When Kenny Chesney booked his Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour, he had no way of knowing Megan Moroney would be the leading female nominee at the Academy of Country Music Awards. The idea the young woman who hit No. 1 with “Tennessee Orange” wouldn’t be able to attend the ceremony wasn’t on the table, and then she received not one, two or three, but six nominations; ultimately winning for New Female Artist.
“Those nominations are such a big deal when you’re starting out,” says the 8-time ACM and Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year. “And the fact Megan was up for Female, as well as New Female, Song of the Year as writer and artist, Vocal Event and Visual Media for ‘Can’t Break Up Now’ with Old Dominion? That’s massive. I hated knowing she was missing the show, but when we’re not in stadiums, she’s my direct and only support.”
Having been in Frisco, Texas for the ACM kick-off Tuesday, where she won New Female, Moroney hit the Hard Rock LIVE! in Hollywood, Florida, ready to make some music. Having studied Chesney’s set-list, she had an idea of her own she wanted to try – and approached the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar about an invitation he’d thrown out opening weekend.
“I’d told her if she figured out what she wanted to sing with me, we’d do it,” Chesney says with a laugh. “And she came back saying she wanted to do ‘All The Pretty Girls.’ I can’t for the life of me figure out why, but she got up there sang the &%$ out of it. Talk about a moment. She had a vision, and she hit that stage and made it happen. She’s a force, and it was big fun.”
And the fun didn’t stop there. Beyond having their first musical throwdown, the man the Wall Street Journal calls “the King of the Road” wanted something to mark the moment for Moroney’s first major award. What could be better than presenting a cake? A cake and a little sip of the nightly mondo-margarita presented by Production Manager Ed Wannebo.
“It’s one of those things you hate to miss,” he says. “Though I think Megan has so many awards ahead of her, she’ll look back, knowing this was just the beginning. Winning New Female Artist matters, because it sets up the rest of everything. She couldn’t be there when they said her name as Female Vocalist, so I wanted her to have that experience with several thousand very close friends from No Shoes Nation.”
“I’ve always loved ‘All The Pretty Girls’ and was so excited to get up there to sing with Kenny,” Moroney says. “But when he gave me the cake, congratulating me on my award, I couldn’t believe it. Who does stuff like that? Especially at his level. I wish I could have been in two places, but Kenny and his road family went beyond to make my first ACM win so, so special!”
Beyond the stadium shows, where Chesney has been besting his personal records and has several already sold-out dates, Moroney is appearing on all of his amphitheater Sun Goes Down 2024 shows as well. All dates on the year’s tour are sponsored by Blue Chair Bay® Rum.
Kenny Chesney gives Megan Moroney a cake to celebrate ACM New Female Artist win. | Photo Credit: Jill Trunnell
Kenny Chesney’s Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour
with Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney & Uncle Kracker
May 18 Atlanta, Ga. || Mercedes-Benz Stadium
May 25 Landover, Md. || Commanders Field
May 30 Syracuse, N.Y. || Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview^
June 1 Pittsburgh, Pa. || Acrisure Stadium
June 6 Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio || Blossom Music Center
June 8 Philadelphia, Pa. || Lincoln Financial Field (SOLD OUT)
More tickets available
June 13 Maryland Heights, Mo. || Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre^
June 15 Chicago, Ill. || Soldier Field
June 20 Noblesville, Ind. || Ruoff Music Center^
June 22 Milwaukee, Wisc. || American Family Field
June 27 Darien Center, N.Y. || Darien Lake Amphitheater^
June 29 Cincinnati, Ohio || TQL Stadium*
July 6 Kansas City, Mo. || GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
July 11 Boise, Idaho || Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater^
July 13 Seattle, Wash. || Lumen Field
July 16 Salt Lake City, Utah || America First Field*
July 18 Wheatland, Calif. || Toyota Amphitheatre^
July 20 Los Angeles, Calif. || SoFi Stadium
July 24 Phoenix, Ariz. || Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre^
July 27 Denver, Colo. || Empower Field at Mile High Stadium
Aug. 3 Nashville, Tenn. || Nissan Stadium
Aug. 8 Columbus, Ohio || Historic Crew Stadium*
Aug. 10 Detroit, Mich. || Ford Field
Aug. 15 Bangor, Maine || Maine Savings Amphitheater^
Aug. 17 East Rutherford, N.J. || MetLife Stadium
Aug. 23 Foxborough, Mass. || Gillette Stadium (SOLD OUT)
More tickets available
Aug. 24 Foxborough, Mass. || Gillette Stadium (SOLD OUT)
More tickets available
Aug. 25 Foxborough, Mass. || Gillette Stadium (SOLD OUT)
More tickets available
* Megan Moroney and Uncle Kracker only
^ Megan Moroney only
“...because everything gets hotter when the sun goes down...”