2019 Golden Mic Awards: Vote Now for Best Theater Act

In 2018, The Boot introduced the Golden Mic Awards, and in 2019, the reader-voted digital awards series is returning for another year! Recognizing the best in live country and Americana music, The Boot's Golden Mic Awards feature nine categories of staff-selected nominees who rule the stage.

This week (April 22-26), The Boot will reveal 2019's Golden Mic Awards categories ... and then, it will be up to you, our readers, to crown the winners. After each Golden Mic Awards category is revealed, readers will be able to vote for their preferred winner in each category as often as once per hour through 11:59PM ET on May 22. We'll announce the winners on the site the next day, May 23.

Several of country music's top young talents, plus a few veterans willing to break the mold for Nashville stardom, alternate between participating in package tours that fill larger venues and keeping a direct connection with fans intact through intimate headlining dates. The following 10 Golden Boot Awards nominees represent this trend whenever they share familiar tunes and an energetic stage show in the friendly confines of a theater.

Despite accolades from awards shows and her recent Grand Ole Opry induction, Kelsea Ballerini still belts out “Miss Me More” and other fan favorites in mid-sized venues, including, as of mid-April, some smaller arenas on her 2019 Miss Me More Tour. Catch her outside of the bigger-venue circuit while you still can.

Kane Brown’s genre-defying songs and familiar baritone drawl attract fans from all walks of life to a live show that’s big and bold enough to pack domed stadiums. And then there's Luke Combs: Whether he’s opening a stadium show for a legend or headlining at a theater, the quickly rising star takes the stage, red Solo cup in hand, and performs like he’s having the time of his life.

Award-winning duo Dan + Shay share a fresh, soulful take on pop-country every time they perform “Tequila,” “Speechless” and other hits. Over in the Americana world, as critics, record collectors and other serious consumers of live music can attest, Jason Isbell and his band the 400 Unit have taken a must-see live show on the road for over a decade.

While performing as part of their ongoing Las Vegas residency, veteran country trio Lady Antebellum are sharing old favorites and teasing future album cuts through audience-friendly shows. It's not often these three stars headline smaller venues, so their 2019 residency is a big treat for fans.

Maren Morris’ pop-accessible arsenal of singles, bolstered by her recent album Girl, and her underrated backing band anchor one of the best live shows by a young Nashville star. Similarly, with her recent mainstream success and a setlist dominated by the greatness that is Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves' concerts draw a diverse crowd for an evening of guaranteed sing-a-longs.

Old Dominion add youthful ambition, a touch of twang and their own individual personalities to a show built on the tried-and-true rock ‘n’ roll formula. And this category's final nominee, Margo Price, does it all as one of the genre’s most talented and hardest-working live performers, from singing rocking Americana anthems and country tearjerkers to playing captivating drum solos.

Which of these artists should be named Best Theater Act in the 2019 Golden Boot Award? Vote below!

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