By the mid-90s, a new golden age of country music was in full force. Not only did the era feature big names who could pack a venue, but it featured new sounds and new voices. And many of those artists rising at the time went on to earn significant recognition and accolades for their work.
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That’s just what we wanted to highlight here. We wanted to go back in time and take a look at who was winning the major hardware in the mid-90s. Indeed, these are three ACM winners from 1994 we still can’t get enough of now.
Vince Gill
From 1991 through 1994, Vince Gill released an album every year, including his Christmas LP in 1993, Let There Be Peace on Earth. It was that kind of consistency that led the star songwriter and performer to take home the coveted trophy for Top Male Vocalist of the Year at the 1994 Academy of Country Music Awards. Indeed, Gill bested a slew of impactful artists, including Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Alan Jackson.
Wynonna Judd
While Vince Gill won Top Male Vocalist of the Year at the 1994 Academy of Country Music Awards, it was Wynonna Judd who took home the trophy for Top Female Vocalist of the Year, beating out Mary Chapin Carpenter, Reba McEntire, Pam Tillis, and Tanya Tucker—another string of big names in country music. But Judd, who is part of one of the most significant families in country history, was the victor thanks to two albums released around this time, her self-titled LP in 1992 and her 1993 breakout, Tell Me Why.
Faith Hill
Today, music fans know Faith Hill as simply one of the most successful country artists of all time, selling more than 50 million records during her career. But in 1994, she was still just a rising star. And that’s why the ACM Awards bestowed upon her the trophy for Top New Female Vocalist. The accolade came for the “This Kiss” singer thanks to Hill’s 1993 breakout debut LP, Take Me As I Am.
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