Keith Urban was at the center of an all-star tribute performance from Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne and Megan Moroney as he officially accepted the ACM Triple Crown Award at the ACM Awards on Thursday night (May 8).
Moroney appeared onstage first, dressed in ethereal white as she sang Urban’s ballad “Stupid Boy” with a bejeweled guitar slung over her shoulder.
From there, the cameras panned over to Stapleton, who delivered a bluesy rendition “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” As he sang, Urban cheered and clapped from his spot in the crowd.
His wife Nicole Kidman put her arms around Urban during the performance, singing along to the lyrics.
Finally, Brothers Osborne put their own rocking spin on Urban’s early-career hit “Where the Blacktop Ends,” bringing the crowd to its feet to end the tribute on an electric high note.
“Get your a– up onstage,” singer T.J. Osborne told Urban as they neared the end of the song.
So, Urban hopped up for a truly once-in-a-lifetime guitar jam with Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne.
“First of all, Chris, Megan, T.J., John, thank you so much, that’s amazing. To the band, too, thank you guys,” Urban said, in an acceptance speech that rattled off gratitude to everyone in his family and on his team.
He ended his team onstage by looking forward to his High and Alive World Tour, which kicks off this month.
Only a few elite country superstars are eligible for the Triple Crown Award. In order to receive it, artists must have won New Artist of the Year, Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year at the ACMs during their careers.
With this new title, Urban joins the ranks of artists including Miranda Lambert, George Strait, Dolly Parton and Brooks & Dunn, all of whom have been celebrated as Triple Crown honorees at shows past.
Read More: 20 Years Ago: See What the ACMs Looked Like in 2005
But the ACM doesn’t award a Triple Crown recipient every year: In fact, the last time there was an honoree was at the 2010 awards show, when Carrie Underwood was celebrated for her Triple Crown status.
This year, Luke Combs just might join that elite group of Triple Crown-eligible artists. He previously won New Male Artist and Male Artist trophies at the awards show, and he’s in the running for Entertainer of the Year this year.
Urban’s tribute is a part of the show’s milestone 60th anniversary celebration.
The 2025 ACM Awards are streaming live on Amazon Prime Video from Frisco, Texas’ Ford Center. Reba McEntire (a Triple Crown recipient herself!) is hosting the show.
Remember: The best way to watch the ACM Awards is on TV, with ToC on your phone.
PICTURES: Country Music’s Biggest Stars Shine on ACM Awards Red Carpet
The biggest stars in country music turned up to walk the red carpet at the 2025 ACM Awards, and they were looking good!
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
