Dolly Parton opens ACM Awards with dedication to Ukraine
By ANDREW DALTON
AP Entertainment Writer
Host Dolly Parton opened Monday Night’s Academy of Country Music Awards on Monday night by dedicating the show to the people of Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. It was the lone serious moment in a lighthearted opening for Parton, who appeared in a jumpsuit of shimmering shards of glass on the stage at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and said a disco ball had fallen on her. She then handed off to co-hosts Jimmie Allen and Gabbie Barrett, who performed a medley of “Viva Las Vegas” and “Let’s Go to Vegas.” This year’s show jumps from network TV to commercial-free streaming on Amazon Prime Video.