Brooks & Dunn and Cody Johnson came together and rocked the stage at the 2025 ACM Awards on Thursday night (May 8).
Johnson hit the stage solo first, performing an acoustic rendition of “The Fall” before welcoming Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn to the stage.
They joined him for a scorching performance of their 2003 smash hit, “Red Dirt Road,” drawing an ecstatic response from the industry crowd.
The veteran country duo and the superstar neo-traditionalist have teamed up in the past, both onstage and in the recording studio.
They recorded a version of “Red Dirt Road” for the duo’s Reboot album in 2019, a project for which Brooks & Dunn teamed up with younger superstars to give their fan-favorite hits new perspective.
The two acts previously performed “Red Dirt Road” on an episode of CMT Crossroads.
READ MORE: Full List of 2025 ACM Awards Winners
Johnson also tapped Brooks & Dunn to record “Long Live Country Music” as part of his 2023 Leather album. They’ve performed the song — an ode to country music’s most enduring artists and traditions — onstage together a handful of times.
Both Johnson and Brooks & Dunn were nominated at this year’s ACM Awards: Brooks & Dunn for Duo of the Year (which they won!), and Johnson in multiple categories, including the coveted Entertainer of the Year trophy.
The 2025 ACM Awards aired live from Frisco, Texas’ Ford Center on Amazon Prime Video. Reba McEntire hosted the show.
Remember: The best way to watch the ACM Awards is on TV, with ToC on your phone.
The biggest stars in country music turned up to walk the red carpet at the 2025 ACM Awards, and they were looking good!
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker