Bailey Zimmerman made his ACM Awards debut in style on Thursday night (May 11), giving a rousing performance of his No. 1 single, "Rock and a Hard Place."

Before his performance, Zimmerman was introduced by Gabby Barrett and Breland as Amazon's "Breakthrough Artist." Following a brief interview segment with the newcomer, he took  a smaller stage in the center of Ford Center in Texas to perform his latest hit.

The 23-year-old donned a denim outfit and white shirt for the night, and he gave his all to his debut ACM performance, belting every note of the heartbreak tune. Although he sang from a smaller stage, his image was broadcast on the large screens in the stadium, making for a larger-than-life effect. He ended the performance with a smile as he looked out into the crowd with pride.

Zimmerman scored his first nomination ever at the 2023 ceremony, too, in the New Male Artist of the Year category (that trophy ultimately went to Zach Bryan). It's been a big year for the up-and-coming star, who earned his first No. 1 hit with "Fall in Love" and then mounted a historic six-week stay at the top of the country charts with "Rock and a Hard Place."

The day after the ACM Awards, on May 12, Zimmerman will drop his highly-anticipated full-length studio debut, Religiously: The Album. Meanwhile, he is expected to continue touring with Morgan Wallen later in 2023.

The 2023 ACM Awards took place live in Frisco, Texas and streamed on Amazon Prime Video, hosted by Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks for the first time.

Country Stars Step Out On the Red Carpet at the 2023 ACM Awards

See Dolly Parton, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde and more stars walk the red carpet ahead of the 2023 ACM Awards.

 

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