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Phoenix native Dierks Bentley has earned a nomination for Male of the Year at this year’s ACM Awards. 

This is the seventh time Bentley has been nominated for that honor.

The Academy of Country Music also nominated Bentley’s “Gone,” the only music he released in 2020, for Video of the Year. 

His previous ACM wins include Top New Artist in 2004, Video of the Year for “Drunk on a Plane” and the Merle Haggard Spirit Award in 2018.

This year’s leading nominees are Chris Stapleton and Maren Morris, each with six ACM Award nominations.

Reigning Female Artist of the Year Maren Morris received six nominations, with “The Bones” nominated for both Song of the Year and Single of the Year. Morris received an additional nod for songwriter of “The Bones,” her first time receiving a nomination for Song of the Year both as an artist and songwriter.

Morris is also up for Female Artist of the Year, marking the fifth time she’s been nominated in that category. She’s a first-time nominee for Music Video of the Year and earned a further nomination for Group of the Year alongside the Highwomen.

Stapleton’s six nominations included his third nomination for Entertainer of the Year. He’s also facing Bentley in the race for Male Artist of the Year, an Award he was nominated for five times prior and won twice.

Stapleton also received a nod for Song of the Year as both songwriter and artist, for Album of the Year as artist and producer, and for Music Video of the Year.

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

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