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Renee Blair revealed her pregnancy at the 58th Academy Of Country Music Awards in Texas on Thursday.
The Holy Cowboy singer announced that she’s expecting a child with her producer husband, Jordan Schmidt, by debuting her bump on the red carpet.
The happy couple co-wrote Hardy’s Wait In The Truck, which won Song of the Year.
The expecting mother cradled her tummy in a long black leather-looking scoop-neck dress with coordinated fingerless gloves.
The beauty styled her long sleek black tresses straight down her back and opted for smokey eye makeup, blush, and a glossy nude lip.
Big news: Renee Blair revealed her pregnancy at the 58th Academy Of Country Music Awards in Texas on Thursday
Big winners: The Holy Cowboy singer posed with her producer husband, Jordan Schmidt, before the song they co-wrote Hardy’s Wait In The Truck won song of the year
Blair accessorized with multiple chain belts, a range of chunky bracelets, and gold dangling earrings.
Renee put on a loved-up display with her husband Jordan, who looked dapper in a dark green suit coat as he posed with his hand on Renee’s growing belly.
Blair and Schmidt dated for five years before tying the knot in Nashville last year.
Blair spoke with People about her pregnancy before the show saying, ‘If I’ve learned anything about life thus far, it’s to expect the unexpected! We got married and got pregnant all in what seemed like the same breath.’
Renee added, ‘I was originally hoping to get pregnant right now, actually, in May 2023, on our honeymoon in Italy — which has now been postponed for two wonderful reasons: the pregnancy and because Mom and Dad are nominated for ACM song of the year for co-writing Hardy’s Wait In The Truck.
Lainey Wilson was the big winner on Thursday’s ACM Awards, but Chris Stapleton took home the biggest award of the night.
Wilson took home four awards – Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Bell Bottom Country plus Visual Media of the Year and Music Event of the Year for Hardy’s Wait in the Truck which she’s featured on.
She beat out Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce for Female Entertainer of the Year and Ashley McBryde’s Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville, Luke Combs’ Growin’ Up, Jon Pardi’s Mr. Saturday Night and Miranda Lambert’s Palomino for Album of the Year.
Stapleton only won one award, though it was the biggest of the night – Entertainer of the Year, beating out Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Morgan Wallen.
The other big winner of the night was Cole Swindell, who took home two awards, Single of the Year and Song of the Year for his cover/remix of She Had Me At Heads Carolina, originally performed by Jo Dee Messina.
Chris wins big: Lainey Wilson was the big winner at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards, but Chris Stapleton took home the biggest award of the night, Entertainer of the Year
Lainey wins: Wilson took home four awards – Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Bell Bottom Country plus Visual Media of the Year and Music Event of the Year for Hardy’s Wait in the Truck which she’s featured on
The 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards kicked off with Cole Swindell taking home the first award of the night for Song of the Year for She Had Me At Heads Carolina, presented by Dallas Cowboys legends Dak Prescott and Emmitt Smith.
Swindell beat out Morgan Wallen’s Sand in my Boots, Cody Johnson’s Till You Can Wait, Hardy featuring Lainey Wilson’s Wait in the Truck and Chris Stapleton’s You Should Probably Leave for the award at the show, held at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, with Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks hosting the show.
‘I moved to Nashville, Tennessee to be a songwriter and that’s what this award is. Jo Dee, we wouldn’t have this song without you making the original that hit, so thank you. Thank you so much,’ Swindell said.
Brothers Osborne won the second award – Duo of the Year – beating out Brooks & Dunn, Dan + Shay, Maddie & Tae and The War and Treaty, with John joking he will keep it ‘short and sweet’ because he’s ‘trying to tuck my belly in.’
‘I just want to thank everyone. Thank you do the fans, we love you,’ John Osborne began in his brief speech, while his brother T.J. said his wife Lucy couldn’t be there because they just had twins, ‘like seven weeks ago.’
‘I love the country music community. We’re the luckiest people in the world. We love you guys so much, thank you,’ T.J. concluded.
Old Dominion won the Group of the Year award, beating out Lady A, Little Big Town, Midland and Zac Brown Band.
Old Dominion members Trevor Rosen, Matthew Ramsey, Brad Tursi, and Geoff Sprung took to the stage, with Ramsey saying, ‘somehow we are included in this party’ that includes country legends like hosts Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton.
First winner: The 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards kicked off on Thursday with Cole Swindell taking home the first award of the night for Song of the Year for She Had Me At Heads Carolina, presented by Dallas Cowboys legends Dak Prescott and Emmitt Smith
Brothers: Brothers Osborne won the second award – Duo of the Year – beating out Brooks & Dunn, Dan + Shay, Maddie & Tae and The War and Treaty
Tanya Tucker presented the Single of the Year award to Cole Swindell for “She Had Me At Heads Carolina,” his second award of the night.
He beat out “Heart Like a Truck,” Lainey Wilson, “Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde, “Thank God,” Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown and “‘Til You Can’t,” Cody Johnson.
‘Thank you country music fans. That’s all I’ve ever been, and there’s so many people I’m looking out at, so many people in that category that are so deserving of this,’ Swindell began.
‘I don’t know what I ever did to get this fortunate, but I love all of you and thank you for giving me a chance,’ he added.
‘I’m just proud to be here and let’s just enjoy the night. Dolly Parton is here,’ he concluded.’
Mickey Guyton and Tyler Hubbard presented the Music Event of the Year award, won by “Wait in the Truck,” Hardy featuring Lainey Wilson.
The duo beat out “At The End of a Bar,” Chris Young with Mitchell Tenpenny, “She Had Me at Heads Carolina [Remix],” Cole Swindell and Jo Dee Messina, “Thank God,” Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown and “Thinking ‘Bout You,” Dustin Lynch featuring MacKenzie Porter.
First award: While Swindell took home the first award, two big awards were handed out during Wednesday night’s ACM Country Kickoff – New Male Artist and New Female Artist
Old Dominion: Old Dominion won the Group of the Year award, beating out Lady A, Little Big Town, Midland and Zac Brown Band
Make music: ‘So thank you for including us in this party and allowing us to make music for whoever needs it. We will continue to try and do so, and thank you to my friends here for holding me up when I need it,’ he concluded, referring to his band mates
Hardy began by stating, ‘I forgot to spit my dip out, so I’m doing this with a dip in.’
‘Thank you Lainey. You absolutely killed it. She sings the song with conviction and she makes people believe it,’ Hardy said to applause.
Wilson added, ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this. Thank you to Hardy for asking me to be a part of something so special.’
‘I didn’t want people to relate to this song, but it’s true, a lot of people do. We appreciate y’all so much,’ she concluded.’
Host Dolly Parton presented the Female Artist of the Year, won by Lainey Wilson, who beat out Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce
Lainey Wilson began, ‘I can’t believe I just met Dolly Parton, first of all. This is crazy. I want to say thank you to my Father. Thank you Jesus for this, this is absolutely insane.’
She went on to thank her family and her label and her team, ‘who fight for me every single day.’
She thanked her fellow nominees who she ‘looked up to so much,’ adding they were not up there by happenstance.’
Hardy: Hardy began by stating, ‘I forgot to spit my dip out, so I’m doing this with a dip in’
Relate: ‘I didn’t want people to relate to this song, but it’s true, a lot of people do. We appreciate y’all so much,’ she concluded’
‘For the little girls watching this, this here means hard work. If you’re gonna be a dreamer, you better be a doer,’ she concluded.’
Co-host Garth Brooks presented the Male Artist of the Year award, won by Morgan Wallen, who beat out Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Jordan Davis and Chris Stapleton, though he was not in attendance to accept the award in person.
Keith Urban presented the award for Album of the Year, won by Lainey Wilson’s Bell Bottom Country.
She beat out Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville, Ashley McBryde, Growin’ Up, Luke Combs, Mr. Saturday Night, Jon Pardi and Palomino, Miranda Lambert.
‘Y’all… all right, let me collect my thoughts. I’m blacking out, I’m out of breath. I feel so honored, first of all. I want to say that Bell Bottom Country has been a labor of love,’ she began.
‘I wrote 300 songs during the pandemic and a lot of folks have shared with me that this album saved their life, but the truth is, writing these songs saved mine,’ she added.
The final award of the night – Entertainer of the Year – went to Chris Stapleton, beating out Jason Aldean Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Morgan Wallen.
‘Well, I am in shock, truly. By any imaginable metric, I don’t deserve this, but thank you,’ he began.
‘I never thought of myself as someone who would win this award,’ he added, thanking his wife Morgan and his management team.
‘I’m really at a loss for what to say, but I want to say to my kids sitting at home, they give up a lot of my time and my wife’s time, this is for them,’ he concluded.
Lainey: ‘For the little girls watching this, this here means hard work. If you’re gonna be a dreamer, you better be a doer,’ she concluded’
Album: Keith Urban presented the award for Album of the Year, won by Lainey Wilson’s Bell Bottom Country
Shock: ‘Well, I am in shock, truly. By any imaginable metric, I don’t deserve this, but thank you,’ he began
Two big awards were handed out during Wednesday night’s ACM Country Kickoff – New Male Artist and New Female Artist.
Zach Bryan won the New Male Artist award off the strength of his hit song Something in the Orange, beating out Jackson Dean, Ernest, Dylan Scott, Nate Smith and Bailey Zimmerman
Hailey Witters won New Female Artist off the strength of her hit song Everything She Ain’t, beating out Priscilla Block, Megan Moroney, Caitlyn Smith and Morgan Wade.
While Bryan wasn’t on hand at the ACM Country Kickoff, Witters was, accepting the award on stage at the event, which was streamed live on Twitch.
