Fresh off his New Male Artist of the Year win at the 61st annual Academy of Country Music Awards, Tucker Wetmore arrived at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena in a powder-blue custom Dzojchen suit that echoed the deep blue carpet beneath him — and the mood of the music he’s making next.
“Kind of went for a retro ’80s vibe,” Wetmore said of the Western-inspired look. “To match the new era that the music is going into. I think we did alright.”
The singer, who performed during Sunday night’s ceremony and scored his first two number-one country radio hits last year with “Wind Up Missin’ You” and “3,2,1,” made his way through the crush of cameras and publicists gathering along the carpet.
Tucker Wetmore
Brenton Ho/ Dick Clark Productions
“I’m looking forward to the performance,” he said. “I’ve already seen a bunch of my friends, my buddies on the carpet. I’m looking forward to just hanging out with them and having a good time.”
Across the carpet, artists — the likes of Ella Langley and Shania Twain (the evening’s host) — used fashion much the same way: to honor their latest music or next chapter, with some country flare. Cowboy hats, oversized belt buckles and Western boots dominated the arrivals for both men and women, while a few sprinkled in Vegas-worthy sparkle.
Ashley Cooke, meanwhile, took a softer approach in a pale blue sheer Rhea Costa gown, complete with visible Victoria’s Secret undergarments beneath, as a nod to her hit “baby blues.”
“We had to,” Cooke said with a laugh.
The singer, whose sophomore album arrives in August, said the dress instantly clicked.
“This was one of the first dresses that I tried on, and I was obsessed,” she said. “I just love the lace in it. It feels like something I would have seen in a rom-com in the early 2000s, and I felt so beautiful in it.”
The glam followed suit: loose waves and minimal makeup — more Y2K.
“All of the girls from the ’90s, 2000s, they had this effortless cool girl thing about them,” she said. “It felt like they didn’t have to try very hard, just easy chill.”
Vegas was buzzing around her, but Cooke was more interested in heading back to Nashville than the casino floor.
Ashley Cooke
Brenton Ho/ Dick Clark Productions
“I was talking to Hudson Westbrook earlier, and he was like, ‘I’m $3,000 down,’” she said. “I’m like, I’m good on that.”
She was looking forward to a quick reset at home before returning to radio dates and touring.
“I have a yard and a dog, and actually get to breathe for a second when I get home,” she said. “It feels like my Hannah Montana life.”
Nearby, Lainey Wilson — with seven nominations — arrived in one of the night’s strongest looks: a strapless red-orange Marmar Halim gown covered in long strands of fringe that moved with every step.
Lainey Wilson
Brenton Ho/ Dick Clark Productions
“I love the fringe,” she said, swaying side to side. “I love playing shows with fringe. It does a little bit of the movement for me.”
The look also marked a shift for the singer, who typically gravitates toward embellished flares and bodysuits.
“This is my second time wearing a dress out in public in a very long time,” she said. Wilson just wed former NFL quarterback Devlin Hodges and had him by her side. “I wore a wedding dress about a week ago at my wedding, and now tonight. It feels good. It feels different but still in the vein of what I normally do.”
