Best To Worst Dressed At The 2019 ACM Awards

Country, meet glam! The 54th Academy of Country Music Awards took over the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7, and the celebs in attendance certainly came to play in the fashion department. Country Music's Party of the Year featured performances by a slew of A-list stars, including Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, and Keith Urban, as well as presenter Reba McEntire. 

There was also plenty to talk about on the red carpet — both good and bad — as the ladies traded in their cowboy boots for heels (not McEntire, though!) and the gentlemen upped the ante with some bold colors and fun choices. From Miranda Lambert hitting it waaaay out of the park with a bright neon number to Brothers Osborne being 100% true to themselves, there were plenty of highs. Meanwhile, a handful of others struck out (looking at you, Carrie Underwood). Here are the 10 best to worst-dressed stars from the ACMs red carpet.

Miranda Lambert made jaws drop

We see you, Miranda Lambert! The Female Artist of the Year nominee previewed her 2019 Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour during her ACM performance with a show-stopping  medley of her greatest hits, including "Gunpowder and Lead," "White Liar," and "Little Red Wagon.". During the ceremony, Lambert was also announced as the "winningest artist in ACM history," having won 32 awards, including nine consecutive Female Artist of the Year wins, starting in 2007. That's not counting her wins in the fashion department. 

Making her red carpet debut with her NYPD police officer hubby Brendan McLoughlin, whom she secretly wed in February 2019, Lambert wore a neon green dress that showed off her curves perfectly. Although it wasn't a crazy choice, it was just unconventional enough to steal the show. What's more, her shell-like clutch with its pops of blue, green, and mother of pearl was beyond cool. 

Kacey Musgraves was a real-life unicorn

Kacey Musgraves has had a remarkable year. Her third full-length album, Golden Hour, won Album of the Year at the Grammys and she was honored by her country peers at the Academy of Country Music Awards with nominations for Album of the Year, as well as Female Artist of the Year. She's also been slaying every single red carpet she's walked this awards season and the ACMs were no exception as she transformed into a real-life unicorn. 

Rocking an ombré pantsuit from Christian Cowan that faded from the lightest pale blue to a gorgeous pale pink, then a sea foam green, the young songstress was emanating unicorn-mermaid-fairy vibes. But it wasn't all sweetness and innocence! The 30-year-old upped the ante by going shirtless and leaving her jacket unbuttoned, creating a seriously daring plunging neckline. 

Speaking about her show-stopping look with Peopleshe revealed that the choice was an easy one. "I saw it and immediately was like, 'This has my name written all over it,'" she gushed, adding, "It even kind of reminds me of the album cover a little bit. A nod to the fan on the album cover, just all the pleats. I love a gradient, I love anything ombré, and anything rainbow, clearly," she quipped. Bonus: We love that the waves in her hair matched the waves in her fabulous trumpet sleeves!  

Khalid brought sunshine to the red carpet

He may not be a familiar face on the country circuit, but Khalid looked right at home at the ACMs. Before lighting up the stage with Kane Brown for a live performance of their smash hit remix of "Saturday Nights," the singer-songwriter lit up the red carpet with his smile ... and his signature turtleneck, which was an attention-grabbing canary yellow this time around. What's more, we loved his cool twist on a black suit, which swapped the classic blazer for a fitted bomber-style jacket from Ermenegildo Zegna XXX.

Speaking about his surprise foray into country music, the 21-year-old told Entertainment Tonight"I never would have imagined being at the ACMs and it's a blessing. It's so cool, and not many artists get to say that they get to cross over," he said, revealing, "The country world has embraced me just arms wide open. They been so nice to me, so it's really good to be here."

Reba McEntire was frilly and fun

A 16-time host and country superstar, Reba McEntire is synonymous with the ACMs. At the 2018 awards, she wowed by donning the same sheer red dress she had worn 25 years earlier to the 1993 ceremony — "The dress was stretchy, thank God," she joked to The Tennessean — and this time around, her fashion sense stole the show once more. 

Sticking with red, the 64-year-old had some major fun with her sartorial choice, picking a frock that was absolutely covered in fringe. She had so much fun, in fact, that she couldn't stop twisting and turning on the red carpet and letting the tassels fly every which way. She complimented her look with a multi-strand tan suede necklace and a huge cross pendant and, proving that you can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl, she finished off her get-up with black and white cowboy boots. Yee-haw!

Brothers Osborne brought the funk

Brothers Osborne sure know how to make an entrance. When they arrive on a red carpet, you know. Everybody knows. That's because the duo loves getting dressed up in their own uniquely eye-catching way — and they went to a whole new level for the ACMs. While T.J. opted for a single splash of color, donning a bold fuchsia jacket with silver studs over his otherwise all-black ensemble, older brother John decided to go all out with a head-to-toe turquoise number. Not only was it a lot of turquoise, but the suit was made even louder with its huge flower embroidery that added ALL the colors into the mix. 

Brothers Osborne are unapologetic about their style and we love them for it. After all, fashion is about self-expression, and their fun, unpretentious wardrobe sure matches their personality. As Maren Morris told People before all three hit the stage to perform "All My Favorite People," "They were my first friends in Nashville when I moved to town six years ago and they are my favorite people. John and TJ are so down to earth and do not take themselves too seriously, and I would like to think of myself in the same vein. ... And we're just pros that like to have fun. I mean, this is supposed to be fun — it's music!"

Maren Morris channeled Ariana Grande

As of this writing, she's not even 30 yet, and already Maren Morris has made a name for herself in both country and pop music. Nominated for Female Artist of the Year, Morris kicked off the ACM Awards show weekend with the exciting news that she joined Miranda Lambert's Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour. She kept the fun going on Sunday with a party-ready frock. The fashion risk-taker seemed to be channeling her inner Ariana Grande as she stepped onto the red carpet with a strapless lilac minidress from Christian Siriano (via ET), which she paired with silver heels from Giuseppe Zanotti and jewelry by L'Dezen, Djula, and Stefere.

While the overall look was fun and flirty and 100% Morris, the long train did look slightly overwhelming on Morris' petite five-foot-four frame. Even so, she was as fierce as ever and her red carpet PDA with hubby and fellow country star Ryan Hurd gave off major #CoupleGoals. We can't be mad at that.

Kelly Clarkson channeled Morticia Addams

Morticia Addams, is that you? The infamously bubbly Kelly Clarkson took fans by surprise as she arrived in what Footwear News described as a "goth-glam look" that appeared to be at odds with her personality. The OG American Idol winner, who performed "Keeping Score" with Dan + Shay, which was nominated for Best Music Event of the Year, walked the carpet in head to toe black. Not only did the floor-length frock look too darn hot for the Las Vegas sun, but it gave off a goth vibe that would have been better suited for a dinner party at the Addams family home. Even with the lace sleeves, plunging lace neckline, and structured shoulders, this one was, unfortunately, a miss. 

Perhaps the unconventional decision was made in keeping with her mission to try every style under the sun. As her stylist, Candice Lambert, told People in May 2018, when Clarkson picks an outfit, it's all about "[showing] off all the parts of her personality. Her sweet side, to her sexy side, to her rock n' roll side, to her pop side, to her country side and have fun with all the looks because we can. She can really pull off anything." Maybe not.

Carrie Underwood had a LOT going on

A devoted mama, talented singer, and serious style icon, Carrie Underwood does it all. The Female Artist of the Year nominee released her sixth album, Cry Pretty, last September, which debuted at No. 1, and gave her the biggest sales week for a female artist in 2018, Billboard reports. She also became the first woman with four No. 1 country albums on the Billboard 200 chart, and welcomed her second son, Jacob, in January 2019. Despite her slaying every aspect of life, however, her fashion game at the ACMs wasn't quite as strong.

Going more rock than country, the usually stylish Underwood was all over the place in her black and silver creation from Nicolas Jebran. Between the one-shouldered asymmetrical cut, the single long sleeve, the two thigh-high slits resulting in a carpet of fabric dangling in front of her legs, and the scratchy-looking material, this frock was a hot mess. A seemingly uncomfortable one. "I am zipped so tight in this dress," Underwood told Entertainment Tonight. "It's pushing things up to places where it doesn't normally go!"

Nicole Kidman raised eyebrows

Nicole Kidman was on hand to support her hubby, Keith Urban, who debuted a new song called 'Burden' during the ceremony, and to deliver plenty of adorable PDA with her man on the red carpet. Unfortunately, that cuteness didn't translate to her gown, which was part lingerie, part lace overload, and part sparkle explosion. The Australian actress opted for a clash of fabrics, which consisted of a black lace bodice with a plunging neckline (and we do mean plunging!), oversized lace sleeves, and a silver sequined skirt. The dress was also backless and featured a hem that was trimmed with black lace. So. Much. Lace. 

At least her love life is something to gush over. Speaking with People on the red carpet [via Life & Style], the 51-year-old revealed, "I just love being able to be here because he is so supportive of me. He has given me so much and so much confidence, and the girls and I love traveling. We all travel together. This is our life and this is what we do, and it's exciting for us. Really exciting."

Cam left us seriously confused

Camaron Marvel Ochs — better known as Cam — may be a talented songwriter (she's penned tracks for everyone from Sam Smith to Miley Cyrus) and the "girl power country singer we've all been waiting for," according to Entity Magazinebut she could perhaps use some help in the style department. Case in point: Her look at the ACMs was, well, seriously confusing.

Pairing black bell bottom trousers with silver peep-toe platform shoes, a giant fedora, and a flower-covered crop top contraption with a yellow bow, which she wore on top of a white blouse, the songstress was all over the map. The flowery crop top gave off Heidi vibes while the hat was more rock 'n' roll and the pants were hippy-approved. The result? Sadly, her unconventional mix of styles — Hollywood Life  suggested that she is "known for her bizarre outfits" — has landed her the award for Worst-Dressed of the Night.