Maren Morris Looking Forward to ‘Really, Really Positive’ 2018 ACM Awards

At Sunday night's (April 15) 2018 Academy of Country Music Awards, Maren Morris will perform in Las Vegas, Nev., for the first time since the shooting at the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival. Ahead of the ceremony, she shared that she's loving all the positivity that's surrounding this year's show, though her memories of the tragic shooting that killed 58 concertgoers make her return to Vegas "bittersweet."

"The last time I was here was when we did Route 91, and it's just crazy to be back just a few short months later," Morris tells WYRK's Liz Mantel and Clay Moden, who are in town for the festivities. "I've gotten the honor to talk to a lot of survivors this week. It just feels like everyone is ready to move on and be excited about music and about live music."

Morris is set to perform her song "Rich," from her 2016 major-label debut album Hero, during the 2018 ACM Awards. She's also up for a trophy in the Female Vocalist of the Year category, and has two songs — "Dear Hate" and "Craving You" — nominated in the Vocal Event of the Year category.

While rehearsing for her performance, Morris said that the vibe in the MGM Grand Garden Arena is the definition of upbeat: "Everyone in that room is just so pumped up and excited and ready to exhale," she says. "I think it's going to be a really, really positive show."

The 2018 ACM Awards are set to air live on CBS beginning at 8PM ET. Reba McEntire will be hosting the show.

The Boot will be staying up late covering the most buzzed-about winners, fashion and moments at the 2018 ACM Awards. Readers can watch along with us by checking back to TheBoot.com for the latest ACMs headlines, liking The Boot on Facebook and following The Boot on Twitter.

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