14 Must-See Throwback Photos of This Year's ACM Award Nominees on Red Carpets from Years Past

The 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards will air from three iconic Nashville locations on April 18, 2021: the Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium and the Bluebird Cafe

01 of 14

Maren Morris

Maren Morris Academy Of Country Music Awards
Maren Morris. Kevin Mazur/ACMA2017/Getty

This songtress, who shares the lead for most nominations (a whopping six!) with Chris Stapleton, wore a gorgeous green goddess gown to the 2017 carpet.

02 of 14

Thomas Rhett

Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins Academy Of Country Music Awards
Rick Diamond/ACMA2012/Getty

Up for four awards this year, Thomas Rhett posed alongside wife Lauren Akins in 2012, looking super cute in coordinated black looks.

This was the year the two tied the knot, and now they are parents to three daughters, Willa Gray, Ada James and Lennon Love.

03 of 14

Blake Shelton

Blake Shelton Academy of Country Music Awards
Chris Walter/WireImage

Shelton, whose song "Nobody But You" with fiancée Gwen Stefani earned a nod, wore a red blazer, black cowboy hat and long, curly locks to the carpet in 2005.

04 of 14

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood Academy of Country Music Awards
Carrie Underwood. Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

This year's video of the year nominee wore a sweet gold knee-length dress and strappy shoes to the show in 2007.

05 of 14

Dan + Shay

Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay Academy Of Country Music Awards
Rick Diamond/ACMA2014/Getty

Duo of the year nominees Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay had fun on the 2014 carpet, posing alongside each other and showing off their own unique styles in different colored suits.

06 of 14

Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert Academy of Country Music Awards
Miranda Lambert. Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Up for five awards this year, Lambert wore a gold-and-teal ensemble in 2008, with matching earrings and shoes.

07 of 14

Kelsea Ballerini

Kelsea Ballerini Academy Of Country Music Awards
Rick Diamond/ACM2015/Getty

The star had a blast on the 2015 carpet!

Ballerini is up against Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce for the coveted female artist of the year award this year.

08 of 14

Maddie + Tae

Maddie Marlow and Tae Dye of Maddie Tae Academy Of Country Music Awards
Michael Buckner/ACM2015/Getty

Singers Maddie Marlow and Taylor Dye of Maddie + Tae looked darling in their blue and purple gowns in 2015. The two are up against Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay and Florida Georgia Line for duo of the year.

09 of 14

Eric Church

Eric Church Academy Of Country Music Awards
Rick Diamond/ACMA2013/Getty

The star — who's in the running for entertainer of the year and two other awards — and wife Katherine stunned on the 2013 carpet.

Eric opted for a more casual look while Katherine donned a beautiful strapless gown with flowing blonde locks.

10 of 14

Keith Urban

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban Academy of Country Music Awards
Rick Diamond/ACMA2010/Getty

Feast your eyes on this amazing throwback of this year's host and wife Nicole Kidman.

This will be double nominee Urban's second time hosting the show; this time around, he'll be joined by first-timer Mickey Guyton.

11 of 14

Little Big Town

Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Roads, Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook of the group Little Big Town Academy of Country Music Awards
Mark Mainz/Getty

Artists Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook of the group Little Big Town were in great spirits at the 2006 awards' red carpet.

Here's to hoping those smiles appear even bigger at this year's show, as they are nominated for vocal group of the year against Lady A, The Cadillac Three, Old Dominion and The Highwomen. Sweet, however, will be watching from home: on Thursday, his bandmates announced he tested positive for COVID-19.

12 of 14

Luke Bryan

Luke Bryan arrives at the 43rd annual Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 18, 2008
Charley Gallay/Getty

Also sitting out this year due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, Bryan — up for entertainer of the year in 2021 — first joined the fun in 2008.

13 of 14

Dierks Bentley

Dierks Bentley during 38th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards - Arrivals at Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage

The shirt! The hair! The jeans! Bentley was one standout newcomer at the 2003 show.

14 of 14

Brooks & Dunn

Brooks & Dunn 28th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Now that is a throwback. At the 1993 ACM Awards, the duo of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn looked every bit the country singers.

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