The Latest | Arrests top 2,000 as protests against Israel-Hamas war roil college campuses

The number of people arrested in connection with protests on college campuses against the Israel-Hamas war has now topped 2,000. The Associated Press has tallied arrests at 35 schools since a tent encampment began at Columbia University on April 17.

Student protests have popped up at many college and university campuses over the last two weeks. Some have led to agreements with administrators to consider the protesters demands. But more frequently they have led to arrests after demonstrators refused to disperse or vandalized campus property. More than 200 of the arrests were at the University of California, Los Angeles, where police finally cleared a large encampment early Thursday.

Currently:

— President Biden says ‘order must prevail’ to keep campus protests peaceful

— At least 2,000 arrested in campus protests around U.S., AP tally shows

— Eying campus protests, House passes bill to define criticism of Israel as antisemitic

— Timeline: How Columbia University's protest launched campus demonstrations around the U.S.

Here's the latest:

A police officer who was involved in clearing protesters from a Columbia University administration building earlier this week fired his gun inside the hall, a spokesperson for District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office confirmed Thursday.

No one was injured, according to spokesperson Doug Cohen, who said there were other officers but no students in the immediate vicinity. He said Bragg’s office is reviewing the incident. He did not provide additional details.

The New York Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The gunfire came as police officers stormed Hamilton Hall late Tuesday. Pro-Palestinian protesters had been barricaded inside for more than 20 hours. Police had said protesters inside presented no substantial resistance.

The University of Minnesota officials announced an agreement with pro-Palestinian protesters on Thursday to end their encampment on the Minneapolis campus. In exchange, representatives of the coalition of student organizations involved will get to address the university’s Board of Regents at their meeting May 10 to discuss their demands that the university divest its investments in Israel.

“While there is more work to do, and conversations are still planned with other student groups affected by the painful situation in Palestine, I am heartened by today’s progress,” Interim university President Jeff Ettinger wrote.

Similar agreements have been made at Northwestern University in suburban Chicago, Rutgers University in New Jersey and Brown University in Rhode Island — apparently the first U.S. college to agree to such a demand.

A number of pro-Palestinian protests have popped up from France to South Africa to Mexico.

On Thursday, over tents popped up on the lawn of National Autonomous University of Mexico, the country’s most prestigious university.

The camp of about 50 students and activists was draped in Palestinian flags. Protesters organizing food and other logistics said they planned to camp out at least a week in solidarity with protests breaking out across the U.S.

“The student movement in the United States has given us a lot of hope," said Luna Martínez, a human rights lawyer who studied at the university.

The arrests tallied since the protests began include professors from Dartmouth and an Illinois university.

Dartmouth history professor Annelise Orleck could be seen in a video posted to the social platform X approaching police and being pulled away from a crowd and taken into custody Wednesday night.

A Dartmouth spokesperson confirmed the video and said the school had no intention of seeking Orleck’s exclusion from campus and is “taking every reasonable step to ensure she can continue teaching classes.”

History professor Steve Tamara from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville said he suffered nine broken ribs and a broken hand Saturday during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Washington University in St. Louis.

Bystander video shows Tamari appearing to be moving in to take video or pictures of protesters being detained when multiple officers roughly take him down. The video shows Tamari handcuffed with his arms behind him as officers drag his limp body toward a van, then drop him on the ground, face down.

Campus police referred questions to the university’s communications department, which did not respond to a request for comment.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, about two dozen protesters sat in the middle of a roadway blocking access to one of the main gates at Kirtland Air Force Base on Thursday, waving flags and vowing to “shut everything down” over U.S. military support for Israel in the war in Gaza.

Authorities did not make any arrests as several protesters chained themselves to one another with some anchored to buckets filled with concrete as they lined the street, blocking access to one of the base's main gates. Albuquerque police cordoned off streets in the area, isolating the protesters.

Base spokesperson Rob Smith said Kirtland supports citizens’ rights to peacefully assemble and protest and that base security would monitor the situation throughout the day. Meanwhile, the gate would remain closed indefinitely and people who work on the base were advised to use other routes.

Sixteen people — including five students — were arrested days earlier at the University of New Mexico just a few miles away after they occupied the campus’ student union building and caused damage inside.

Fordham University’s president has explained why they had New York police arrest 15 anti-war protesters on Wednesday.

Tania Tetlow said in a message to the Fordham community that most of the people who pushed inside a building and set up tents agreed to leave after being threatened with sanctions. Those who didn’t were arrested for misdemeanor trespassing.

Previous protests had been peaceful, mostly teach-ins and prayer vigils, she said, and Fordham remains committed to allowing student leaders to present their case about divestment and transparency to the trustees.

The decision to make arrests “was not about parsing the difference between protected political speech and threats, nor was it about the Middle East. This was only about the physical protection of the campus,” she said. “It comes down to this: Fordham students have a right to feel safe and to finish their exams. Period.”

Student protesters at the University of Vermont called Thursday for the school to cancel a commencement speech by Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

The protesters, some of whom have been camping out in tents on campus since Sunday, are also demanding that UVM divest from weapons manufacturers and Israeli companies.

UVM spokesperson Adam White said university leaders have heard all the students’ concerns. He said the school plans to disclose investments in its endowment by week's end, but not in response to the protesters.

Police cleared a library at Portland State University in Oregon that pro-Palestinian demonstrators had occupied since Monday. Officers said they made a dozen arrests, four of them students.

They found extensive graffiti on the walls inside the library as well as furniture stacked in barricades and caches of tools and paint balloons. Portland police say at least two of the arrests were made outside the library, where a crowd gathered. Protesters banged pots and pans and briefly blocked the entrance to a major freeway.

Barricades made of soccer goal posts, overturned tables, chairs and other items continued to obstruct the library entrance, and walls inside were spray-painted with graffiti.

California Republican leaders blasted university administrations, saying they failed to protect Jewish students and should have prevented campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war from escalating into “lawlessness and violence.”

They now call for the firing of leaders at universities such as UCLA and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, where more than 30 were arrested early Tuesday. They're also pushing for a proposal that would cut pay for university administrations.

“We’ve got a whole lot of people in these universities drawing six-figure salaries and they stood by and did nothing,” Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher told reporters Thursday. “There does need to be accountability.”

Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones said students found responsible for violence should be disqualified from receiving state-funded financial aid.

Any such GOP proposals would need the approval of Democratic lawmakers, who hold supermajorities in both chambers at the state Capitol.

In New York, Stony Brook University officials said 29 people were arrested early Thursday morning, including students, faculty members and others not affiliated with the school. School administrators said the protests began peacefully but escalated to include intimidation, harassment and an encampment.

The University of Texas said Thursday that 17 people were arrested on criminal trespass charges Wednesday after demonstrators refused to comply with orders to take down an encampment built on the main walkway of the Dallas campus.

At the University of Pennsylvania and at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, officers lined up to separate opposing camps of demonstrators waving Israeli and Palestinian flags.

And bulldozers were scooping up bags of trash and dismantled tents at UCLA, where crowds swelled to more than 1,000 at a pro-Palestinian encampment before police finally cleared the area early Thursday.

Florida’s state university chancellor has ordered campus presidents to “take any necessary steps” to prevent disruption of graduation ceremonies by protestors.

The order covers the University of Florida, Florida State University, Central Florida University, Florida A&M University and eight others. Ten arrests were made at a pro-Palestinian rally at the University of South Florida on Tuesday after police deployed tear gas.

“We must protect the integrity of our commencement ceremonies and ensure the safety of our students,” Chancellor Ray Rodrigues wrote in a memo to presidents, adding that no ceremonies should be canceled or substantively modified.

President Joe Biden defended the right to peacefully protest on college campuses but said vandalism, violence, hate speech and other “chaos” has no part in a peaceful protest.

“Dissent is essential for democracy,” he said at the White House on Thursday. “But dissent must never lead to disorder.”

The Democratic president said the U.S. is neither an authoritarian nation that squashes dissent, nor a lawless country.

“We are a civil society and order must prevail,” Biden said. “We are a big, diverse, free-thinking and freedom-loving nation.”

Police arrested pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses across the country overnight, most notably at UCLA, where chaotic scenes played out early Thursday as officers in riot gear surged against a crowd of demonstrators and made arrests.

Police removed barricades and began dismantling demonstrators’ fortified encampment on campus after hundreds of protesters defied orders to leave, some forming human chains as police fired flash-bangs to break up the crowds. Police bound the hands of many protesters with zip ties behind their backs and escorted them onto buses to the county jails reception center near downtown Los Angeles.

Officers moved in after spending hours threatening arrests over loudspeakers if people did not disperse. A crowd of more than 1,000 had gathered in support, both inside a barricaded tent encampment and outside it. Protesters and police shoved and scuffled as officers encountered resistance. Video showed police pulling off helmets and goggles worn by some protesters as they were being detained.

Journalism’s highest awards are administered by Columbia University, where the Pulitzer Prize Board is praising the work of student journalists in covering campus protests around the country.

The board specifically recognized “the extraordinary real-time reporting” of student journalists at Columbia.

With other media blocked from entering the campus, these students became the eyes and ears for many as New York police arrested protesters.

“In the spirit of press freedom, these students worked to document a major national news event under difficult and dangerous circumstances at risk of arrest,” the board wrote.

Former President Donald Trump commended police who cleared pro-Palestinian protesters from college campuses as he arrived in court Thursday morning for another day of his criminal hush money trial.

“It’s a shame. I’m so proud of the New York’s finest. They’re great,” Trump told reporters after police cleared demonstrators who had taken over an academic building at Columbia University. “They did a job in Columbia and likewise in Los Angeles they did a really good job at UCLA.”

Trump, in his comments, blamed the protests on “the radical left,” which he has railed against for years.

A pro-Palestinian supporter waves a flag as pro-Palestinians and pro-Israel supporters hold opposing demonstrations at the McGill University campus, in Montreal, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tents and trash are left behind at the site of a pro-Palestinian encampment which was cleared by police overnight on the UCLA campus, Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Police separate pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators on the outskirts of a protest encampment on the grounds of McGill University, in Montreal, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP)

Pro-Palestinian activists wave flags on the outskirts of a protest encampment on the grounds of McGill University, in Montreal, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP)

A pro-Israel supporter waves the Israeli flag in front of a police officer and a pro-Palestinian camp at the University of Pennsylvania encampment Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Ahlam Abuawad, left, and Emily Simpson, listen to a speaker during a pro-Palestinian protest on the Dartmouth College Green in Hanover, N.H., on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (James M. Patterson/Valley News via AP)

Palestinian and Israeli supporters protest on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at the University of Pennsylvania encampment in Philadelphia. (Jose F. Moreno /The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

A police officer stands under a Palestinian flag after a raid on an encampment on the UCLA campus Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A pro-Palestinian protester waves a Palestinian flag on the campus of Dartmouth College on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 in Hanover, N.H. (David Adkins via AP)

Police detain a demonstrator inside a pro-Palestinian encampment on the UCLA campus Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Police approach demonstrators inside a pro-Palestinian encampment on the UCLA campus Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators watch police activity behind a makeshift barricade on the UCLA campus Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The word "Peace" written by a anti-war protesters is displayed on the windows at Millar Library at Portland State University, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Protesters are taken into custody as law enforcement dismantle an encampment by pro-Palestinian students at the University of Texas at Dallas' Chess Plaza on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Richardson, Texas. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

Pro-Palestianian protesters gather near a main gate at Columbia University in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, just before New York City police officers cleared the area after a building was taken over by protesters earlier in the day. The building and a tent encampment were cleared during the operation. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Demonstrators walk in an encampment on the UCLA campus after clashes between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Police face off with pro-Palestinian demonstrators inside an encampment on the UCLA campus Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Police enter an encampment set up by pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the UCLA campus Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Police break through a barrier set up by pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the UCLA campus Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

It was Lainey Wilson ’s night, in many ways. She took home female artist of the year and the top prize of entertainer of the year at the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards.

“I’ve been in Nashville for 13 years doing this,” Wilson started her speech. “Everybody in this category has loved on me and believed on me,” she added. “And I love y’all for that.”

She joins an exclusive category of few women to earn the top prize: Miranda Lambert was named entertainer of the year in 2022. In 2020, Carrie Underwood and Thomas Rhett tied for the title, the first time ever for a tie and the first time a woman had won the category since Taylor Swift in 2012.

Wilson also opened the 59th annual ACMs with a cover of Little Texas’ “God Blessed Texas,” flawlessly jumping into her new single, “Hang Tight Honey.” Afterward, Clay Walker and Randy Travis presented Jordan Davis with song of the year for his ubiquitous country radio hit “Next Thing You Know.”

“First off, I want to thank the fans for loving this song,” he said in his acceptance speech. “I love songwriting because of songs that won song of the year, so to be holding this right now is crazy.”

Music event of the year also went to Wilson — and Jelly Roll, for his smash “Save Me.”

“No pun intended, but seriously, this song saved me,” Jelly Roll said in his speech. “I thought I would die and go to jail,” he said while getting emotional — and instead, he celebrated being an ACM award winner.

The ACMs, held at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, just north of Dallas, was hosted by Reba McEntire.

In one of the most anticipated performances of the show, Jason Aldean lit up the stage in a moving tribute to the late Toby Keith.

He gave the crowd a poignant, acoustic performance of Keith’s classic “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” as the audience sang along, and Keith’s family watched from the crowd.

Across his career, Keith took home 14 ACM Awards, twice winning the top prize of entertainer of the year. He died in February at age 62, following a diagnosis of stomach cancer.

Album and male artist of the year went to Chris Stapleton. “There’s so many great guys in that category and I’m happy just to be included in this company,” he said in his acceptance speech.

And when it came time to perform his new song “Think I’m in Love with You,” he was joined by a very special guest: Dua Lipa.

It wasn’t the only surprise: Post Malone debuted a brand-new song, “Never Love You Again,” which bled into his huge new single with Morgan Wallen “I Had Some Help.” Wallen did not perform.

Instead, afterward, McEntire joined Post Malone to duet a little bit of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Ramblin’ Man” in tribute to Dickey Betts, who died last month. He was 80.

Earlier in the evening, Luke Combs — the most nominated artist of the night, with eight — took home single of the year for his cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” Last year, Chapman’s 1988 song won song of the year at the Country Music Awards for Combs’ cover, making her the first Black songwriter to win in the category.

Dan and Shay and Old Dominion took home the prize for duo and group of the year, respectively.

Performances hit fast and furious: Jelly Roll launched into a rocking rendition of his new song “Liar,” followed closely by Kelsea Ballerini with Noah Kahan — doing her song “Mountain with a View” into his viral hit “Stick Season.”

Tigirlily Gold did “I Tried A Ring On,” Texas-born Cody Johnson brought his “Dirt Cheap,” and Miranda Lambert debuted her new single “Wranglers.”

Kane Brown did a moving cover of “Georgia On My Mind.” Thomas Rhett did “Beautiful As You” and everyone’s favorite couple Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani brought the lovely “Purple Irises” to the ACM stage.

Park McCollum did his hit “Burn It Down,” new male artist of the year winner Nate Smith and pop-punk powerhouse Avril Lavigne performed their new one, “Bulletproof,” and host McEntire closed out the show with her new single, “I Can’t.”

The ACM Awards were livestreamed on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch Live.

For more coverage of this year’s ACM Awards, visit https://apnews.com/hub/academy-of-country-music-awards

Lainey Wilson accepts the award for entertainer of the year during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Lainey Wilson performs a medley during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Lainey Wilson accepts the award for entertainer of the year during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Carin Leon arrives at the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dan Smyers of Dan + Shay, from left, Reba McEntire, and Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay introduce a performance by Miranda Lambert during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Dan Smyers of Dan + Shay, from left, Reba McEntire, and Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay introduce a performance by Miranda Lambert during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Bobby Bones, left, and Caitlin Parker arrive at the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Tanya Trotter, left, and Michael Trotter Jr. of The War and Treaty introduce a performance by Kane Brown during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Tanya Trotter, left, and Michael Trotter Jr. of The War and Treaty introduce a performance by Kane Brown during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

P1Harmony arrives at the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

P1Harmony arrives at the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Kane Brown performs "Georgia on My Mind during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Kerry King performs during Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Kane Brown performs "Georgia on My Mind during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Kane Brown performs "Georgia on My Mind during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Kane Brown performs "Georgia on My Mind during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Phil Demmel performs during Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Thomas Rhett performs "Beautiful As You" during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Thomas Rhett performs "Beautiful As You" during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Kyle Sanders performs during Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Thomas Rhett performs "Beautiful As You" during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Chris Stapleton accepts the award for male artist of the year during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Jordan Davis, left, and Carin Leon present the award for male artist of the year during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Gwen Stefani, left, and Blake Shelton perform "Purple Irises" during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Host Reba McEntire speaks during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Chris Stapleton accepts the award for male artist of the year during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Randy Travis, left, and Clay Walker present the award for song of the year during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Lainey Wilson performs a medley during the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Lainey Wilson arrives at the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Bunnie XO arrives at the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Jelly Roll, left, and Bunnie XO arrive at the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Kendra Slaubaugh, left, and Krista Slaubaugh of Tigirlily Gold arrives at the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Jelly Roll arrives at the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Michael Trotter Jr., left, and Tanya Trotter of The War and Treaty arrive at the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

This combination of photos show, country musicians, from left, Luke Combs, Megan Moroney and Morgan Wallen. Combs leads the 2024 ACM Awards nominations with eight, and Moroney and Wallen are nominated for six each. (AP Photo)

Lainey Wilson arrives at the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Jelly Roll arrives at the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)