First-round voting for the ACM Awards has already concluded (Jan. 19-26). Second-round voting is set for Feb. 10-17. Final-round voting is set for March 17-24. The awards will air April 18 on CBS.
Wallen was likely to receive several major nominations at the upcoming show, including male artist of the year, single of the year and song of the year. His current album, Dangerous: The Double Album, which has ruled the Billboard 200 for the past three weeks, would not have been eligible: It was released on Jan. 8, too late to meet the ACM Awards’ Dec. 31 eligibility cut-off. But Wallen would have been eligible with his hit songs “More Than My Hometown” and “7 Summers.”
Soon after the ACM announced its ruling, the rival CMA Awards announced that it is removing Wallen’s digital content from its platforms. “We support our Country Music partners for taking swift action,” the CMA said, adding that it will consider additional measures.