Ask most country artists their favorite thing about awards shows and it’s getting to reunite with friends and catch up with the people you don’t get to see very often.
Obviously with their busy schedules and touring keeping them on the road much of the year, artists often don’t get to cross paths with their friends in the music business all that much during the year. Awards shows bring everybody together in one place for a night, and give everybody a chance to catch up and hang out for a little while. They’re like a big family reunion.
Unfortunately, sometimes your ex is part of that family too.
That was the situation for Miranda Lambert at the ACM Awards back in 2019 (and still is today) when she and Blake Shelton are together at awards shows.
Blake and Miranda met back in 2005 during a performance of “You’re The Reason God Made Oklahoma” for CMT’s 100 Greatest Duets concert. Blake was married at the time, but their chemistry was pretty evident on stage.
Shelton divorced the following year in 2006, and started dating Miranda shortly after that. The couple got married in 2011, and around that time Blake and Miranda went on a run for the ages, releasing hit single after hit single and cleaning up at awards shows. They both won CMA Awards for Male and Female Vocalist of the Year from 2010 to 2014, with Miranda winning in 2015 as well. And as far as ACMs go, Miranda was cleaning up there too.
The pair finally called it quits in 2015 after just 4 years of marriage, and by 2019 Miranda had married her current husband Brendan McLoughlin, while Blake was in a relationship with powerhouse No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani. So everybody moved on and was happy to leave the past in the past, right?
Well, not quite.
Miranda took the stage during the ACM Awards to perform a medley of her hits including “Kerosene,” “Gunpowder & Lead,” “Mama’s Broken Heart,” “White Liar,” and “Little Red Wagon.” And she took the opportunity to throw a little shade at Oklahoma native Blake Shelton with a lyric change in the final song.
During “Little Red Wagon,” Miranda changed the line “I live in Oklahoma” to a shot at her ex-husband:
“I got the hell out of Oklahoma.”
Yikes.
Unfortunately the camera didn’t pick up Blake’s reaction – if he had one. Seems like a fail on the part of the producer or the camera guy to not catch that, and we know he was there that night because Blake also performed his then-current single “God’s Country” on the show that evening. But maybe he wasn’t at his seat, or maybe they just weren’t expecting it and didn’t have time to find Blake with the camera.
Either way, I really wish we could have seen his reaction.
Of course it wasn’t the first time Miranda had changed the lyrics to the song: She had been performing the updated lyrics for a while by that point. But the fact that Blake Shelton was in the room – and presumably watching the performance – made the moment all the more awkward.
I don’t think Blake is too worried about it these days though. He and Stefani seem to be perfectly happy in Oklahoma, with Blake always eager to gush over his now-wife and how she’s turned into a country girl since moving to the Sooner State.
At the end of the day, Blake is a pretty good sport with one of the best senses of humor in country music. He’s definitely one who doesn’t take himself too seriously, and he was more than happy with his new relationship at the time, so it’s easy to see him laughing about it and appreciating the humor in the lyric change.
Either way, you can watch the moment here:
The 61st Annual ACM Awards kick off this Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 8 PM eastern on Amazon Prime, live from Las Vegas.
61st Annual ACM Awards Nominees
Entertainer of the Year
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Megan Moroney
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Female Artist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Lainey Wilson
Male Artist of the Year
Luke Combs
Riley Green
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Zach Top
Group of the Year
49 Winchester
Flatland Cavalry
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
The Red Clay Strays
Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Muscadine Bloodline
Thelma & James
Album of the Year
[Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record Company–label(s)]
Ain’t In It For My Health – Zach Top; Producer: Carson Chamberlain; Record Company-Label: Leo33
Cherry Valley – Carter Faith; Producer: Tofer Brown; Record Company-Label: Gatsby Records / MCA
Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe) – Riley Green; Producers: Dann Huff, Michael Knox; Record Company-Label: Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment
I’m The Problem – Morgan Wallen; Producers: Joey Moi, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Durrett; Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records
Parker McCollum – Parker McCollum; Producers: Frank Liddell, Eric Masse; Record Company-Label: MCA
Song of the Year
“A Song To Sing” – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton; Songwriters: Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure
“Am I Okay?” – Megan Moroney; Songwriters: Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, Jessie Jo Dillon
“Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley; Songwriters: Ella Langley, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor
“I Never Lie” – Zach Top; Songwriters: Zach Top, Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols
“Somewhere Over Laredo – Lainey Wilson; Songwriters: Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Andy Albert, Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg
Single of the Year
“6 Months Later” – Megan Moroney
“Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley
“I Never Lie” – Zach Top
“Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson
“The Fall” – Cody Johnson
Visual Media of the Year
“6 Months Later” – Megan Moroney
“A Song To Sing” – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton
“Cuckoo” -Stephen Wilson, Jr. (Winner)
“Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson
“The Fall” – Cody Johnson
Music Event of the Year
“A Song To Sing” – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton
“Amen” – Shaboozey & Jelly Roll
“Don’t Mind If I Do” – Riley Green feat. Ella Langley
“Trailblazer” – Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson
“You Had To Be There” – Megan Moroney & Kenny Chesney
Songwriter of the Year
Jessie Jo Dillon (Winner)
Ashley Gorley
Charlie Handsome
Chase McGill
Blake Pendergrass
Artist-Songwriter of the Year
Luke Combs
Riley Green
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Morgan Wallen
New Male Artist of the Year
Gavin Adcock
Vincent Mason
Shaboozey
Hudson Westbrook
Tucker Wetmore (Winner)
New Female Artist of the Year
Avery Anna (Winner)
Mackenzie Carpenter
Dasha
Caroline Jones
Emily Ann Roberts
