Ella Langley and Riley Green pose in the press room during the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards at The Ford Center at The Star on May 8, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
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And the ACM Award goes to …?
This Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the biggest names in Nashville and beyond compete for top honors at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards.
This year, women dominated the nominations. “Am I Okay?” singer Megan Moroney leads the 2026 field with nine nods. Miranda Lambert — the winningest artist in ACM Awards history — follows with eight nominations. Ella Langley — this year’s breakout star in country music and beyond — competes in seven categories; Langley is tied with Lainey Wilson, who also earned seven nominations.
The 2026 nominees for Entertainer of the Year — the show’s top prize — include Wilson and Moroney alongside Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen. Wilson won Entertainer of the Year in 2024 and 2025.
The list of nominees continues with Zach Top, Red Clay Strays, Reba McEntire, Kelsea Ballerini, Shaboozey and more.
Showrunners announced four winners — including New Male Artist and New Female Artist of the Year — ahead of Sunday’s primetime broadcast. New Female Artist of the Year went to Avery Anna, while Tucker Wetmore won New Male Artist of the Year.
Additional pre-show winners include Stephen Wilson Jr., who won Visual Media of the Year for his “Cuckoo” music video.
Sought-after Nashville hitmaker Jessie Jo Dillon also earned Songwriter of the Year honors for the third consecutive year.
The show kicks off at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST on Amazon Prime Video. Shania Twain hosts the ceremony; performers include Langley, Kacey Musgraves, Dan + Shay and more.
Read below for a full list of nominees and follow along throughout the ceremony for updated winners.
[Winners marked in bold.]
2026 ACM Awards Winners and Nominees
Entertainer of the Year
- Luke Combs
- Jelly Roll
- Cody Johnson
- Megan Moroney
- Chris Stapleton
- Morgan Wallen
- Lainey Wilson
Female Artist of the Year
- Kelsea Ballerini
- Miranda Lambert
- Ella Langley
- Megan Moroney
- Lainey Wilson
Male Artist of the Year
- Luke Combs
- Riley Green
- Cody Johnson
- Chris Stapleton
- Zach Top
Album of the Year
- Ain’t in It for My Health — Zach Top
- Cherry Valley — Carter Faith
- Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe) — Riley Green
- I’m the Problem — Morgan Wallen
- Parker McCollum — Parker McCollum
Song of the Year
- “A Song to Sing,” Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton (Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure)
- “Am I Okay?,” Megan Moroney (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, Jessie Jo Dillon)
- “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley (Ella Langley, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor)
- “I Never Lie,” Zach Top (Zach Top, Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols)
- “Somewhere Over Laredo,” Lainey Wilson (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Andy Albert, Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg)
Single of the Year
- “6 Months Later” by Megan Moroney
- “Choosin’ Texas” by Ella Langley
- “I Never Lie” by Zach Top
- “Somewhere Over Laredo” by Lainey Wilson
- “The Fall” by Cody Johnson
Group of the Year
- 49 Winchester
- Flatland Cavalry
- Old Dominion
- Rascal Flatts
- The Red Clay Strays
Duo of the Year
- Brooks & Dunn
- Brothers Osborne
- Dan + Shay
- Muscadine Bloodline
- Thelma & James
New Female Artist of the Year
- Avery Anna
- Mackenzie Carpenter
- Dasha
- Caroline Jones
- Emily Ann Roberts
New Male Artist of the Year
- Gavin Adcock
- Vincent Mason
- Shaboozey
- Hudson Westbrook
- Tucker Wetmore
Music Event of the Year
- “A Song to Sing” — Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton
- “Amen” — Shaboozey & Jelly Roll
- “Don’t Mind If I Do” — Riley Green feat. Ella Langley
- “Trailblazer” — Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson
- “You Had to Be There” — Megan Moroney & Kenny Chesney
Visual Media of the Year
- “6 Months Later” by Megan Moroney
- “A Song to Sing” by Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton
- “Cuckoo” by Stephen Wilson Jr.
- “Somewhere Over Laredo” by Lainey Wilson
- “The Fall” by Cody Johnson
Artist-Songwriter of the Year
- Ella Langley
- Luke Combs
- Megan Moroney
- Morgan Wallen
- Riley Green
Songwriter of the Year
- Jessie Jo Dillon
- Ashley Gorley
- Charlie Handsome
- Chase McGill
- Blake Pendergrass
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewleimkuehler/2026/05/14/acm-awards-2026-a-list-of-winners-and-nominees/
