Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Thomas Rhett and Carrie Underwood Won as ACM’s Entertainers of the Year 2020

by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Who else was still surprised in the outcome of the Entertainer of the Year award? I guess everyone was on the edge of their seats as we all wait for the last name to be called and the one who will be hailed as the Entertainer of the Year. Who would have known that even this year’s ACM Awards will be as unexpected as the events of this year unfolded?

As last night’s host Country star Keith Urban announced, there were two winners of this year’s Entertainer of the Year Award. Yes, you read it right. It was a tie!

Another First in the History of Country Music

Thomas Rhett and co-winner Carrie Underwood took the stage with people around the industry stunned including the host, Keith Urban. Both Rhett and Underwood’s name will surely go down in the history books as they just became the first ones to win the award through a tie.

However, I guess every one of us has still that one question lingering in our minds. Won’t there be any tiebreaker? Would Rhett and Underwood just settle with how things turned out for them? Well, unlike sports, the ACM Awards Criteria and Policy states on page 14:  “In the case of a tie, all winners will receive an award.”

Thoughts of possible ballot manipulation were cleared as early as April when ACM CEO Damon Whiteside told Billboard that the votes will remain locked up by someone at Deloitte. Whiteside has trusted them over the years which proved rewarding because there’s no record of any maleficence. The votes were also kept in secret and no one knew who won ahead of time.

Regardless of how shocking the award for the Entertainer of the Year went last night, it was a historic moment for Carrie Underwood whose name will be heralded as the first woman to bag the Entertainer of the Year Award in the latter 8-year streak of ACM (2019-2026). Nonetheless, all the performances that led up to the shocking moment gave all of us a great night of country music.

Here’s the complete list of all the winners of this year’s ACM Awards:

Entertainer of the Year: Thomas Rhett and Carrie Underwood (tied)
Female Artist of the Year: Maren Morris
Male Artist
of the Year: Luke Combs
Duo of the Year: Dan + Shay
Group of the Year: Old Dominion
New Female Artist of the Year: Tenille Townes
New Male Artist of the Year: Riley Green
Album of the Year: “What You See Is What You Get” – Luke Combs
Single of the Year: “God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
Song of the Year: “One Man Band” – Old Dominion
Video of the Year: “Remember You Young” – Thomas Rhett

Latest Stories

Carrie Underwood defends her decision during a heartfelt moment on American Idol, advocating for the show's first Easter faith special.

Carrie Underwood Fought for American Idol’s Easter Episode When Others Said It Was “Inappropriate”

For the first time in its 23-season history, American Idol aired a fully faith-based Easter special. It was bold and heartfelt—and according to a report from The Sun, it almost ...

Pope Francis smiles and waves in his traditional white robes during one of his final public appearances before his passing at age 88.

Pope Francis, the First Pope from the Americas, Dies at 88 After Easter Weekend

Just one day after delivering his final Easter address and meeting with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, Pope Francis, the first pope from the Americas and a defining spiritual voice ...

Jelly Roll cracks up alongside Luke Bryan and Jennifer Hudson while sharing a hilariously embarrassing onstage story on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

Jelly Roll Overshared on National TV Telling Jennifer Hudson He Once Pooped His Pants While Performing on Stage

There’s oversharing, and then there’s Jelly Roll on The Jennifer Hudson Show, telling a national audience he once trusted a fart onstage and paid the price. It happened on April ...

Luke Bryan delivers an emotional Easter performance of “Jesus' Bout My Kids” on American Idol, capturing the raw heart of a father’s prayer.

Luke Bryan Sang “Jesus’ Bout My Kids” on Easter and Brought Real Emotion to American Idol

Luke Bryan has spent the last seven seasons of American Idol being the jokester, the crowd-pleaser, the guy who hands out compliments with a grin and a wink. But on ...

Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake perform “Hard Fought Hallelujah” on American Idol’s “Songs of Faith” Easter special, bringing emotion and testimony to the stage.

Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah” on Idol Felt Like a Personal Testimony

Easter Sunday on American Idol brought faith to the forefront, but when Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake took the stage to sing “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” it stopped being a TV ...

Carrie Underwood sings “How Great Thou Art” on Easter Sunday during American Idol’s “Songs of Faith” special, delivering a soul-stirring moment.

Carrie Underwood’s Easter Performance of “How Great Thou Art” Was Nothing Short of Heavenly

Some performances raise goosebumps, and then the rare few feel like they could raise the dead. On Easter Sunday, American Idol turned primetime into sacred time. Carrie Underwood stood in ...

George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Jimmy Buffett light up the stage with a legendary "Margaritaville" performance that became a timeless Texas moment.

Nothing Beats George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Jimmy Buffett Singing “Margaritaville” Together on One Stage

Some nights, something happens on stage that you can’t rehearse, can’t recreate, and definitely can’t plan. In May 2004, three of music’s most iconic voices—George Strait, Alan Jackson, and the ...

Jeannie Seely proudly holds her CMA award, celebrating her triumph with "Don't Touch Me"—a hit she nearly lost to more connected country stars.

Jeannie Seely Almost Lost One of Her Biggest Hits to a Country Singer With Bigger Connections

In Nashville, a great song doesn’t always land in the right hands. Sometimes it gets stolen. Sometimes, it gets buried. And sometimes, if you’re lucky—and tough—it finds its way back ...

Side-by-side of Sutton Foster and Loretta Lynn, highlighting Foster’s casting as the country legend in the new Broadway musical Coal Miner’s Daughter.

Meet the Broadway Star Taking On the Role of Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter Musical

It takes more than a voice to play Loretta Lynn. It takes guts. It takes someone who understands what it means to grow up with nothing, to speak your mind ...

Willie Nelson performs “Georgia on My Mind” live in Macon, Georgia, at age 91, seated with his iconic guitar and red bandana as the crowd rises in reverent applause.

Willie Nelson Sang Georgia on My Mind and the Crowd Gave Him a Standing Ovation

When Willie Nelson took the stage in Macon, Georgia, on April 13, it didn’t feel like another tour stop. It felt like something sacred—something that only happens when a living ...