- The ACM Awards air on May 17, exclusively on Prime Video.
- Shania Twain will host the star-studded event.
- The award for Best New Male Artist has already been handed out.
Congratulations are in order for Tucker Wetmore! As if selling out a three-night show at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town to close out his first-ever headlining tour in Europe and the U.K. wasn’t memorable enough, the 26-year-old country singer was met on stage by his mom during the final show for one very special announcement.
On Thursday, April 30, while pouring his heart into the final set of the Tucker Wetmore Brunette World Tour, Tucker’s mom, Sia, interrupted his set with a special surprise from Thomas Rhett.
“What’s up, Tuck, Thomas Rhett here,” Thomas said in a video recording projected on the big screens around the venue, while joking about practicing virtual golf and encouraging Tucker to do the same. “What’s up to all my friends in London! I love y’all, and I miss ya, and I can’t wait to see you soon. And Tucker, I know you’ve been out of the country for like, forever—like seven weeks. And so I figured you’d want to see a familiar face. But other than that, I just wanted to say congratulations on winning ACM Male New Artist of the Year… Buddy, I love ya. I’m so insanely proud of ya. You have busted your butt…”
While Tucker didn’t originally understand why his mom took command of the stage, as soon as TR closed his message, he couldn’t help but grab his mic and bow his head, his emotions clear as day despite the dark venue. Once he gathered himself, he walked over and hugged his mom, who had the ACM Awards trophy ready to go.
“You lead with courage, conviction, honor, and faith, and you exemplify what any man in this world should be as a human,” she told her son. “You have absolutely worked your ass off in the last year, and there is nobody more deserving than you of this trophy, so congratulations, you have f—ing earned it.”
From the moment Sia stepped on stage to the moment TR popped up on screen to the moment Tucker digested the news that he’d won the ACM Best New Male Artist award, the crowd went wild. “I’m at a loss for words right now for the first time in a long time,” Tucker told the audience, holding the trophy with pride. “I can’t do any of this without you guys. I can’t do any of this without that woman [Sia] right there… Y’all made this possible. Every single person in this venue. And there’s countless more outside of this venue that I can’t sit here and name because I’d be here all night. Thank y’all so much, and thank you ACMs for this amazing honor.”
It was fitting for TR to give Tucker the news, as the duo released “Small Town Girls” together in 2025, and TR later invited him to join him on tour that summer. Now, leading into summer 2026, the country stars and real-life buds will reunite at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, on Sunday, May 17, for the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards. We can’t wait to tune in!
