ACM Awards 2021 fashion hits and misses

By Megan Riedlinger 9:28am PDT, Apr 20, 2021

Nashville celebrated the 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards on April 18, and country stars turned up in droves for the big event. Now that the trophies have been handed out, it's time for Wonderwall.com to take a look at the winners (and losers!) in the fashion department. First up? Kimberly Schlapman. We're not entirely sure what's going on here, but we know we're not fans of this look. The Little Big Town singer arrived on the ACM Awards red carpet in a shimmering navy blue and green midi-length gown with inexplicable pink ruffles along the neckline and shoulders. She completed her ensemble with strappy dark blue sandals and eye makeup.

Keep reading to see more of the best and worst dressed stars of the night…

Another big-name star whose red carpet look left a lot to be desired? Miranda Lambert, who opted to embrace double denim on the big night, wearing vintage modern flare jeans by Lee and accessorizing with plenty of turquoise, a white cowboy hat and white boots. Though it was quintessentially country, we couldn't get behind this getup for such a major event.

Gorgeous in green! Kelsea Ballerini arrived in a stunning emerald green gown by Dolce&Gabbana. The beauty's custom-made ACM Awards look featured a strapless silhouette with a thigh-high slit that showed off her perfectly matching strappy heels. Let's take a look at this one from another angle…

Kelsea Ballerini's glam green Dolce&Gabbana gown featured a dreamy train detail that followed after her on the red carpet. The singer accessorized her messy ponytail with a matching emerald green bow.

Yikes! What's happening here, Ingrid Andress? The country singer arrived at the ACM Awards in this funky silver crop top with floor-length fringe atop pale blue baggy trousers. Though we didn't love the look, we did appreciate the way she paired it with matching pale blue sandals.

It was a beautiful blush-toned gown for Maren Morris at the ACM Awards. The talented beauty, who attended and performed with hubby Ryan Hurd, selected a slinky halter-style LBV gown that featured a daringly low neckline, a fitted waist and a perfectly tailored silhouette in a pretty blush velvet fabric. Let's check out her husband's look next…

We love when the gentlemen rock unique colors, and Ryan Hurd's sage green selection was a welcome reprieve from a basic black suit. The singer-songwriter sported a Dolce&Gabbana linen suit in the unique shade and paired it with a mint green turtleneck for a surprisingly lovely look then completed his ensemble with Aldo loafers. Let's get a better look at that cool color combo and the details of his suit next…

Upon closer inspection, Ryan Hurd's sage green Dolce&Gabbana suit featured a D&G logo on the chest in stitching that nearly perfectly matched the mint green hue of his turtleneck.

One of the night's hosts, country music singer Mickey Guyton, opted for a champagne shade, rocking this gorgeous long-sleeved and beaded Naeem Khan gown. We loved the color, the plunging neckline and center slit as well as the way the singer paired it with pretty velvet heels by Stuart Weitzman.

Blake Shelton, did you forget you were going to the ACM Awards?! We know stars might be a little rusty on the red carpet these days, but that's no excuse for this country crooner's casual Canadian tuxedo on one of country music's biggest nights.

Pretty in pink! Carly Pearce served up a gorgeous hot pink Monique Lhuillier moment, rocking this one-shouldered gown with ruching at the waist and a thigh-high slit that showed off her matching hot pink sandals.

Look at this sparkly mini! Martina McBride donned a shimmering long-sleeved frock at the ACM Awards that featured sheer paneling over a plunging neckline and all-over sparkles. But it was her shoes that really stole the show! Check out those pretty lace-up sandals that added even more sparkle!

While we applaud his fashion risk, we weren't wild about the funky purple, black and white ensemble Jimmie Allen wore to the ACM Awards. The cool country singer rocked a custom Travis Austin suit with white lapels, a black T-shirt underneath and white sneakers with black laces and topped it all off with a purple hat that was not just bold — it also matched the step-and-repeat behind him! Next up, a better look at his accessories…

When it came time to accessorize Jimmie Allen's purple getup, he opted for layered necklaces that added some sparkle and a whole lot of rings! He also included a gorgeous diamond-studded watch and beaded bracelet.

Tenille Arts wowed in this lovely brown Dolce&Gabbana design. The singer's off-the-shoulder couture included a sweetheart neckline and a full skirt with a thigh-high slit that showed off her coordinating chocolate brown Stuart Weitzman sandals, plus a chocolate brown chain detail that appeared as one strap, along one shoulder, down the bodice and around her waist. Let's get a better view of the detailing next…

We loved the chocolate brown chain detail atop Tenille Arts' otherwise delicate couture gown, giving the look a unique edge. She added David Yurman gold rings and chunky gold hoops to complete her ACM Awards look.

Karen Fairchild scored a miss in this strange combination on ACM Awards night. The Little Big Town singer selected a gold Stella McCartney minidress with plenty of pleats, which was fine on its own, but wasn't great when paired with those clashing gray over-the-knee boots.

Nicely done, Darius Rucker! The country superstar arrived in a three-piece suit, adding a white dress shirt, a gray tie and black dress shoes to complete his dashing look.

Hello, Leslie Jordan! The comedy star, who became a social media phenomenon in 2020, sported this golden suit for the ACM Awards — complete with all-over embroidery featuring flowers, cacti and lizards. It also had a massive design on the back of the jacket, which we'll check out next…

You definitely can't call Leslie Jordan's ACM Awards look boring! He finished off his suit, which had a bold design on the back, with brown and turquoise boots.

Jimi Westbrook of Little Big Town stayed classic in a sharp black suit from Theory and added a little pizazz and color via a blue printed shirt.

Jeans are never a hit at an award show. Sorry, Gabby Barrett, but despite dressing things up with that floral blouse, adding L'Agence denim and heels didn't make this look fancy enough for the ACM Awards.

Looking dapper, Luke Combs! The singer arrived in a sleek checkered suit jacket, black dress shirt, dress pants and boots for the big night. He was accompanied by his beautiful wife, who we'll see next…

Luke Combs' wife, Nicole Hocking, looked gorgeous in this edgy white minidress on ACM Awards night. Her frock featured embellishments along the shoulder, a plunging neckline and cut-outs at the waist. She wisely paired the look with strappy metallic sandals.

We weren't wowed by The Highwomen member Amanda Shires' funky frock. Her dress featured a sheer top layer with floral appliques and a thigh-high slit. She cemented this as a miss when she opted to complete her look with bright red shoes and a floral headband.

Country crooner Lee Brice put on a sleek gray suit for the ACM Awards, adding a black dress shirt and boots but skipping a tie for a sharp look.

We're not quite sure what was happening with singer Devin Dawson's ACM Awards look. His plaid suit featured an ombre-like design that started out solid black, flowed into a red plaid and then moved back to black before ending above his black boots. And though we appreciate a different take on a boring suit, this one might have missed the mark.

Ashley McBryde looked lovely in red. The singer kept things simple in a halter-style gown that showed off her tattoos and had a glamorous floor-length silhouette.

We wish Eric Church would have lost the sunglasses while posing at the ACM Awards, but that wasn't our only bone to pick with the country star. He also sported a shiny red leather jacket, a black T-shirt, jeans and boots — an overall casual and forgettable fashion moment.

The right way to wear a leather jacket? Let Blanco Brown demonstrate! The music star arrived in this chic all-black ensemble — complete with a black bag and layers of silver jewelry — which he topped off with a mustard yellow beanie.

Cece Winamp embraced spring in this sweet gown with multicolored floral embellishments. The singer's black midi-length frock also included sheer sleeves and a sheer neckline as well as a hemline trimmed in tulle.

You couldn't tell that Dierks Bentley was at an awards show. The singer selected the very ordinary outfit of a red plaid shirt, jeans and boots for the 2021 ACM Awards, scoring a miss.

Tanya Blount selected a sparkly, sweet off-the-shoulder gown for the ACM Awards. We loved the all-over sequin shimmer and the way she added a pop of color via those strappy red heels.

Leah Sykes sported this sweet black minidress that featured ruffles, a high neck and semi-sheer sleeves. She paired the cute frock with simple black sandals and some standout earrings, which we'll check out next…

Leah Sykes accessorized her black minidress with unique studded drop earrings in the shape of stars.