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Zach Top is receiving major backlash online following comments he made about sobriety during an appearance on Bert Kreischer’s Bertcast.
While sitting down with comedian Bert Kreischer, the country singer opened up about his days on the road and the lifestyle changes that have come with being a touring artist full-time. The conversation eventually shifted toward sobriety culture, where several of Top’s remarks quickly sparked criticism across social media.
Top explained that after he went from working construction to being a singer/songwriter in spring 2024, he began drinking more as a result off of having access to alcohol on his bus “24/7.”
Still, he insists he doesn’t “need” to drink but instead sees it as a “want” because it makes everyday moments more enjoyable.
“I don’t need it. I’m not waking up at a venue and having a beer at 10:00 AM because I need it. It’s because it’s like, oh it’s sunny out, we’re playing pickleball in the parking lot. Let’s have a beer while we’re doing it. And it just makes everything better in my mind.”
“It’s a little sparkle,” Kreischer noted.
Things took a more controversial turn when the Washington native shared his opinion on sobriety, calling it a “fad” and a “trendy thing right now” in today’s society with the growing number of people choosing to eliminate alcohol from their life. He went on to suggest that as long as people are able to keep themselves healthy, they can continue to drink all their life and be “fine.”
“The next person I hear say they got sober…It’s just like, I want to hit ‘em in the head. We don’t need that. Just be a normal guy and just drink a normal amount and you can do it all your life and you’re fine,” Top stated.
In his eyes, sobriety is all part of a “disease” going around that involves people doing stuff just to get recognition for it.
“There’s a difference between doing something just for the love of doing it and then doing it so that you can post a video and get a bunch of affirmation and a bunch of likes,” he shared. “And the affirmation and the likes are great. We all like that. It’s awesome. But you got to do it just for the love of doing it. And if you’re doing it for the love of doing it, you don’t have to talk about it as much with the sobriety thing and whatnot.”
Once the clip began to circulate the internet, the comments immediately drew backlash with many arguing that Top’s remarks dismissed the realities of addiction and sobriety struggles. Some pointed out that sobriety is often a personal decision necessary to improve mental health, to control substance abuse issues or even save a life, rather than simply being another social media trend.
One user wrote, “Can never knock someone for putting down alcohol and to stop poisoning their body. It’s the healthiest thing you can do.”
“Sobriety is the only thing keeping some people alive today, my friend. Don’t minimize what you haven’t lived through.”
“Zach Top just kinda lost his cool with this comment,” said an upset user.
Another person added, “Some of us can’t drink a normal amount… and that’s the problem I’m sober 11 years in Aug it’s not a fad!! It literally saved my life!!”
In addition to sharing his honest thoughts on drinking, Zach Top also discussed his smoking habits. While he admitted that cigarettes are “bad for you,” he doesn’t seem overly worried about them shortening his life, noting that he’s seen plenty of people who smoked their whole lives and still lived to be “100 years old.”
“I probably smoke five or six a day…I feel like I’ve tried to intentionally dial it back just a little bit because when I was working construction, I’d smoke a pack a day easy,” he shared. “I’d like to smoke cigarettes forever till I die when I’m a hundred…I think when the habit starts when it’s like you don’t actually want a cigarette or hit a nicotine, but it’s just the routine so you just do it. And so I’ve tried to just be like, no, just smoke it when you actually [want it]. That first one of the day with a cup of coffee or something, nothing feels like that.”
Top has become known for leaning into a more old-school country image, making it no surprise that he and his bandmates are often seen smoking cigarettes on stage while performing.
The country act is currently gearing up to launch the next leg of his 2026 “Cold Beer & Country Music Tour” with numerous dates scheduled across the U.S. and Canada through summer 2026. Plus, he is confirmed to perform at the 61st ACM Awards, airing this Sunday live on Prime Video from the MGM Grand Garden Arena at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT
He is headed into the star-studded night a nominee in the categories of Male Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for, ironically, an album titled “Ain’t In It For My Health,” as well as Single and Song of the year with “I Never Lie.”
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The 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards are almost here! Before Country Music’s biggest stars take over Las Vegas, here’s everything you need to know ahead of the big night.
Host
Shania Twain will host the ACM Awards for the very first time.
“I’m thrilled to be hosting the 61st ACM Awards in Las Vegas, a place that feels like home,” Twain shared. “It’s such an honor to be part of this incredible night celebrating Country Music’s biggest stars, especially with so many talented women leading nominations this year. I can’t wait to welcome all of the fans and artists out for this unforgettable night.”
Date and Location
The 2026 ACM Awards will take place on Sunday, May 17, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
How to Watch
The show will stream live exclusively on Prime Video for a global audience across more than 240 countries and territories beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT.
Presenters
This year’s presenters include Andrew Whitworth (Super Bowl champion and Thursday Night Football analyst), Ashley McBryde (three-time ACM Award-winning artist), Carl Edwards (NASCAR Hall of Famer), Corey LaJoie (NASCAR driver and Stacking Pennies podcast co-host), Keith Urban (2025 ACM Triple Crown Award recipient and 14-time ACM Award-winning artist), Lauren Alaina (ACM Award-winning artist), Michael Bublé (five-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist), Ryan Fitzpatrick (former NFL quarterback and Thursday Night Football analyst), Shaboozey (four-time ACM Award-nominated artist), The War And Treaty (Emmy Award-winning and three-time ACM Award-nominated duo), and TJ Osborne (member of seven-time ACM Award-winning duo Brothers Osborne).
Performers
The performance lineup includes Avery Anna, Blake Shelton, Carter Faith, Cody Johnson, Dan + Shay, Ella Langley, Jordan Davis, Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, Lee Ann Womack, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum, Riley Green, The Red Clay Strays, Thomas Rhett, Tucker Wetmore, and Zach Top.
Nominees
The nominees were announced in early April, with Megan Moroney, Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, and Lainey Wilson leading the pack. Chris Stapleton earned six nominations, followed by Zach Top with five and Cody Johnson with four. A full list of nominees can be viewed HERE.
Winners
Several winners have already been revealed ahead of the show, including Avery Anna (New Female Artist of the Year), Tucker Wetmore (New Male Artist of the Year), Stephen Wilson Jr. (Visual Media of the Year), and Jessie Jo Dillon (Songwriter of the Year). Additional winners will be announced during the live broadcast. We’ll be keeping track of the winners HERE.
The post Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 ACM Awards: Hosts, Performers, Nominees, and More appeared first on Country Now.
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