Dan + Shay subbed in for Red Hot Chili Peppers on Sunday night’s Billboard Music Awards, performing their soulful anthem, “You.”

The duo wrote bright red suits as they led the audience in singing along to their love song, with Shay Mooney causing quite the stir when he belted out the high note and held it for several seconds.  

The performance followed the two snagging their second Best Country Duo/Group win.

Also rocking the stage were Miranda Lambert and Elle King, who brought the audience to their feet when performing their rowdy hit “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home).”  The two donned matching suits as pyrotechnics puffed clouds of fire in the background.

Host Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs had a lot to say about the track, telling the crowd before introducing the duo, “I love the song so much because it describes the last 25 years of my life.”  He also called the singers “two history-making women,” explaining “they are the first female duo to have a number-one record on the Billboard country airplay charts in the last 30 years.”

Miranda and Elle were nominated for Top Rock Song, but lost to “Beggin” singers Måneskin.

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After host Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs announced at the Billboard Music Awards that he was “uncanceling” Morgan Wallen, the country singer took to the stage for a seven-minute bloc to perform two songs.

Wallen was subdued and didn’t address the audience before performing “Me on Whiskey” and “Wasted on You,” while seated and backed by his band.  He concluded his set with a simple “Thank you” before the show cut to commercial.

Sunday marked a comeback for Wallen, who was up for four awards after he was embroiled in controversy after he was filmed shouting a racial epithet a month after Dangerous: The Double Album dropped last year. The fallout was immediate, with country radio dropping Morgan’s songs and major awards shows, including the ACM and CMA Awards, disinviting him from attending.  He was also temporarily suspended from his record label, Big Loud Records, and dropped by his former talent agency, WME.

Despite spending much of 2021 on the sidelines, Morgan dominated the Billboard 200 last year with his record-breaking Dangerous album.

Heading into Sunday’s show, Diddy called for forgiveness for Wallen. “The mood of the show is about love and forgiveness,” he said. “As a musical family, none of us are saints; none of us are without things that happen to them in life.”

He said of the “Cover Me Up” singer, “Morgan [used the N-word] while talking to his boy… People make mistakes. Now we’re moving on with love and respect for everybody that was hurt or affected. It’s time to forgive.”

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Dan + Shay won Top Country Duo/Group on Sunday night’s Billboard Music Awards, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney both made sure to shout out their significant others while accepting the award.  This marks the second time they’ve won it, following their first time in 2019.

“My heart is pounding right now,” Shay told the screaming crowd. “This is a crazy moment for us!”  The singer was at a loss for words and admitted, “That’s all I got” before throwing it to Mooney, telling him, “Dan, you go ahead and talk now.”

Dan called the award “truly such an honor” when accepting Best Country Duo/Group and also shouted out another major milestone in his life: “My wife and I just celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary.”  He said to his wife, Abby Law, “I know you’re watching back home. I love you so much.”

Shouting out his managers, road crew, band and fans, Smyers declared, “We love you. We couldn’t do this without you… You guys make it happen for us.”

Dan + Shay were vying with Florida Georgia Line and Zac Brown Band for Top Country Duo/Group.

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Taylor Swift and Eric Church were among the early winners of Sunday night’s Billboard Music Awards, held at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Thanks to her re-recorded Fearless and Red albums, Taylor was nominated for six categories this year: Top Female Country Artist, Top Country Artist, Top Country Album, Top Female Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist and Top Artist.  She won four of the six, losing Top Artist to R&B star Drake.  

Red (Taylor’s Version) was named this year’s Top Country Album — it should be of note Fearless (Taylor’s Version) was also nominated — and she bested her “I Bet You Think About Me” collaborator Chris Stapleton, as well as Morgan Wallen, Walker Hayes and Luke Combs for Top Country Artist.  She also beat Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood for Best Female Country Artist, and country star Morgan Wallen for top Billboard 200 Artist.

As for Eric Church, he won Top Country Tour, which pitted him against Luke Bryan‘s Proud to Be Right Here Tour and Stapleton’s All-American Road Show Tour.

As for Hayes, he took home Top Country Song for his viral hit “Fancy Like.”

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Wynonna Judd announced she’ll honor her mother by doing The Judds: The Last Tour as planned.

Wynonna shared the news Sunday during Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration, which aired live on CMT.  The country legend died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 30, after a long battle with mental illness and just one day before she was to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Actress Ashley Judd kicked off the remembrance for her mother at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium, on a stage laden with 2,500 roses, revealing Naomi herself had chosen the Mother Church of Country Music as the location for the tribute.

Wynonna offered the evening’s namesake tune, which was written by her mother, as the first musical performance. Martina McBride read Maya Angelou‘s “When Great Trees Fall,” in a service hosted by ABC’s Robin Roberts.

From there, country music’s finest offered the greatest hits from the Judds’ catalog: Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman traded verses during Little Big Town‘s take on “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Ole Days),” while Ashley McBryde struggled to keep her emotions in check during “Love Is Alive.” 

Brad Paisley remembered opening for the Judds at 13, before doing “Young Love.”

“I have this mental image that I feel like Naomi’s flipping her skirt in Heaven tonight,” Carly Pearce said with a smile, before launching into “Why Not Me.” 

U2‘s Bono quoted “Guardian Angels” in the first of several pre-recorded messages by the likes of Reba McEntire, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Morgan Freeman, and Salma Hayek. Bette Midler reminisced about singing “The Rose” with Wy, before Brandi Carlile joined her to recreate the duet with Judd.

Wynonna closed with “Love Can Build a Bridge,” with the audience finishing the song Naomi co-wrote a cappella, while waving funeral fans featuring her childhood photo. 

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even if it feels like it, you are not alone. 

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Dierks Bentley and Elle King reunite today with the release of their new duet, “Worth a Shot.” They previously collaborated on “Different for Girls.”

Jon Pardi’s latest release, “Fill ‘Er Up,” is out now. It’s the next track to come off a new album project he’s working on, following lead single “Last Night Lonely.”

Jake Owen has been announced as the newest headliner performing this summer at The Amp at Dant Crossing in Gethsemane, Kentucky. His performance is set for September 30; go here for ticketing information.

RaeLynn dropped two new songs this week: “I Love My Hometown” and “If God Took Days Off.”

Lyle Lovett’s new album, 12th of June, is out today. Starting June 15, he’ll celebrate with a co-headlining tour with Chris Isaak.

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In keeping with the themes of introspection and self-work she established on her latest single, “Good Person,” Ingrid Andress has shared a new song about personal growth.

Called “Seeing Someone Else,” Ingrid’s new ballad tells the story of a couple that grow apart, not because one of them falls in love with someone else, but simply because they find themselves at different places in their lives.

“I think you’re seeing someone else / I think you’re seeing who I used to be / I bet you wish I was the girl that you met / Out at a bar, makin’ a mess, still 23,” she sings in the song’s chorus.

Both “Seeing Someone Else” and “Good Person” will be on Ingrid’s forthcoming sophomore album, the follow-up to her GRAMMY-nominated Ladylike project.

She says that “Seeing Someone Else” was one of the songs on the new record that most inspired her to be creative, and look beyond the format of a traditional country ballad.

“I went a little ‘mad scientist’ and was like ‘okay what would it sound like if we add some synth here, keep pedal steel there, but have an acoustic guitar here?” she explains “This song has truly become one of my favorites from the new music, and I hope it makes you feel as liberated as I felt when writing it.”

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Fast-rising viral sensation Jelly Roll has certified rock chops, but now he’s proving that he can hold the attention of a country fan base, too.

His new single, “Son of a Sinner,” just cracked the top thirty at country radio. That makes him the first artist ever to simultaneously notch a top-thirty country hit and an Active Rock chart number-one, with each song being an artist’s debut in its respective chart.

Jelly Roll’s rock hit is “Dead Man Walking,” which he’s currently playing to fans live during his busy touring schedule. Speaking of his live show, the singer just announced a huge Nashville concert: He’ll headline the city’s Bridgestone Arena on December 9.

By the time he gets to Bridgestone, Jelly Roll will have had ample opportunity to get to know country fans, and vice versa. He’s got a show with Texas artist Koe Wetzel on the books, and he’s also teaming up with Brantley Gilbert this summer for a short run called the Son of the Dirty South Tour.

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Brett Eldredge has announced a tour to go along with Songs About You, his forthcoming new album.

Kicking off on June 19 — just two days after the album comes out — the Songs About You Tour will begin in Brett’s home state of Illinois and extend through late September. A rotating cast of supporting acts will join the singer at his shows, including Lauren Alaina, Breland, Caylee Hammack, Nate Smith and Shelby Darrall.

Tickets go on sale next Friday, May 20, but members of Brett’s The Locals fan club will have access to a pre-sale beginning May 17.

Along with his tour news, Brett dropped another new song off of his Songs About You album Friday. Called “Wait Up for Me,” the piano ballad counts down the minutes until two lovers are reunited at the end of a long day.

Songs About You arrives in full on June 17.

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Stars, fans and family friends will gather in Nashville this weekend to celebrate the life of Naomi Judd, in an event titled Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration. Ahead of the ceremony, its tribute performers have been announced.

Ashley McBryde, Little Big Town and Brandi Carlile are all a part of the lineup, in a bill that also includes Christian vocal group The Gaithers and a collaborative performance by Emmylou Harris and Allison Russell.

An array of Naomi’s famous friends and fans will also share special messages, including Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, Bono and Salma Hayek. Naomi’s daughters, Wynonna and Ashley Judd, will share messages, too, and her widow, Larry Strickland, will be in attendance.

Carly Pearce and CMT’s Cody Alan will co-host and provide commentary.

Naomi, one half of legendary country duo The Judds along with her daughter, Wynonna, died by suicide on April 30. Earlier this week, her daughter Ashley disclosed the circumstances of Naomi’s death during an emotional interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America.

A limited number of tickets to Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration are available to the public. The service will be held at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. For those unable to attend in person, the event will be televised live on CMT. Tune in on May 15 at 6 p.m. ET.

If you are in crisis or know someone in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.  

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