Nominees for the 2024 Arkansas Country Music Awards were announced Thursday. Now in its 7th year, the annual awards ceremony honors independent recording artists and performers with a strong connection to Arkansas. The eligibility requirements stipulate that nominees must have either been born in Arkansas, lived here for “an ample period of time,” or “proven on a solid, regular basis an Arkansas presence through their live performances.”
This year’s most nominated artists include Marybeth Byrd (who competed on “American Idol” in 2023), David Adam Byrnes, Cliff Prowse, Sylamore Special and Andy Wallis, all of whom received four nominations.
The categories from last year’s awards have remained mostly consistent, with the exception of “SPECIALTY / UTILITY MUSICIAN of the Year,” which replaced “STEEL / DOBRO PLAYER of the Year,” and “MUSIC COLLABORATION of the Year,” which is a new category.
Winners will be determined via a combination of online fan voting (from March 1-14) and a special awards committee, and will be honored at a red carpet ceremony in Conway at Reynolds Performance Hall on June 3.
Here’s a complete list of the 2024 nominees:
ENTERTAINER of the Year
David Adam Byrnes
Midnight South
Sylamore Special
Tom Yankton
Tyler Kinch
AMERICANA ARTIST of the Year
Aaron Headley
Bonnie Montgomery
Eureka Strings
JD Clayton
Posey Hill
BLUEGRASS ARTIST of the Year
Arkansauce
Casey Penn
Front Porch
Sylamore Special
Tacie and the Sunshine Band
COUNTRY ARTIST of the Year
David Adam Byrnes
Erin Enderlin
Lance Carpenter
Marybeth Byrd
Ward Davis
INSPIRATIONAL ARTIST of the Year
The Bilderbacks
The Butler Creek Boys
Josie Hargis
Ray Hollis
Sylamore Special
FEMALE VOCALIST of the Year
Alexis Wilkins
Erin Enderlin
Hannah Blaylock
Kelsey Lamb
Marybeth Byrd
MALE VOCALIST of the Year
Blane Howard
Cory Jackson
David Adam Byrnes
Jason Lee Campbell
Tyler Kinch
ACOUSTIC ACT of the Year
Aaron Headley
Ashtyn Barbaree
Common Roots
Markus Pearson
Nik & Sam
VOCAL DUO / GROUP of the Year
Cliff & Susan
4Runner
Hayefield
Midnight South
Sylamore Special
MUSIC COLLABORATION of the Year
“Good Clean Livin’” by Jon Bailey featuring Trey Pendley and Grace Stormont. Produced by Cliff Prowse.
“Just the Same” by Big Shane Thornton featuring Justin Keith and Andy Wallis. Produced by Andy Wallis.
“The Otherside of Lonesome” by Kish Moody featuring Moonshine Mafia. Produced by Kish Moody and Bobby G. Rice.
“Whistle Whine” by Dillon Massengale & Junior Brown. Produced by Wayne Massengale, Melody Hart, Garrett Massengale and Dillon Massengale.
“Words Unspoken” by Jason Lee Campbell featuring Chris Mobley. Produced by Travis Mobley.
ALBUM of the Year
“Boneheaded” by Eli Adams. Produced by Jason Weinheimer.
“Fiddle & Keys” by Cliff & Susan. Produced by Cliff Prowse and Larry Beaird.
“Free Country” by Adam Hambrick. Produced by AJ Pruis.
“The Greatest Is Love” by Brad Williams. Produced by Brad Williams.
“I’ve Seen a Lot of Highway” by Billy Don Burns. Produced by Denny Knight, Jerry Laseter and Benny Lawson.
SONG of the Year
“Addicted” Written by Marybeth Byrd, Caryn Dixon, Callie Dixon, Gabe Neal, Libby Cummings and Dennis Cooke. Performed by Marybeth Byrd.
“Hey Maker” Written by Mason Horne, Heath Sanders and Casey Paraday. Performed by Mason Horne and Heath Sanders.
“If I Was Your Cowboy” Written by David Adam Byrnes and Wade Kirby. Performed by David Adam Byrnes.
“Just the Same” Written by Big Shane Thornton and Luke WIlliams. Performed by Big Shane Thornton featuring Justin Keith and Andy Wallis.
“Walk of Honor” Written by Pamela Hopkins, Anna Brinker and Lonnie Abbott. Performed by Pamela Hopkins.
SONGWRITER of the Year
Adam Hambrick
Candy Lee
Erin Enderlin
Lance Carpenter
Phil Evans
MUSIC PRODUCER of the Year
Andy Walls
Anton Rasmussen
Cliff Prowse
Travis Mobley
Tyler Bell
SOUND ENGINEER of the Year
Anton Rasmussen
Bryce Roberts
Darren Crisp
Jeremy Huddleston
Jon Raney
PROMOTER of the Year
Beth Brumley
Jon Walker
Lacy Hampton
Lucas Clonts
Rickey Crawford
VIDEO of the Year
“Arkansas Is Nice” by Bailey Bigger. Directed by Josh Cannon
“Boot ‘n’ Rally” by Blane Howard. Directed by Steve Jawn.
“Drive” by Tom Yankton. Directed by Micah Schweinsberg.
“Just the Same” by Big Shane Thornton featuring Justin Keith and Andy Wallis. Directed by Sharpe Dunaway.
“People Pleaser” by Marybeth Byrd. Directed by Donny Herndon, Callie Dixon and Libby Cummings.
RADIO STATION of the Year
KAMO, “Nash Icon 94.3,” Rogers
KBFC, “Delta Country 93.5,” Forrest City
KDXY, “The Fox 104.9,” Jonesboro
KHPQ, “Hot Country 92.1,” Clinton
KKYR, “Kicker 102.5,” Texarkana
RADIO DJ of the Year
DJ Taylor, KSSN, Little Rock
Johnny Story, KCJC, Russellville
Lainey-Beth & The Chicken Hawk, KXRD, Fayetteville
Lisa Johnson, KHOZ, Harrison
Marty Scarbrough, KASU, Jonesboro
PUBLICATION / BLOG / PODCAST of the Year
AY Magazine
The C.L.I.M.B.
The CMBeat
Fayettetunes
The Peyton Collier Podcast
VENUE of the Year
The Collins Theater (Paragould)
The Hall (Little Rock)
Hempstead Hall (Hope)
The Majestic (Fort Smith)
The Ozark Highlands Theater (Mountain View)
YOUNG ARTIST of the Year
Brody McKinney
Brooke Martin
Drew Pulliam
Grace Wells
Sofie and the New Relics
BASS PLAYER of the Year
Dennis Crouch
Doug DeForest
Garrett Jones
Michael Rinne
Robert Akers
DRUMMER of the Year
Evan Hutchings
Kirby Bland
Mitch Trotter
Quinn Hill
Scott Gibson
FIDDLE PLAYER of the Year
George Mason
Jenee Fleenor
Michael Schembre
Nathan Agdeppa
Wayne Massengale
GUITAR PLAYER of the Year
Alex Carson
Darren Berry
Jake Stogdill
Jon Conley
Randall George
SPECIALTY / UTILITY MUSICIAN of the Year
Charles M. Barnes
Harry Clark
Josh Matheny
Michael Heavner
Tim Crouch
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