Jason Aldean dedicates his Entertainer of the Year award to the lost souls of the Las Vegas massacre
Jason Aldean dedicated his 'Entertainer of the Year' music award to the slain victims of the ill-fated Las Vegas 'Route 91' concert last October.
The 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards was a truly touching awards show as it was the first major gathering of country music talent ever since the Las Vegas massacre.
Sunday's awards ceremony was very emotional for a lot of country artists. Airing live from the MGM Grand, the crowd was aware of the fact that it was just a couple of blocks down the hotel that 58 people were mercilessly slain during a concert.
Many artists expressed their heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for their exceptionally strong fans. Luke Bryan offered kind words, saying: "For those of us who have experienced tragedy and unexpected loss, music helps us remember what really matters in life."
'The Middle' singer Maren Morris added: "Music does so much more than provide an escape from the pain. It inspires us, it soothes us and it makes us stronger."
The Academy of Country Music Awards' biggest award went to Jason Aldean, who was stoked to win the award a third consecutive time.
Moved to tears by the overwhelming support, Jason thanked his team, his crew, his "three lucky charms" kids, mom and beautiful wife. Jason didn't stop with just that. The country star was performing on stage at the 'Route 91' concert when the terrorist opened fire into the unsuspecting crowd below. Jason recalled the tragedy with a lump in his throat, saying: "It’s been a rough year and I want to say thanks to everybody who reached out to us, that showed us love and support over the last six months," he said "It meant the world to us. To my Route 91 people – you guys are in our hearts, always, and we love Las Vegas. Vegas strong, baby."