Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes had a glamorous date night at the milestone 60th ACM Awards on Thursday evening (May 8).
The Patterns superstar walked the red carpet in a shimmering gown paired with a black bra, color-coordinating with her boyfriend’s sleek black suit (Ballerini shared a few stunning photos on Instagram, where commenters gushed that they’re “obsessed” with the look). The couple smiled and posed with one another as they arrived at Country Music’s Party of the Year, paying tribute to six decades of country music. Sixteen-time ACM winner Reba McEntire returned to host the show for her 18th time — more than any other artist — at the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
Ballerini was one of many artists to take the stage throughout the evening. The singer-songwriter wore a dazzling jumpsuit to perform her fan-favorite single, “Baggage,” atop a pile of suitcases. Cameras captured Stokes smiling and singing along to Ballerini’s electrifying performance.
Ballerini and Stokes started talking when she slid into his DMs in December 2022 (she’s since shared the screenshot of the first message she sent him). They started dating the following month, quickly sparking romance rumors when Stokes posted a photo on Instagram sitting closely with the country artist. Ballerini confirmed the relationship in an interview on Call Her Daddy the following month. Ballerini has since thanked Stokes “for making me write love songs,” among other sweet tributes throughout their two-year relationship.