At the ACMs, the atmosphere crackled with excitement as Blake Shelton stepped onto the stage to perform his very first No. 1 hit, “Austin,” two decades after it took the charts by storm. The crowd erupted with cheers, transported back in time as the familiar notes echoed through the venue.

Shelton and Stefani were nominated for music event of the year for their No. 1 hit duet, ‘Nobody But You’

Blake Shelton gave old and newcomer fans alike a dose of his greatest hits during his performance at the ACM Awards on Sunday.

The 44-year-old fiancé of Gwen Stefani, 51, hit the ACM stage in Nashville and began his medley of hits with his debut single, “Austin,” a record which rewarded Shelton with his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart back in 2001.

Donning his signature blue jeans and a member’s only-style jacket over a simple blue collared shirt, the “Voice” judge then flipped the decades and turned to something a little more current and performed his latest single, “Minimum Wage,” which will appear on his forthcoming studio album, “Body Language,” on May 21.

“Best surprise @blakeshelton singing Austin #ACMAwards,” wrote one viewer along with a red heart-eyed emoji. “@blakeshelton Excellent performance on ACMs! Austin has always been a favorite. Congrats on 20 years!” said another fan.

Blake Shelton hits the red carpet at the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards at the Grand Ole Opry on April 18, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Jason Kempin/ACMA2021/Getty Images for ACM)
In addition to his flashback to nostalgia, Shelton and Stefani were also nominated for music event of the year for their No. 1 hit duet, “Nobody But You.” The award went to Carly Pearce and Lee Brice for their song, “I Hope You’re Happy Now.”

Shelton recently revealed that he’s hoping to wed Stefani before they get “sucked back in” to working on “The Voice.”

“Hopefully this summer,” he said last month on the “Today” show’s “Hoda & Jenna” segment. “I think we’re right here at the point with COVID, it looks like it might be OK, but I don’t know so that’s tentatively the plan.”