The ballot has been set for the 2021 Arkansas Country Music Awards. Across 26 categories, approximately 130 individuals and groups have been nominated for this year’s top award in Arkansas’ country music scene.

 

For the top prize, Entertainer of the Year, five individuals have been nominated. These include David Adam Byrnes, Erin Enderlin, Jabe Burgess, Lance Carpenter and Maybe April. Last year’s winner was multi-Arkansas Country Music Award winner Bonnie Montgomery.

 

Byrnes and Burgess, along with Grace Stormont, lead the pack with the greatest number of Arkansas Country Music Award nominations. The three performers have five nominations each.

 

Byrnes is nominated for Country Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for Neon Town, and Video of the Year for “Old School,” in addition to Entertainer of the Year. Burgess is nominated for Country Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist Artist of the Year, Video of the Year for “Everything But Us,” and for Song of the Year for “Dianne’s Song.” Stormont has been nominated for Americana Artist of the Year, Inspirational Artist of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Acoustic Act of the Year, and Song of the Year for “On Your Own.”

 

All-time Arkansas Country Music Awards win record holder Erin Enderlin has received four nominations for 2021. She was nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Country Artist of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. She was named Country of the Year and Songwriter of the Year in 2020 and received the Album of the Year and Song of the Year awards for Faulkner County and “Tonight I Don’t Give a Damn,” respectively.

 

The other Country Artist of the Year nominees include Bailey Hefley and Ward Davis.

 

AY Magazine also received a nomination in 2021. AY was nominated for Publication/Blog/Podcast of the Year, an award the magazine won in 2019. The other nominees in the category include Acoustic Music Talk with Brad Apple, If That Ain’t Country, Jonesboro Occasions, and The Vine Brothers Songwriter Series Presents.

 

Voting on the nominees will begin on March 1, 2021 and end on March 14. The Arkansas Country Music Awards ceremony will be held Monday, June 7 at the Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

 

See the full list of nominees below:

 

Entertainer of the Year

David Adam Byrnes

Erin Enderlin

Jabe Burgess

Lance Carpenter

Maybe April

 

Americana Artist of the Year

Grace Stormont

Maybe April

National Park Radio

Pam Setser

Ten Penny Gypsy

 

Bluegrass Artist of the Year

Arkansauce

Butch Suitt

Possum Trot

Spillwater Drive

Tacie and the Sunshine Band

 

Country Artist of the Year

Bailey Hefley

David Adam Byrnes

Erin Enderlin

Jabe Burgess

Ward Davis

 

Inspirational Artist of the Year

Brenda Denney

The FlatLand Gospel Band

Grace Stormont

The Tiptons

The Villines Trio

 

Female Vocalist of the Year

Erin Enderlin

Grace Stormont

Mae Estes

Pamela Hopkins

Sarah Jane Nelson

 

Male Vocalist of the Year

Cory Jackson

David Adam Byrnes

Jabe Burgess

Lance Carpenter

Tyler Kinch

 

Acoustic Act of the Year

The Creek Rocks

Grace Stormont

Lee Street Lyrical

Mallory Everett

Ryan Harmon

 

Vocal Group of the Year

Diane Berry / Joe Wade Smith

Hayefield

Maybe April

Nik & Sam

The Salty Dogs

 

Album of the Year

“Black Cats and Crows” by Ward Davis. Produced by Jim ‘Moose’ Brown.

“The Country Blues” by Billy Don Burns. Produced by Charlie Ammerman, Thomas Gramuglia, Billy Don Burns, Jeff Williams, Mike Randolph and Aaron Dethrage.

“Horses and Steel” by Kenny Drain. Produced by Kenny Drain.

“Neon Town” by David Adam Byrnes. Produced by Trent Willmon.

“Rain and Whiskey” by Anna Brinker. Produced by B.J. Taylor and Kevin Sokolnicki.

 

Song of the Year

“Dianne’s Song” Written by Jabe Burgess, Steve Williams and Mark Alan Springer. Performed by Jabe Burgess.

“Great Again” Written by Justin Wilson and Brice Long. Performed by Lance Carpenter.

“On Your Own” Written and performed by Grace Stormont.

“Recycled” Written by Autumn McEntire, Hannah Blaylock, Mae Estes and Josh Matheny. Performed by Mae Estes.

“Say It Again” Written by Lydia Dall, Morgan Johnston and Joe Tounge. Performed by Kelsey Lamb.

 

Songwriter of the Year

Charley Sandage

Erin Enderlin

Jason Campbell

Kenny Drain

Phil McGarrah

 

Music Producer of the Year

Andy Wallis

Jon Raney

Kent Wells

Nathanael Stone

TIm Crouch

 

Sound Engineer of the Year

Bryce Roberts

Darren Crisp

Jon Raney

Ryan Ceola

Woody Wood

 

Promoter of the Year

Alice Walker

Beth Brumley

Bill and Linda Lovett

Cliff and Susan Prowse

Joannie Howell

 

Video of the Year

“Everything But Us” by Jabe Burgess. Directed by Strack Azar.

“Lost Boy” by The Render Sisters. Directed by Joe Sikkema and Pam Tillis.

“Old School” by David Adam Byrnes. Directed by Dylan Rucker.

“She Knew Better” by Abby Lindsey. Directed by Lexy Burke.

“Water” by Lauren Richmond. Directed by B.J. Taylor and Brent Wheeler.

 

Radio Station of the Year

KCYT “96.7 The Coyote,” Springdale

KDXY “The Fox 104.9,” Jonesboro

KSSN “KSSN 96,” Little Rock

KQUS “US 97,” Hot Springs

KZHE “KZ-100,” Magnolia

 

Radio DJ of the Year

Amy G, KABF, Little Rock

Big Dan Hentschel, KAMO, Rogers

D.J. Taylor, KSSN, Little Rock

J.R. Runyon, Y107, Conway

Lisa Lindsey & Jim Weaver, KKYR, Texarkana

 

Publication/Blog/Podcast of the Year

AY Magazine

Acoustic Music Talk with Brad Apple

If That Ain’t Country

Jonesboro Occasions

The Vine Brothers Songwriter Series Presents:

 

Venue of the Year

The Collins Theater

George’s Majestic Lounge

Jimmy Doyle Country

Kings Live Music

Ozark Mountain Hoe-Down Music Theater

 

Young Artist of the Year

Lance Curtis

Lillyanne McCool

The Render Sisters

Savannah Free

TRIPPP

 

Bass Player of the Year

Big Shane Thornton

Doug DeForest

Garrett Jones

Irl Hees

Michael Rinne

 

Drummer of the Year

Bart Angel

David O’Neal

Evan Hutchings

Jon Blum

Quinn Hill

 

Fiddle Player of the Year

Garry Murray

Jenee Fleenor

Jonathon Adams

Nathan Agdepa

Tim Crouch

 

Guitar Player of the Year

Buddy Case

Charlie White

Jon Conley

Luke Williams

Randall George

 

Steel/Dobro Player of the Year

Josh Matheny

Randy Terry

Robby Springfield

Robert Jones

Zane King

 

READ MORE: Country Music in Arkansas