Kelsea Ballerini is ready to make a statement on country music’s biggest stage at the 2025 ACM Awards. During a conversation with Country Now, the country superstar opened up about her highly anticipated performance at the 60th ACM Awards, her red carpet looks, and what it means to be nominated for Entertainer of the Year — one of the night’s most coveted honors.
Kelsea Ballerini Is Set To Perform “Baggage” at 2025 ACM Awards
Ballerini will take the stage to perform “Baggage,” a track, written by Ballerini alongside Alysa Vanderheym, Hillary Lindsey, Jessie Jo Dillon and Karen Fairchild, that appears on her latest album, PATTERNS.
“I’m excited. I mean, this is our first big performance [of “Baggage”] other than being on tour, and it feels like a performance that I can show up…being nominated for Entertainer of the Year, I feel like I’m delivering something that is maybe worthy of that nomination,” she told the outlet.
Before stepping on stage, she’ll make a grand entrance on the ACM Awards red carpet in a look she describes as “timeless” and “classic.”
Reacts To Entertainer Of The Year Nod
The 31-year-old singer/songwriter is up for Entertainer of the Year alongside a powerhouse roster that includes Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, and Morgan Wallen.
“To me, entertainer is kind of looking at the scope of country music and saying, these are the people that we feel like are representing the genre, not just on touring fronts, but on all of it. The best and the most forward facing,” Ballerini said of the coveted nomination.
She continued, “It’s been a very busy last couple of years, and I’ve always really tried to be kind of a go-getter and do it for country. And it feels really beautiful to know that my peers and the town and the genre I love so much, it feels like are seeing that. And I am so proud of the tour that we did, and it’s bittersweet that it’s done. But yeah, it feels like a full circle.”
Nominated For Four ACM Awards
Kelsea Ballerini heads into the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards as a four-time nominee, nominated for Entertainer Of The Year, Music Event of The Year (“Cowboys Cry Too” featuring Noah Kahan) as artist and producer as well as Female Artist Of The Year, marking her eighth time being nominated in the category.
If Ballerini takes home Female Artist of the Year, she’ll join a prestigious lineup of past winners, including icons like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, The Chicks, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and Lainey Wilson.
“I’m happy to just be in the same conversation,” the East Tennessee native admitted.
Ballerini admitted she was “absolutely speechless” when she found out about her nominations.
4o”Being nominated for ENTERTAINER OF THE FREAKING YEAR has been one of my biggest dreams and goals from the very start of this journey,” Ballerini wrote at the time on social media. “I feel so incredibly grateful, and I feel seen by the genre and community I love so dearly. This continues to feel like my ten-year town year, and I can’t stop crying happy tears. Wow wow wow.”
2025 ACM Awards
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards are set to take place on Thursday, May 8 and will air live from Ford Center at The Star (the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys) on Prime Video at 8/7c.
Hosted by country music icon Reba McEntire, the 2025 ACM Awards will celebrate six decades of Country music and feature a star-studded list of performances, including Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Lainey Wilson, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Chris Stapleton, Clint Black, Cody Johnson, Kelsea Ballerini, Leann Rimes, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts, Wynonna Judd and more.
For more information on the 2025 ACM Awards, click HERE.
