Blanco Brown Talks ACM Awards Appearance, Recovery from Crash

Watching him walk out onstage was a powerful moment.

Written by Chris Parton
Blanco Brown Talks ACM Awards Appearance, Recovery from Crash
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 18: In this image released on April 18, Blanco Brown speaks onstage at the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards at the Grand Ole Opry on April 18, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for ACM)

Rising star Blanco Brown surprised fans with a triumphant appearance on Sunday night’s (April 18) ACM Awards, walking out onstage after a motorcycle crash nearly paralyzed him last summer. And before the show, he gave fans an update on his health.

Speaking with Audacy’s Katie Neal, Brown said he was in good spirits as the ACMs approached. The “Git Up” hit maker said he was “just blessed” to be where he is these days — which is much better than a few months ago, after a head-on collision almost put him in a wheelchair for life. Just eight months later, Brown was able to walk the red carpet under his own power, and present the award for ACM Group of the Year.

“I still have some issues, I’m rehabilitating still, I’m just blessed to not be in excruciating pain every day,” Brown told Neal. “I used to count from the time I went to sleep to when I woke up, ‘Ok, it’s gonna be better today,’ and it wasn’t. So I’m just glad to be past that point.”

Onstage at the ACMs, Brown took another big step forward. It was his first public appearance since the accident.

“I’m so blessed to be back on this stage, and I want to thank everyone in the country community for their love and support. And to all the life-saving first responders, words are not enough,” he said on the show. “And now, it’s my pleasure to present the nominees for Group of the Year.”

That award went to Old Dominion, but Blanco Brown was cleary a winner, too.