The ACM Awards kicked off with a powerful tribute to those injured and killed last October, at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival. The 53rd annual ACM awards took place at the same scene were the worst mass shooting in modern American history happened. So it only seemed right that the show started off honoring those who were injured and lost in the horrific event.
Jason Aldene, who was on stage at the time of the shooting, started the message, "Tonight we wanted to open the show with something that sums up what it's like for our Country music family to be back in Las Vegas for the first time since October 1st..." The tribute continued with words from Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, Maren Morris and Thomas Rhett.
Many artists in the audience wore pins that donned "851" and "51" representing those injured and killed in the shooting.