Flashback 2006 Who Was on Top Then and Nominated for ACM’s Now

When the announcement of this year nominees for the Academy of Country Music Awards happen this week it got me thinking about country artists old and new. By "old" I mean the ones who have been on the charts for some years now and by "new" I talking about the crew who has just started their careers.

So I thought it would be fun to look at a category or two at this years ACM's and see just how long some of these country greats have been making hits. Check out the Billboard Hot Country Song Chart for the year 2006 lots of the artists who had number one songs that year are still on the Billboard Hot Country Chart in 2016 and they are nominated for an ACM this year.

For instance, In the Female Vocalist of the Year category we have Carrie Underwood who went number one on to the charts in 2006 with "Jesus Take the Wheel" and then closed 2006 with "Before He Cheats". Ten years has gone by and Carrie is still rockin' it.

In the Vocal Group of the Year nominees we have Rascal Flatts who in 2006 scored two number ones with "What Hurts the Most and My Wish. And Taste of Country Music Festival headliner Kenny Chesney, who is nominated for ACM Vocal Event of the Year for "Wild Child" with Grace Potter was on the charts in 2006 twice with number ones "Living in Fast Forward" and "Summertime". Even ACM co-host Dierks Bentley was in the number one slot twice in 2006 with "Settle for a Slowdown" and "Every Mile a Memory".

So which new comers have "10 year" staying power in my opinion? I will go with Sam Hunt, Kelsea Ballerini, Old Dominion, Maddie & Tae, and Thomas Rhett. Check back in 2026 to see if I can go 5 for 5.

Dierks Bentley at Grand Ole Opry 2008.