# 23rd Academy of Country Music Awards

The 23rd Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony was held on March 21, 1988, at Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, California. It was hosted by Reba McEntire and Hank Williams Jr.. This would be the last ACM Awards show to be held at Knott's Berry Farm.

## Winners and nominees

Winners are shown in bold.
| Entertainer of the Year | Album of the Year |
| Hank Williams Jr. Alabama Reba McEntire Willie Nelson Randy Travis | Trio — Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, & Linda Ronstadt Always & Forever — Randy Travis Born to Boogie — Hank Williams Jr. Heartland — The Judds Ocean Front Property — George Strait |
| Top Female Vocalist of the Year | Top Male Vocalist of the Year |
| Reba McEntire Rosanne Cash Crystal Gayle Kathy Mattea Tanya Tucker | Randy Travis Ronnie Milsap George Strait Steve Wariner Hank Williams Jr. |
| Top Vocal Group of the Year | Top Vocal Duo of the Year |
| Highway 101 Alabama Exile Oak Ridge Boys Restless Heart | The Judds Bellamy Brothers Foster & Lloyd Crystal Gayle and Gary Morris Sweethearts of the Rodeo |
| Single Record of the Year | Song of the Year |
| "Forever and Ever, Amen" — Randy Travis "All My Ex's Live in Texas" — George Strait "Born to Boogie" — Hank Williams Jr. "I'll Still Be Loving You" — Restless Heart "Somebody Lied" — Ricky Van Shelton | "Forever and Ever, Amen" — Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz "80's Ladies" — K.T. Oslin "Born to Boogie" — Hank Williams Jr. "Ocean Front Property" — Dean Dillon, Hank Cochran, Royce Porter "Somebody Lied" — Larry Jenkins, Joe Chambers |
| Top New Male Vocalist | Top New Female Vocalist |
| Ricky Van Shelton Larry Boone Marty Haggard Lyle Lovett Jo-El Sonnier | K.T. Oslin Nancy Griffith Libby Hurley k.d lang Dana McVicker |
| Video of the Year ||
| "80's Ladies" — K.T. Oslin "Forever and Ever, Amen" — Randy Travis "Little Sister" — Dwight Yoakam "My Name is Bocephus" — Hank Williams Jr. "Santa Fe" — The Bellamy Brothers "Tar Top" — Alabama ||
| Pioneer Award ||
| Roger Miller ||

## Performers

| Performer(s) | Song(s) |
| Hank Williams Jr. | Medley "Born to Boogie" "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" |
| Larry Boone K.T. Oslin | New Artist Medley #1 "You Don't Know Me" "I Saw the Light" |
| Tanya Tucker | "If It Don't Come Easy" |
| Dwight Yoakam Buck Owens | "Streets of Bakersfield" |
| Restless Heart | "Hummingbird" |
| Nancy Griffith Jo-El Sonnier | New Artist Medley #2 "The Pill" "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" |
| The Judds | "Old Pictures" |
| Merle Haggard | "Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star" |
| Dana McVicker Marty Haggard | New Artist Medley #3 "I'm Sorry" "I Love You a Thousand Ways" |
| Moe Bandy | "Americana" |
| Reba McEntire | "A Sunday Kind of Love" |
| k.d. lang Ricky Van Shelton | New Artist Medley #4 "Life's Railway to Heaven" "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" |
| Alabama | "Fallin' Again" |
| Lyle Lovett Libby Hurley | New Artist Medley #5 "Stand by Your Man" "Right or Wrong" |
| Hank Williams Jr. Reba McEntire | "Hey, Good Lookin'" |

## Presenters

| Presenter(s) | Notes |
| Randy Travis Ann Jillian | Top Vocal Duo of the Year |
| Marie Osmond Robert Conrad | Single Record of the Year |
| Eddie Rabbitt Stepfanie Kramer | Video of the Year |
| Mickey Gilley Jessica Walter | Top Female Vocalist of the Year |
| Steve Wariner Markie Post Charley Pride | Song of the Year |
| Holly Dunn John Davidson Kathy Mattea | Top Vocal Group of the Year |
| Roy Clark | Presented Pioneer Award to Roger Miller |
| The Bellamy Brothers Sandy Duncan | Top Male Vocalist of the Year |
| Sweethearts of the Rodeo Exile | Top New Male Vocalist Top New Female Vocalist |
| T.G. Sheppard Deidre Hall Earl Thomas Conley | Album of the Year |
| Carl Perkins | Entertainer of the Year |