2024 People’s Choice Country Awards: All The Performances, Ranked

Brad Paisley debuted a new song while simultaneously nodding back to one of his own past hits. He debuted “Truck Still Works,” which incorporates Paisley’s 2004 hit “Mud on the Tires.” Paisley launched his performance with a snippet of “Mud on the Tires,” accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, before his band joined in with full-fledged guitar, drums and fiddle. “Truck Still Works” reminisces on those younger-year treks on muddy paths under the moonlight and urges a lover to see if they can “find that place we used to know about,” adding “with any luck, we might get stuck again.” Paisley’s voice was in fine form, as was his guitar playing, while lyrically and sonically it felt like a throwback to his previous radio hit–a trait that may or may not be appealing to some fans who have long waited for new music from Paisley.

MGK (Machine Gun Kelly) has made inroads into country recently, but stepped out in a big way Thursday night when he closed out the show with a performance of “Lonely Road,” sans his collaboration partner Jelly Roll. Looking every bit the rock star, mgk sailed through the song (which has a country tilt, interpolating John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads”) with ease. Still, a true onstage duet with Jelly Roll would have sent this performance over the top, as both are intense performers, and their friendship and respect for each other as artists translates onstage.

“Lonely Road” was also named the crossover song of 2024 during the show, while mgk also took home the cover song of 2024, with his rendition of Zach Bryan’s “Sun to Me.” Jelly Roll and mgk, who are each known for their ability to shift seamlessly through genres, previously performed the song together during CMA Fest this year in Nashville, at Spotify House.

Over the past decade, Brown has amassed 11 Billboard Country Airplay chart-toppers and played to massive crowds on sold-out headlining tours (including becoming the first artist to play all 29 NBA arenas), all while giving back to others.

Thus he was honored with this year’s country champion trophy. He also brought a high-energy performance to open this year’s PCCAs. Clad in a black fringe jacket and sunglasses, Brown celebrated his musical journey and myriad of influences with a performance of the hard-charging “Fiddle in the Band.”

“I took a trip to Music City/ brought a little bit of everything with me,” he sang in his distinctly warm, conversational vocal, walking across the stage with a cool saunter as his band offered careening rock guitars and of course, plenty of blazing fiddle.

Clad in jeans, a suit jacket and a cowboy hat, Texas native McCollum offered up his new song “What Kinda Man.” Staying close to the centerstage microphone and wielding his guitar, he let loose with his signature drawl, bringing plenty of honkytonk twang to his performance.

The stage was filled with sunflowers during Ballerini’s performance of her new song “Two Things,” from her upcoming October release Patterns. She paced the stage, laying out the highs and lows of a relationship, lacing the lyrics with images of sunflowers and Hemingway poems, familiar blue jeans, and plane rides that lead to reconciliatory lovefests.

“I’ll be your best and your worst day,” she sang, as she shines on these meshings of silky pop melodies and heart-on-her-sleeve lyricism.

Texas native Miranda Lambert was honored as this year’s country icon recipient, and during the show, she offered to the audience a potent reminder of why she’s become a trailblazing artist, fearless songwriter and commanding performer. She led with her fiery 2005 song “Kerosene,” before proving that her self-determined ways are as strong as ever, on the defiant “Dammit Randy” from her new album Postcards From Texas.

Trio Lady A offered a rendition of “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” putting their pitch-perfect harmonies in the spotlight. The trio’s Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott captured the passion, angst and emotional tug-of-war in this rock classic, further elevated by bandmate Dave Haywood’s steady harmonies and musicianship. They recorded the song as part of the recent Tom Petty tribute album Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty.

Married duo The War and Treaty have graced the stages of numerous awards ceremonies and other high-profile events, regularly earning standing ovations and becoming known as reliably stunning performers, melding elements of country, folk, soul and gospel. The PCCAs were no exception. Michael Trotter Jr. walked up an aisle of the Grand Ole Opry House, taking the stage to meet a backing choir for the sultry, romantic and gospel music-soaked tribute “Can I Get an Amen” He was then joined by his musical partner and wife Tanya Trotter, and together they offered easily one of the evening’s most powerful vocal performances. They tossed the melodies back and forth with uncanny ease, before intertwining their nimble, octave-jumping voices to create a paragon of peerless vocal power.

Seated alone with just his guitar and soft backlighting, Keith Urban once again conveyed his stellar musicianship on the slow-burn, sultry, longing-filled “Messed Up as Me.” Live performances are one of Urban’s musical strengths, as he’s always been able to connect with a crowd, whether utilizing a full band or playing solo. During the show, he showcased just why he needs little more than his trusty musical axe and nimble, gritty vocal to turn in a passionate rendering of a song.