Kelsea Ballerini Shares Fun-Filled ACM Awards Performance Of ‘Hole in the Bottle’

Kelsea Ballerini took the stage at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium for a stripped-down performance of her latest single, “Hole in…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

September 16, 2020

7:37 pm

Kelsea Ballerini; Photo by Brent Harrington/CBS

Kelsea Ballerini took the stage at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium for a stripped-down performance of her latest single, “Hole in the Bottle,” during the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards.

“So this year at the ACMs I am performing my single ‘Hole In The Bottle’ but I’m performing the ballerini version of it, which is super fun to be able to play a new version of a song that’s also still kind of new and to play at The Ryman feels really fitting cause it’s all organic and stripped and it’s a drinking song and I don’t know about you but it’s really been a thing the last five months of my life.” Ballerini said ahead of her performance. “I just have to like pat everyone on the back because it’s been so safe and everyone’s taking every precaution to get music to people but do it the right way and I think that just represents country music so well and to be able to be a part of this community and a part of this show kind of being the first real thing that we’ve gotten to do in months and months and months, I’m just really grateful to be here.”

The ACM Awards Female Artist of the Year nominee brought the Mother Church down with her top-notch vocals and stage presence.

“Hole In the Bottle” is featured on her album, Ballerini. The Tennessee native recently dropped the reimagined version of her latest album, Kelsea, dubbed ballerini, offering stripped-down performances of each track.

The 55th Academy of Country Music Awards also featured performances from Jimmie Allen, Gabby Barrett, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Riley Green, Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi, Blake Shelton with Gwen Stefani, Taylor Swift, Tenille Townes, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban with P!nk, Morgan Wallen and Trisha Yearwood.

The 2020 ACM Awards took place in Music City for the first time ever. The three-hour show took place at three iconic venues: Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe.

Hosted by Keith Urban, the star-studded event aired on Wednesday, September 16 (live 8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on CBS Television Network and streamed live and on-demand on CBS All Access.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.