Kelsea Ballerini was totally stunning, as she arrived for the 2022 ACM awards on Monday March 7. The 28-year-old singer sported an elegant plunging black gown with a lengthy pair of gloves that went up to her bicep as she arrived on the red carpet. She accessorized with a shining silver necklace. She’s one of the most anticipated performers of the evening, after an incredible year.
Besides her gorgeous look on the red carpet, Kelsea teamed up with country icon Dolly Parton, 76, for a performance of “Big Dreams and Faded Jeans” during the show. Kelsea wore a denim-inspired romper, while Dolly sported a pair of blue jeans and a classic cowboy look, fitting into the song’s themes of hard work and achieving your girls in the country music world. The song came from Dolly’s album Run Rose Run, which is a companion piece to her collaborative novel with James Patterson.
Before they took the stage together, the rising star also posed with Dolly, who’s also one of the show’s three hosts, on the red carpet. The “Jolene” singer was wearing a silver top over a flowing black dress, and the two ladies looked like they were having a laugh.
Other than the performance with Dolly, Kelsea is only nominated for one award, but it’s certainly still an exciting one! The “hole in the bottle” singer is up for the Music Event Of The Year award for her performance of her breakout hit “Half Of My Hometown” with a different country icon: Kenny Chesney. The singer had performed the hit with Kenny during the 2021 ACMs, when she sported a beautiful denim outfit.
This isn’t Kelsea’s first rodeo! She’s delivered plenty of jaw-dropping performances at ACMs past! The country star delivered an epic take on her track “Homecoming Queen” for the 2020 special ACM Presents: Our Country, which saw artists performing from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and she returned for the 2021 awards to duet with Kenny!
The 2022 ACMs are only the latest country award show that Kelsea is taking part in! Kelsea took home the 2021 CMA awards for Music Video of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for her collaboration with Kenny Chesney. She was also a presenter at the ceremony, where she stunned in an all-white dress. She was also honored at the 2021 CMT Artists of the Year ceremony back in October. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to make it for the live show, but she delivered an incredible performance alongside the Jonas Brothers, who she was on tour opening for at the time. Nick, Joe, and Kevin Jonas all joined the country star for a rousing (and fitting) rendition of The Beatles’ classic song “With A Little Help From My Friends.”