The Biggest Fashion Flops In Academy Of Country Music Awards History

Over the six decades that the Academy of Country Music Awards has taken place, stars have attended the red carpet in their loudest looks, to mixed reception. Like all televised awards shows, celebrities try their best to stand out on their big night. This has led to some high highs (like Dolly Parton's silver fringe ensemble at the 2023 ceremony), as well as some incredibly low lows. 

Country stars and assorted famous attendees have used the night as an excuse to wear their flashiest (not to mention tackiest) garb, complete with garish patterns and dramatic styling, or simply ignored the red carpet in favor of an overly casual outfit. We're taking a look at the worst of these looks to figure out what went wrong. While the worst-dressed stars at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards had some pretty terrible looks, none of them made it onto this list. Interestingly, the worst-dressed attendees of all time range from A-list celebs like Katy Perry to lesser-known artists like Tobi Lee, proving that bad taste doesn't discriminate according to one's level of fame. 

Tobi Lee turned heads for all the wrong reasons at the 2013 Academy of Country Music Awards. The lead singer of country-rock band Mustang Sally arrived to the red carpet in a garish minidress. It's difficult to figure out what to focus on with this outfit; between the animal-print top, red corset, three-tier ruffled skirt, and Lee's signature wild platinum pixie cut, we're not sure where to start. While the look fits in with Lee's eccentric sense of style, it just doesn't work for a red carpet event. 

Country singer Jo Dee Messina went ultra-casual for the 2023 ACM Awards, and it didn't work at all. Celebs wearing low-key outfits on the red carpet is nothing new, but Messina's look comes off as lackluster and lazy. The "Bring on the Rain" singer wore white jeans, a black tank, and a studded leather jacket. While it might be a pretty stylish outfit for a day at the mall, it's not quite right for the biggest night in country music.

Over the years, we've been able to see the stunning style transformation of Kaley Cuoco as she went from teen actor to starring in one of the biggest sitcoms of all time. However, as stylish as "The Big Bang Theory" alum is, she has had some major red carpet flops. In one such fail, Cuoco attended the 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards in a gaudy minidress. The dress' blue, red, white, and brown chevron pattern is not only tacky, but extremely outdated. 

While we can appreciate camp on the red carpet, Katy Perry's neon rockabilly look at the 2016 ACM Awards was not well-executed. Like some of Katy Perry's most inappropriate outfits that we'll never forget, this ensemble shows that the pop star's taste level is questionable at best. Perry, who performed at the evening's ceremony alongside country icon Dolly Parton, walked the red carpet in a metallic-blue fringe skirt and leather jacket, a cropped pink sweater, fishnet tights, and a pair of pink-and-black cow-print cowboy boots.

Country artist and "American Idol" runner-up Lauren Alaina did a little too much with her 2018 Academy of Country Music Awards outfit. Alaina wore a black lace dress covered in blue and gold embellishments from Steven Khalil Couture, adding a dark slip underneath. Between the gown's bold appliqués, gold accents, and ruffled detailing, it was already a sight to behold; Alaina's heavy styling — like her curly high ponytail, dark statement earrings, and black clutch — was unnecessary and made the beautifully crafted couture gown look cheap.

Miranda Lambert is no stranger to an inappropriate outfit. The country singer-songwriter loves to show off her fantastic figure, which we can appreciate, but the blue dress she wore to the 2023 ACM Awards was a bit over-the-top for a red carpet event. Lambert's risqué gown featured a thigh-high slit and low neckline; the singer appeared a bit stiff and uncomfortable in photos from the night, which leads us to wonder if her low top was on the verge of causing a wardrobe malfunction. 

As the youngest host of the Academy of Country Music Awards ever, one would think that Gabby Barrett would wear her best outfit to the 2022 ceremony. However, Barrett didn't exactly deliver the way fans hoped she would. Barrett, who won the award for new female artist of the year at the 2021 ACM Awards, arrived in an over-the-top red and black ensemble. The singer wore a long red tunic with dramatic shoulder pads with a black leather catsuit underneath, both of which gave her the appearance of a comic book villain.