Ranking the ACMA nominees by number of Twitter followers

Rhiannon Giddens only has 11,300 Twitter followers, which is surprising considering how much she has accomplished. Although Giddens is up for an ACM Song of the Year Award for her backing vocals on Eric Church’s “Kill a Word,” she is already the owner of a Grammy from back in 2010. Interestingly, Giddens’ number of followers is less than that of Brandy Clark (36,600), A Thousand Horses (37,800), Brett Young (47,200), LoCash (52,900), Chris Lane (67,000), and Chris Janson (88,100) - all of whom received nominations this year, but have already lost their categories.

Singer/songwriter Elle King’s musical genre lands somewhere between country, soul, rock, and blues, and she received a Vocal Event of the Year nomination for her collaboration with Dierks Bentley on “Different for Girls.” Fun fact: Elle King was born Tanner Elle Schneider and is the daughter of actor/comedian Rob Schneider.

The Brothers Osborne have already won an ACM Award this year for New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year, so we expect their fan base to grow and give their Twitter numbers a boost. Their followers could surge even higher as the Maryland-based duo, which consists of brothers T.J. and John Osborne, is also nominated in another ACM category, Vocal Duo of the Year.

Jon Pardi has released two albums thus far - “Write You a Song” and “California Sunrise” - and their popularity (especially the songs “Head Over Boots” and current No. 1 “Dirt on My Boots”) have already nabbed him an ACM win for New Male Vocalist of the Year.

Straight outta Arlington, Texas, 26-year-old Maren Morris has released four albums and has four nominations at this year’s ACM Awards. Morris already won New Female Vocalist of the Year, and has a shot at the Album of the Year (for “Hero,” her major label debut), Single of the Year (“My Church”), and the coveted Female Vocalist of the Year.

For a duo that released their first album 13 years ago, Big & Rich have a surprisingly low amount of Twitter followers. Then again, Big & Rich predate Twitter by a few years, so maybe it’s not so surprising. This year, Big Kenny and John Rich are up for Vocal Duo of the Year thanks to “California,” the first single off their upcoming sixth studio album entitled “Did It for the Party.” It’s their 17th ACM Award nomination, with not a single win yet.

Maddie & Tae already lost New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year to Brothers Osborne, but they can still beat the brothers in the Vocal Duo of the Year category. Although still listed as new, Maddie & Tae were previously nominated for an ACM Award in the latter category last year and the year before.

Originally finding fame a few years ago with the songs “Break Up with Him,” “Snapback,” and “Song for Another Time” off their debut studio album “Meat and Candy,” the quintet’s latest is the single “No Such Thing as a Broken Heart.” Although their next album won’t be released until later this year, Nashville’s Old Dominion still hopes to capture the Vocal Group of the Year category, after previously winning New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year last year.

Singer/songwriter Cam already lost her New Female Vocalist of the Year nomination to Maren Morris, but we felt the need to include her due to the fact that she actually has 68,000 more followers. Although still regarded as new, Cam received four nominations at last year’s ACM Awards: New Female Vocalist of the Year, Video of the Year, Song of the Year, and Single Record of the Year (all for “Burning House”).

A four-time ACM Award winner, five-time CMA winner, and owner of two Grammys (among numerous other awards), Chris Stapleton has three chances to win at this year’s ACM event. He’s nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year (for “Tennessee Whiskey”), and Video of the Year (for “Fire Away”). With all his success and talent, we’re shocked that only 185,000 Twitter users follow Stapleton.

Kane Brown already missed his shot at winning New Male Vocalist of the Year, but he still has the support of some 198,000 followers on Twitter - even more than the winner, Jon Pardi! That’s a lot for the 23-year-old Georgia-born singer/songwriter who just released his first full-length album on December 2, 2016. Coincidentally, one of Brown’s former classmates is also a famous country musician, and she even appears later on this list!

Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, better known as Dan + Shay, are in the same situation as Maddie & Tae (and not just because their names rhyme). They already lost New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year, but still have a shot at Vocal Duo of the Year. If they win, it will be a long time coming, as this is Dan + Shay’s third nomination in the category in the past three years. 

23-year-old Kelsea Ballerini couldn’t capitalize on a Grammy nomination earlier this year, but the singer/songwriter has a chance to avenge that loss with two nominations at the ACM Awards. Ballerini is up for Female Vocalist of the Year as well as Video of the Year for her song “Peter Pan,” the third of four singles off her debut studio album, "The First Time."

Outlaw country musician Kacey Musgraves is up for Female Vocalist of the Year, and it’s hard to bet against her. The 28-year-old has been in the business for a decade, self-released three albums, added two major label records a few years later, and just dropped a Christmas album during the last holiday season. Musgraves also boasts two CMAs, two Grammys, and 11 previous nominations at the ACM Awards (with one win).

The Eli Young Band previously won an ACM Award for the 2011 single “Crazy Girl,” but this time their sights are set on Vocal Group of the Year, a category in which they’ve been nominated numerous times but have yet to win. However, the band will face some stiff and very popular competition, as only one of the other nominees has been mentioned in this list so far.

Cassadee Pope cut her teeth in the music business as the lead singer for rockers Hey Monday, but transitioned into country music with the release of her solo album “Frame by Frame” in 2013, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Album list. She's up for an ACM Award for her collaboration with Chris Young on “Think of You.” That song was also nominated for a Best Country Duo/Group Performance Grammy, but lost to "Jolene" by Pentatonix featuring Dolly Parton.

Despite losing to Scotty McCreery on the tenth season of “American Idol” in 2011, Lauren Alaina has done quite well for herself. Although Alaina already lost New Female Vocalist of the Year to Maren Morris, we think she’ll be just fine. In a bit of trivia, Lauren is the aforementioned former classmate of Kane Brown, and the two collaborated on the song “What Ifs” on his self-titled debut album.

As we cross the million-follower mark, the first up is Little Big Town, who have a nomination for Vocal Group of the Year. In the 15 years since their first record was released, the Alabama-based group has added seven more albums (three of which have gone platinum), 24 singles on the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay lists, seven CMAs, seven ACM Awards, and two Grammys.

In addition to Male Vocalist of the Year, Thomas Rhett is also up for Song of the Year for “Die a Happy Man.” The track is off of his second and most recent album, “Tangled Up,” which was released in 2015. Although he has been nominated four times before, a win on Sunday would only be his second at the ACM Awards.

As we previously mentioned, Chris Young is nominated for Vocal Event of the Year for his song “Think of You” featuring Cassadee Pope. While Pope has been in the country genre for less than four years, Chris Young has been at it ever since he won USA Network’s “Nashville Star” back in 2006. He now owns six studio albums, a CMT Award, and seven ACM nominations including this year’s.

Rascal Flatts formed in 1999 and they’ve been no stranger to the ACM Awards ever since, boasting 25 nominations and 11 wins. This year, the trio is once again up for Vocal Group of the Year, which they won every year between 2003 and 2009.

They’re not at the top of the list for number of Twitter followers, but Florida Georgia Line wins for number of nominations for the 52nd ACM Awards. FGL gets nods for Entertainer of the Year (our first mention of the category in this list), Vocal Duo of the Year, Album of the Year (for “Dig Your Roots”), Single Record of the Year (for “H.O.L.Y.”), and Vocal Event of the Year (for “May We All”). They’ve already won six ACM Awards, and they have the only country song to ever win the Diamond Award for selling 10 million copies.

Eric Church regularly sells out arenas across the country, so it’s no surprise that he boasts almost 2 million followers on Twitter. Although Church has received 21 previous ACM Award nominations over the past five years (with six wins), he only got one this year, a Song of the Year nod for “Kill a Word” with Rhiannon Giddens.

It’s hard to believe that Dierks Bentley released his debut album 14 years ago. Then again, when you look at his eight albums, 25 hit singles (15 of which hit No. 1 on the Country Airplay charts), 13 Grammy nominations (but no wins), and two ACM Awards, it makes a bit more sense. Bentley, now 41, is up for three ACM Awards this year: Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year (“Black”), and Vocal Event of the Year (“Different for Girls” with Elle King).

If Lady Antebellum wins Vocal Group of the Year, the award certainly won’t be lonely. The trio has already won eight ACM Awards, seven Grammys, six CMTs, and a host of other accolades, in addition to the countless number of nominations they have received. Not bad for a group that formed in Nashville just over a decade ago.

Since 1994, Kenny Chesney has released 16 studio albums - and that doesn’t include compilations or live records! His latest, “Cosmic Hallelujah,” contained the hit song “Setting the World on Fire” with P!nk, and both artists are nominated for an ACM Award for Vocal Event of the Year. If Chesney, now 49, loses, his trophy shelves won’t be empty; he has already won 11 ACM Awards, in addition to numerous others.

Although also 49 years old now, Tim McGraw released his first album three years before Kenny Chesney, and has an extra 150,000 Twitter followers. The uber-talented McGraw also deserves his 14 previous wins at the ACM Awards, just as he rightfully deserves this year’s four nominations. These include Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Video of the Year (all for “Humble and Kind”), as well as Vocal Event of the Year for his contribution to Florida Georgia Line’s “May We All.”

Although he didn’t release his first album in America until 1999, Australian-by-way-of-New-Zealand Keith Urban has been making records since 1991, just like Tim McGraw. However, Urban has 500,000 additional Twitter followers, despite not notching as many No. 1 songs (18 compared to McGraw’s 25). He also has fewer ACM Award wins (10), but managed to win an additional Grammy (for a total of four). This year, Urban is up for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year (for “Ripcord”), Single Record of the Year (for “Blue Ain’t Your Color”), and Song of the Year (for the same).

In Jason Aldean’s 13-year country music career, he has accumulated seven albums (all of which have reached platinum status), 18 No. 1 singles, and nine ACM Awards (including Top New Male Vocalist back in 2004). Although the 40-year-old singer is still waiting for his first Grammy and wasn’t nominated this year, he still received two ACM Award nods: one for Male Vocalist of the year and one for Entertainer of the Year. He was the winner of the former in 2015, 2014, and 2013, and the latter in 2016.

Miranda Lambert is up for five ACM Awards this year: Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year (for “The Weight of These Wings,” her sixth), Single Record of the Year (for “Vice”), Song of the Year (same), and Video of the Year (same again). If she wins all five, we honestly have no idea where she’d even put the awards. Heck, even if she doesn’t win any, things will still be crowded at the Lambert household, as she has previously won a whopping 23 ACM Awards (second only to Brooks & Dunn’s 27)! And this doesn’t include her two Grammys, 12 CMTs, and countless additional honors.

Carrie Underwood's immense crossover appeal has made her one of the best-selling musicians of all time (65 million records sold and counting) and earned her numerous awards (including 11 ACM Awards) and No. 1 hits, as well as the distinction of being the only solo country artist in the 2000s to have a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. This year, Underwood is of course up for the two biggest categories: Female Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year. She has already won the former three times (2009, 2008, and 2007), and the latter twice (2010 and 2009).

Luke Bryan quickly became a household name after 2013's "Crash My Party" and is easily the hottest country act in existence right now, as evidence by his 8.6 million Twitter followers (2 million more than Underwood), the arena shows he is constantly selling out, and his performance of the National Anthem at Super Bowl LI. Since 2010, Bryan has earned eight ACM Awards, but is only up for a single award this year. It’s the big one though, Entertainer of the Year, which Bryan previously took home in 2015 and 2013.

Uh-oh. There’s been a security breach and some pop star has come in and robbed the top spot from all these well-deserving country acts. In case you missed it before, P!nk is up for an ACM Award for her vocal contribution to Kenny Chesney’s “Set the World on Fire.” As you might expect, P!nk has never previously won an ACM, nor has she ever been nominated. Her pop music success has garnered her the largest Twitter following on this list by millions.