3 ACM Winners From 2016 We Still Can’t Get Enough of Today

What were you doing a decade ago? In some sense that time period may seem rather short. Maybe like the blink of an eye. But in another way, a lot can change in the matter of 10 years. Your music tastes can change. So can your haircut, your car, and your apartment.

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But when it comes to the world of country music, the more things change, the more they often stay the same. Here below, we wanted to highlight three country stars from a decade ago who helped take the genre into modern times. Indeed, these are three ACM winners from 2016 we still can’t get enough of.

Chris Stapleton

The 2016 Academy of Country Music Awards was a breakout party for Chris Stapleton. Today, country fans know him as the preeminent voice in the genre. His literal singing voice seems like it came to the world from on high. It seems divinely created, the Platonic Ideal of what a country voice can sound like. Then there’s his guitar playing and his songwriting. They are also unmatched. And in 2016, Stapleton walked into the ACMs with the most nominations. He also left the show with the most wins, taking him trophies for New Male Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, and Album of the Year for his 2015 LP, Traveler.

Kelsea Ballerini

While Chris Stapleton won the award for New Male Artist of the Year, the country star who took home the trophy for New Female Artist of the Year at the 2016 ACMs was none other than the Mascot, Tennessee-born Kelsea Ballerini. In 2015, Ballerini released her debut LP, The First Time, garnering her the ACM trophy. Since then, her career has blossomed in significant ways. She released her latest album, Patterns, in 2024, and that work earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Country Album and the 2026 show.

Florida Georgia Line

We go from two standout solo acts to the one that took home the trophy at the 2016 ACMs for Duo of the Year. Indeed, Florida Georgia Line beat out the likes of Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, Joey + Rory, and Maddie & Tae for the honor thanks largely to the release of their 2014 LP, Anything Goes. Not only that, but if there had been an award for best country group name, Florida Georgia Line would have taken that one, too!

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