Maren Morris, Chris Stapleton lead ACM nominations; no female artists nominated for top prize

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Maren Morris and Chris Stapleton racked up six Academy of Country Music Awards nominations each, making them the leading nominees for this year's show.

The academy announced nominations on Friday ahead of the April 18 awards show, which will air on CBS from Nashville, Tennessee.

Women were left out of the top category after Carrie Underwood and Thomas Rhett tied for entertainer of the year last year, the first time ever for a tie and the first time a woman had won the category since Taylor Swift in 2012. Also nominated for entertainer of the year are Rhett, Luke Bryan, Eric Church and Luke Combs.

This year, Morris’ crossover pop hit "The Bones," was nominated for single of the year and earned her two nominations as songwriter and artist for song of the year. She was also nominated for female artist of the year, which she won last year, and music video of the year for "Better Than We Found It." She had another nomination for the all-star collaboration The Highwomen in group of the year.

ACM AWARDS TO RETURN TO NASHVILLE IN APRIL

Maren Morris leads ACM nominations with six, as does Chris Stapleton. (Getty)

Stapleton, who released his fourth solo studio album last year, "Starting Over," was nominated twice as artist and producer for album of the year, as well as twice for being the songwriter/artist for the title track for song of the year. He also has a nomination for male artist of the year.

Country star Morgan Wallen, who won new male artist of the year last year, was declared ineligible by the ACMs after he was caught on camera using a racial slur earlier this year. His most recent record, "Dangerous: The Double Album," has spent six weeks at the top of the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, despite being removed from radio stations and some streaming playlists. The album was not eligible for album of the year award because it came out in 2021, but Wallen likely would have been a strong contender for male artist of the year and singles such as "7 Summers" and "More Than My Hometown" would have qualified for other awards.

MORGAN WALLEN INELIGIBLE FOR ACM AWARDS FOLLOWING USE OF RACIAL SLUR

Miranda Lambert, who is already the most nominated artist in ACM history, stretched her streak with five nominations. Lambert's song "Bluebird" earned her four nominations total as writer and artist in song, single and video of the year. Lambert is nominated in female artist of the year, a category she has won nine times.

While women are absent from entertainer of the year, all five nominees for the single of the year are performed by women, a first for the ACM Awards.

Fans were upset that Carrie Underwood tied with Thomas Rhett for entertainer of the year, the show's biggest award in 2020. She performed twice during the evening. (Jason Kempin/ACMA2020/Getty Images for ACM)

In addition to Lambert’s "Bluebird" and Morris’ "The Bones," Gabby Barrett’s "I Hope," Carly Pearce and Lee Brice’s duet "I Hope You’re Happy Now" and Ingrid Andress’ "More Hearts Than Mine" fill out the category.

Four Black artists are also nominated this year across all categories, another first for the ACM Awards. Kane Brown was nominated for album of the year for his record "Mixtape Vol. 1" while Jimmie Allen was nominated for new male artist of the year again after first being nominated in the same category in 2018.

Mickey Guyton was nominated again for new female artist of the year, after first being nominated in 2015. Her 2020 song "Black Like Me," released after the death of George Floyd, never gained traction at radio, but brought her critical acclaim and a Grammy nomination for best country solo performance.

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Musician Chris Stapleton was nominated twice as artist and producer for album of the year, as well as twice for being the songwriter/artist for the title track for song of the year. He also has a nomination for male artist of the year. (Shannon Finney/Getty Images)

Under ACM award criteria, artists can be nominated more than once in the new artist of the year categories as long as they haven't won it previously and have not yet released a single from their third studio album.

Grammy winner John Legend has his first ACM Awards nomination for video of the year for his duet with Carrie Underwood on "Hallelujah."

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The album of the year category also includes Luke Bryan for "Born Here Live Here Die Here," Ashley McBryde for "Never Will" and Brothers Osborne for "Skeletons."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.