The Worst-Dressed Celebs At The 2023 ACM Awards

Country music fans grabbed their cowboy hats and popcorn as they settled in for the 2023 ACM awards — and they were in for a big night. ACM CEO Damon Whiteside had fans on the edge of their seat leading up to the big show, as he spilled some exciting details to Billboard about what to expect from country's biggest night. He shared, "From exclusive superstar performances to unexpected collaborations to the industry's most exciting emerging talent, fans are in for an unforgettable night that can only be seen on the ACM Awards stage!" But besides awards and performances, the ACM Awards is known for bringing us some of the best — and worst — fashion moments from country music's biggest stars.

As artists graced the red carpet before the show they gave fans plenty to talk about. While it's not the Met Gala, musicians still pulled out all the stops when it came to their outfits. Rhinestones and cowboy hats scattered the pre-show arrivals as stars dazzled on Amazon Prime. But, with as many fashion hits as there were on the red carpet, there were also a lot of fashion horrors. So, who missed the mark when it came to creating a charming country look? Well, we're here to fill you in on the celebrities who were the worst dressed of the night.

Tenille Townes once spoke to the "Bobby Bones Show" about how she had a fashion "fairy godmother" in her stylist. But the clock must have struck midnight because Townes' 2023 ACM look was more pumpkin than golden carriage. The "Jersey on the Wall" singer stepped out in a shiny, electric blue pantsuit and blazer. While it shined bright (literally), the pattern and fitting fell flat — especially because the musician paired it with a silver bra top underneath it all.

Paige Hathaway may share Anne Hathaway's last name, but if Andie Sachs showed up to an event in this look, Miranda Priestly would've chewed her up and spit her out. The musician arrived in quite an interesting outfit for the country music award show. The midnight blue dress — in all its sequined glory — featured oddly shaped cutouts across the top and bottom of the ensemble. What made it worse, however, was that the bottom slit had a sheer, nude mesh attached that made the outfit unflattering for the musician. The teardrop-shaped pattern only made the look even more confusing, as it was unclear what fashion message she was trying to send.

Miranda Lambert might be able to hit those high notes, but the musician missed the mark at the 2023 ACM Awards. In 2015, she talked about her looks with Success, saying, "The glam stuff, that's fun here and there. But I felt like I had my own personal style — good or bad — that people could relate to my lifestyle." Well, she's not totally wrong. After all, this looks like some prom dress reject she yanked off the rack for 80% off and, come on — who can't relate to that kind of shopper's high? Too bad it meant donning a look that was arguably low on her list of looks over the years.

Listen, we're not saying that every band has to coordinate their ensembles, but it would be nice if they complimented one another. When Brothers Osborne stepped out on the ACM carpet, the duo took fans' breath away — but not in the way they may have hoped. John Osborne's outfit featured a completely different vibe than that of his brother, T.J. Osborne, as John's bright red patterned suit had people comparing it to a quilt made by one's grandma. Sadly, despite the fact that his suit had Old Navy "match with the fam" energy, he and T.J. looked like polar opposites.

Hailey Whitters once told Rolling Stone that Dolly Parton is her fashion icon, but we certainly hope this look wasn't meant to emulate country music's GOAT, as it was reminiscent of Josie Geller's prom dress in "Never Been Kissed." (You know, the one that got egged?) Whitters' purple dress featured frills in all the wrong places, from top to the bottom, and ultimately made the satin look distracting. Whitters paired the look with mesh gloves, but even that shakeup couldn't keep her from looking like the tablecloth on your mom's outdated accent table.

Garth Brooks has a go-to look when it comes to the red carpet, as he typically wears a suit and standard cowboy hat, but we were hoping for something a little more when it came to this year's ACM Awards. As a co-host, we thought Brooks might step out with a little more pizzazz, but instead, he wore an all-black suit that made him blend with the crowd (and even the carpet). As for his wife, Trisha Yearwood, her outfit looked like something she pulled from the back of her closet, as the red, form-fitting cheetah print dress and chunky necklace screamed casual date night, not red carpet glam.

Lots of celebrities stepped out in their red carpet best for the ACM Awards, but Jo Dee Messina took a casual route — like, the most casual route. A leather jacket, black top, and white jeans is all Messina needed to hit up country music's biggest night. The jewelry the musician paired with the look was also incredibly simple as she sported silver chain necklaces and her wedding band. Although the laid back look seems comfortable, it didn't give that ACMs glamour that fans love to see on the red carpet. Go girl, give us nothing!

Cole Swindell made quite the confusing statement on the red carpet. What was with the baseball cap? Did the patterned blue shirt need to be paired with a white blazer? These are all the questions that popped into mind when Swindell showed up on the red carpet. The "Never Say Never" singer probably should have said "No," when his stylist showed him this look as it didn't make sense. To be fair, we traditionally see Swindell in pretty basic outfits, so he definitely stepped out the box with this one. Swing and a miss, though, Cole.

Ahead of the ACM Awards, Caylee Hammack revealed on Instagram, "Well since @dollyparton is cohosting this year, I thought a butterfly look might be just the ticket to honor a woman who has inspired me since I was young. What a legend." While Hammack tried to come across as a butterfly, the look didn't really convey that anything that soared. Instead, it was a pink overflow from head to toe. Monochromatic looks are always in style, but the layered frill made it all seem overwhelming. Perhaps this look should have stayed wrapped in a cocoon. 

Ashley McBryde is not one to step out of her comfort zone when it comes to fashion. When she attended the 2023 Grammys, McBryde revealed to Fox News it took some "convincing" to wear something form fitted. Well, fans kind of wished someone would have convinced the "Girl Goin' Nowhere" singer to step out of her comfort zone once more at this award show. McBryde's look at the ACM Awards wasn't anything that made people's jaws drop. Wearing her usual black attire, the sparkling dress she chose didn't really shine as it seemed like another ordinary look handpicked from your local prom.