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Dierks Bentley assembled a powerhouse team of artists that Lainey Wilson hailed “bluegrass virtuosos” — Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes — to pay tribute to Tom Petty. Bentley performed his cover of “American Girl” on the Bridgestone Arena stage on Wednesday night (November 20) at the 58th CMA Awards in Downtown Nashville, Tennessee.
Bentley covered “American Girl” on a historic tribute album that released earlier this year. The project was executive produced by Scott Borchetta, George Drakoulias and Randall Poster, with oversight from Petty’s daughter, Adria Petty, per the Nashville record label. Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Lady A, Wynonna Judd, Lainey Wilson, Willie Nelson, Lukas Nelson, George Strait and many others covered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s music on Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty.
“American Girl,” originally released by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in the 1970s, was the first single to release from the tribute album. Bentley said it was “one of the coolest moments,” to play Petty’s guitar when his music video premiered earlier this year. Bentley said in a statement at that time: “Holding an instrument that carries so much musical history and significance was surreal, you could almost feel the stories resonate from it as I played it. Tom Petty's lyrics and delivery were a huge part of what made his music so impactful.”
The star-studded lineup of performers at the CMA Awards also includes Chris Stapleton and Post Malone, Kelsea Ballerini with Noah Kahan, Brooks & Dunn with Jelly Roll, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Ella Langley with Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Megan Moroney, Kacey Musgraves, Bailey Zimmerman, Dierks Bentley (featuring Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes), Luke Bryan, Ashley McBryde, Shaboozey, Thomas Rhett and Teddy Swims, and Lainey Wilson. Presenters include Simone Biles, Clint Black, Jeff Bridges, Mark Collie, Jordan Davis, Freddie Freeman, Don Johnson, Jackson Laux, Little Big Town, Dustin Lynch, Katharine McPhee, The Oak Ridge Boys, Taylor Frankie Paul, Carly Pearce, Caleb Pressley, Nate Smith, Daniel Sunjata, Mitchell Tenpenny and Billy Bob Thornton. The Country Music Association also revealed the all-star group of artists — Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson — paying tribute to country legend George Strait. Strait is the recipient of the 2024 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
Luke Bryan returned to host the show again with Peyton Manning, and this time, they teamed up with first-time host and 2023 Entertainer of the Year Wilson. Check back with iHeartRadio for a list of winners, a gallery of the most stunning red carpet looks, coverage of can’t-miss performances and more throughout the evening. The 58th CMA Awards is airing on ABC on Wednesday evening, and will be available next day on Hulu.