In 2016, the highest-paid star in country music, Garth Brooks, took home top honors at the Country Music Association awards. At this weekend's ACMs, there will not be a repeat for the top-earning star: Brooks isn't nominated in the category.
Instead, five other high-earners will compete for the title: Carrie Underwood, whose income FORBES pegged at $26 million last year. Florida Georgia Line ($20 million), Jason Aldean ($36.5 million), Keith Urban ($22 million) and Luke Bryan ($53 million).
So, is there a correlation between earnings and nominations? Not really. Stars typically earn the greatest revenue from touring and touring usually happens after a record has been released. Therefore, many of a star's hits are ineligible during the nomination period. Besides Brooks' snub, the Kenny Chesney, the highest-paid ACM nominee with $56 million, has only one nomination: Vocal Event of the Year for his duet with P!nk, "Setting The World On Fire."
Luke Bryan, the second-highest paid ACM nominee and third highest-paid country star overall, is only nominated for Entertainer of the Year. However, he'll have a busy night returning to co-host the show with pal Dierks Bentley. Fourth-highest-earning star Toby Keith is sans nominations this year. Jason Aldean, the third-highest paid ACM nominee rounded out the top five artists in overall earnings. Aldean scored the most nominated of anyone in the top five with two nods. Asides from Entertainer, he will compete for Male Vocalist of the Year.
The night's most-nominated star, Keith Urban, pulled in $22 million last year and has seven nominations across five categories. Miranda Lambert ($18 million) earned six nominations, as did newcomer Maren Morris, who hasn't yet banked enough to land on the Forbes Country Cash Kings list.
Regardless of who goes home with trophies, country stars won't have any trouble ponying up cash for the Vegas gaming tables. Check out the video below for a full recap of how much stars earned in 2016.
