith Hill, like Martina McBride. You see all of these women just juggle everything masterfully and many of them are moms and they’re superstars and they’re talented, and you know, I know how hard they work because I’m in their shoes somewhat and doing the same juggling. You know, you have the kids and the career and you’re just trying to crush everything you do and being pulled in a million different directions. And to see women like that who are just beautiful and smart and strong and talented, knowing that they have come first and they’re still getting to do what they love and they’re still getting to be the mom and the wife and all the things – that’s just such an inspiration to me and just lets me know that I can do it too.”

Carrie Underwood (biggest female influence) OC: …ever had. :25
“I would say my biggest female influence would have to be my Mom. She was the first person that I was around that really taught me what it was like to be a woman, to be a Mom, to be a wife, to be a daughter and a sister. And just watching her and how she did everything with grace and integrity and she’s so strong. I mean, she was just the best role model anybody could have ever had.”

Caylee Hammack (Loretta Lynn and professional inspirations) OC: …look up to. :31
“My first concert ever was Loretta Lynn. I was 13 years old and I got to see her in Columbus, Georgia. I begged my Dad to bring me, and I just remembered sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what she’d sing or say next. Loretta Lynn has been such an inspiration to me and all of the women who came before me – Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, all the way to Miranda Lambert and the legends of today. It’s unreal how many amazing women I have been given in this world to look up to.”

Caylee Hammack (Loretta Lynn) OC: …should listen. :28
“My female idol growing up was Loretta Lynn. I was 13 when I got to see her live in-concert for the very first time. It was my first concert ever, and I will always remember sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to just see what she was gonna sing or say next. The power she had on stage is something you don’t see much; there’s a magic there. I think that when a woman tells her story – a woman like Loretta Lynn – everyone should listen.”

Caylee Hammack (Miranda, Ashley, Tenille) OC: …more grateful. :46
“I could on and on about Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline and Tammy Wynette and Reba and Dolly, but I want to actually mention a few friends that I’ve recently made in this year of quarantine and that’s Miranda Lambert and Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes, these women that I’ve really gotten to connect with over this time in random group messages and such. I‘m just so very grateful that not only do I have women that have paved the way for us coming up in the country music industry, but I also have amazing women around me that I get to celebrate every single time that they put a new song out or win an award. I feel like I’ve found a family in country music, in the women of country music and I just couldn’t be more grateful.”

Kacey Musgraves (women in Country Music) OC: …of it all. :37
“I look at people like Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, songwriters who were sassy and intelligent and beautiful and also intelligent and humorous. They inspired me, and if I can be at all any part of that in carrying that on, then I feel like,  that’s just the icing on the cake for me, and I feel like I’ve done my job.”

Kylie Morgan (International Women’s Day) OC: …so young. :21
“For me, International Women’s Day is not only about women supporting women but also looking up to other women. And the very first tiny woman, actually, I ever looked up to was Shirley Temple. Not only was she a child star, but she never let her age hold her back. And I feel like I continue to grow up with that mentality and why I started my career so young.”

Lauren Alaina (woman she most admires) OC: … :24
“A woman that regularly inspires me would be my manager, Trisha. She is the most positive person that I’ve ever met. She’s constantly putting out fires. Trisha’s putting ‘em out and calming me down and helping me get to the next place and she just does everything with such grace and poise and she’s such a problem solver and she’s always positive and I just really admire that about her.”

Loretta Lynn (which songs had most impact) OC: …double hits. :10
“‘You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)’ and ‘Fist City’ is another one. They both hit women, you know? I wrote them about other women at the time and myself too, so I think that’s why they were double hits.”

Maddie & Tae (women most admire) OC: (Maddie) …everybody! :43
“I definitely can’t pick just one inspiring woman in my life, because I’ve been blessed by many. (TAE INTERRUPTS) Yeah, I was gonna say Tae is definitely one that inspires me always for many different reasons. You are really good at living in the moment, I feel like; very good at being present and I always pick that up from you every time we hang out. (TAE SAYS, “Your joy inspires me.”) My mom, she is just a baddie and amazing. I would say our manager Haley. She is just so great at balancing work life and family life, and I really admire that. And I would say, I don’t know. All the women in my life – my sister, my sister-in-laws, my mother-in-law. I love ‘em all. My grandma…everybody!”

Mickey Guyton (started with LeAnn) OC: …done. :24
“I was eight-years-old, and my church, I grew up singing in the church, and my church drove to Arlington [Texas] from Waco to go see a Texas Rangers baseball game. We were all the way up in the nosebleed section, and the announcer says, ‘Please rise as 10-year-old LeAnn Rimes sings the National Anthem,’ and that was before ‘Blue’ came out. I was already stuck on her, and then when ‘Blue’ came out, I was just like done.”

Mickey Guyton (on pursuing a career as a singer) OC: …all those people. :50
“It wasn’t like something where I was like, ‘Dad, I want to be a professional singer.’ It wasn’t until I was older when I finally admitted it. When you say something like that, it’s pretty crazy. What are we normally supposed to be? We’re supposed to be a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, go to school and for me to even say that was just kind of crazy. So, I took an interest in singing. I started doing solos in the church choir or the school had a talent show. I’d bring my boom box, and I’d sing ‘I Will Always Love You.’ I was just mesmerized by big-voiced women, so from LeAnn, I started listening to Dolly and Patsy Cline and Patty Loveless and Reba McEntire and Faith Hill and Martina McBride, all those people.”

Mickey Guyton (why the song Sister is so important to her) OC: …out there. :21
“As a woman, we need our sisters and this song is just so important for women, for girls, for everyone right now, to show solidarity and support for each other. No matter what it is that you believe, no matter what it is that you do, this song is exactly that for every woman out there.”

Priscilla Block (Dolly Parton) OC: …me some Dolly. :19
“Hey-this is Priscilla Block, and I would say one female country legend that I look up to would be Dolly Parton. I love how honest she is, and she’s always just embraced who she is as a woman, and I love that so much, you know. Big hair, big hoops and you know what’s next. I love me some Dolly.”

Priscilla Block (Mom) OC: …in the butt. :25
“I would honestly say one of the most inspiring women in my life is my mom because she raised five kids, and honestly had no clue what she was doing, but kind of always just made life so fun. She was there when we needed to laugh and when we needed to cry, and she was also there when we needed a little kick in the butt.”

“Hey y’all, this is Catie Offerman. Happy International Women’s Day. This is such a special chance for all of us to celebrate each other and all the women around the globe and all their amazing accomplishments. We love you!”

Chris Stapleton (theme of Starting Over album) OC: …as humans. :54
“I’ve never really looked at records necessarily as having a theme.  I’ve never made a record in that kind of a constraint necessarily. And there are a lot of great records that have this theme and this overlying thread that kind of runs through them.  Maybe the thread for me is just I’m singing. I wrote a bulk of the songs. It’s the same guys playing all the songs. If there’s a theme – if there’s a theme it’s hopefully there’s a theme of truth somewhere in it. And what I mean by that is hopefully we’re conveying in the songs some experiences that feel real and hopefully people can find themselves in those songs and in the album. And for me if I’m looking for a theme it’s that kind of, I don’t know, that thing that binds us all together as humans.”

Eric Church (CMA 2020) 1 OC: …next year or two. :31
“There’s not really been winners this year. I mean, nobody’s played. Nobody’s done the things we normally do. It’s been a year, to me, about losses. It’s about loss of life. It’s about loss of education for your kids. It’s about loss of time playing. It’s been a year of managing those losses. But I really meant what I said (during my acceptance speech) that we were in a room together as country music, and that’s not happened this year. So, I think that that was a win for country music, and I think it was a win for where we’re gonna go in the next year or two.”

Luke Bryan (fan expectations for BHLHDH) OC: …something for everybody. :37
“I think fans can expect a little something of everything. They can expect a love song, a dancing song; obviously, ‘One Margarita’ being a big ole fun summer drinking song. And I think we have songs that will make you cry, touch your emotions, and I think, like I said there are songs that you can fall in love to out there. And there are songs that talk about the true meaning of life when you think about a song like ‘For a Boat,’ and you got a father teaching his son about the important things in life. So, I’m just proud of the way the album come together, and I feel like there’s something for everybody.”

Dierks Bentley (Gone) 2 OC: …would enjoy it too. :18
“You know, the song, ‘cause I didn’t write it I can only brag on it, is just really well-written. It’s catchy, it’s fun. It’s metaphorical about what’s happening right now. It reminds me a little bit of some stuff we’ve had out in the past, but it feels like new territory in other ways and I don’t know, I just enjoyed it. I enjoyed singing it and I enjoyed playing it, and I wanted to put it out there and I thought our fans would enjoy it too.”

Keith Urban (P!NK duet) OC: …it together. :29
“This song was written as a duet, and I sent the song to her and luckily she loved it. I loved the song and I was really hoping she would love it, because she’s truly one of the great singers of our generation. So, to hear her voice on this song was phenomenal. We had such a great time getting to do that. I wish we could’ve done it in the same space, but you know with the situation we’re in, of course, we couldn’t do that. So, she recorded her vocal at her house and I did mine at my house, and we put it together.”

Carrie Underwood (Hallelujah) OC: …cool collaboration. :37
“’Hallelujah’ is a song that touches on many different topics and feelings. It’s a love song, it’s a Christmas song, it’s a celebrating the time of year song. It’s you know, still wanting that joyfulness – it was written by John Legend and Toby Gad. When I listened to it, it had John’s voice on it, and it’s just beautiful. I knew I wanted to sing it – we asked if John, you might want to sing it with me. The perfect song, the perfect person, John Legend sounds amazing on it and I was like wow, I can’t believe that this just all came together like this, and just kind of a really cool collaboration.”

Parker McCollum (1^st ACM Nomination) OC: …So grateful. :36
“What does it mean to be nominated for an ACM Award? I can’t even explain it. I’ve watched these awards shows from the time I can remember listening to country music or watching television. It’s been my whole life. And so to be nominated for an ACM, something like New Male Artist of the Year – an absolute honor and a dream come true and so cool to see how proud my family is of me getting nominated for something like this. It’s just, there are no words, man. So grateful.”

Lauren Alaina (Getting Over Him) OC: …good time. :22
“’Getting Over Him’ is a song that I recorded with Jon Pardi who is one of my dear friends. I absolutely love him and his personality, and I knew when I wrote this song with Emily Weisband and Paul DiGiovanni that he we would be the perfect guy for it. It’s about going out and having a good time, and Jon Pardi is the definition of going out and having a good time.”

“Hey Everybody! I’m Adam Hambrick, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

“Hey Everybody! I’m Adam Hambrick. Happy New Year.”

““What’s up everybody? This is Brandon Lay, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

“Hey! This is TJ, and I’m John, and we are Brothers Osborne. Happy New Year.”

“Hi! I’m Carrie Underwood, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

“Hey y’all! This is Caylee Hammack, wishing you a very Happy New Year.”

“Hey! This is Chrissy Metz, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

“Hey y’all! What’s up? This is Darius Rucker, wishing you a Happy New Year!

“Hey, it’s Dierks Bentley. Happy New Year!”

“Hey! It’s Eric Church, hoping you have a Happy New Year.”

“Hey everybody! I’m Gary Allan. Happy New Year!”

“Hey y’all! I’m Jon Langston, wishing you a very Happy New Year.”

“Hi! I’m Jon Pardi, wishing you a Happy New Year!”

“Hey! I’m Jordan Davis, wishing you a Happy New Year!”

“Hey! I’m Josh Turner. Happy New Year!”

“Hey! It’s Kacey Musgraves, hoping you have a safe and Happy New Year!”

“Hey! It’s Kassi Ashton. I’d love to wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year.”

“Hey everyone! This is Keith Urban. Have a safe and happy New Year.”

“It’s Kip Moore, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

“Hey! It’s Kylie Morgan, wishing you a very Happy New Year.”

“This is Lauren Alaina, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

“Hey! We’re Little Big Town. Happy New Year!”

“Hey! This is Luke Bryan, hoping you have a Happy New Year.”

“Hi! We’re Maddie & Tae, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

“Hey! This is Mickey Guyton, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

“Hey everybody! I’m Parker McCollum, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

“Hey, it’s Priscilla Block, wishing you a very Happy New Year.”

“Hey everybody! I’m Sam Hunt. Happy New Year!”

“Hi! This is Shania Twain. Happy New Year!”

“Hey y’all, this is Travis Denning, wishing you a Happy New Year.”