Lainey Wilson named ACM Entertainer of the Year with Ella Langley taking home the most wins with five
Tonight (Thurs, May 8th), the Academy of Country Music (ACM), Prime Video, and Dick Clark Productions (DCP) hosted the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards and celebrated industry luminaries as well as rising stars and recognized the year’s biggest accomplishments. Sixteen-time ACM Award-winning entertainment icon, Reba McEntire, hosted the nearly three-hour event, which streamed live for an international audience across 240+ countries and territories exclusively on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch from the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
The show opened with an electric 12-minute all-star set celebrating the 60th anniversary with live performances of ACM Songs of the Year from the past six decades, including Reba McEntire singing “Okie from Muskogee,” Clint Black singing “Rhinestone Cowboy,” Wynonna Judd singing “Why Not Me,” LeAnn Rimes singing “Blue,” Little Big Town singing “Girl Crush,” and Dan + Shay singing “Tequila.”
The Academy’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year, was awarded to Lainey Wilson, marking her second year in a row earning the coveted title. Ella Langley led the night in total wins with five awards, followed by Wilson with four wins. The show celebrated country music’s biggest stars and emerging talent and featured 16 show-stopping performances from 26 artists, including exclusive collaborations and legendary tributes that captivated fans worldwide.
Langley’s five wins make her the winningest artist at the 60th ACM Awards, a feat achieved in the first year of her receiving an ACM Award nomination. Her wins include ACM New Female Artist of the Year, as well as ACM Single of the Year, ACM Music Event of the Year, and ACM Visual Media of the Year (as an artist and producer) for her song “you look like you love me” with Riley Green. At the end of the night, Langley remarked she was “on cloud nine.”
Wilson’s win for ACM Entertainer of the Year marks her second year in a row winning the award, making her the third woman to win the award back-to-back (Taylor Swift in 2011 and 2012, Carrie Underwood in 2009 and 2010). This is also her third consecutive year winning ACM Female Artist of the Year and her second ACM Album of the Year win. Wilson’s win for ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year marks her first win in the category. Her four wins tonight bring her ACM Awards count to sixteen. When accepting her award for Female Artist of the Year, she thanked her fellow nominees for joining her on this “wild ride,” adding, “the girls are kicking down some barn doors—and I love it!”
Green took home three ACM Awards for his collaboration with Ella Langley on their song “You Look Like You Love Me,” including ACM Single of the Year, ACM Music Event of the Year, and ACM Visual Media of the Year. His three wins tonight bring his ACM Awards count to four.
Jackson received the inaugural Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements and enduring legacy in country music. With over 75 million records sold worldwide, more than 50 Top 10 hits, and 35 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Country charts, Jackson’s career has become a cornerstone of the genre. The namesake award will continue to recognize an iconic artist, duo, or group that has achieved both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, philanthropy, record sales, streaming numbers, and public representation.
Brooks & Dunn’s win for ACM Duo of the Year marks their first win in the category in 15 years and increases their win count to a record 17th win in the category – increasing their own record and bringing their ACM Award count to 31. When accepting the award, they expressed their heartfelt gratitude and thanked the audience for “paying [their] rent for the past 30 years.”
Old Dominion’s win for ACM Group of the Year marks their eighth consecutive win in the category, passing Rascal Flatts for the most consecutive wins in the category. Their win tonight brings Old Dominion’s ACM Awards count to ten.
Chris Stapleton’s win for ACM Male Artist of the Year marks the second year in a row he’s won the award, and his fifth time overall. He’s now one award shy of tying Merle Haggard for the most wins in the category.
Jessie Jo Dillon won ACM Songwriter of the Year, marking her second ACM Award after also earning the same title in 2024.
First time winners include Texas-native Cody Johnson who took home ACM Song of the Year for “Dirt Cheap,” Zach Top who won ACM New Male Artist of the Year, and The Red Clay Strays who won ACM New Duo or Group of the Year.
Chris Stapleton, Megan Moroney, and Brothers Osborne paid tribute to Keith Urban – who was honored with the coveted ACM Triple Crown Award – by covering some of his greatest hits, including “Stupid Boy,” “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” and “Where The Blacktop Ends,” during which Keith joined Brothers Osborne on stage.
The show featured exclusive collaborations, including Brooks & Dunn with Cody Johnson performing their hit “Red Dirt Road,” Jelly Roll and Shaboozey teaming up with a choir of sixteen for “Amen,” Miranda Lambert bringing Ella Langley onstage for a fiery rendition of “Kerosene” to celebrate the song’s 20th anniversary, and Rascal Flatts and Backstreet Boys collaborating for a jam-packed set that included “What Hurts the Most,” “I Dare You,” “Larger Than Life,” and “Life is a Highway.”
Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson debuted their new track, “Trailblazer,” together for the first time exclusively on the ACM stage.
The star-packed lineup also included individual performances by Alan Jackson (“Remeber When”), Blake Shelton (“Texas,” which hit No. 1 on the country charts earlier this week), Chris Stapleton (“It Takes a Woman”), Cody Johnson (“The Fall”), New Female Artist of the Year Winner Ella Langley (“weren’t for the wind”), Eric Church (“Hands of Time”), Jelly Roll (“Heart of Stone”), Kelsea Ballerini (“Baggage”), Lainey Wilson (“Whirlwind”), Miranda Lambert (“Run”), and New Male Artist of the Year Winner Zach Top (“Use Me”).
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Lainey Wilson
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Lainey Wilson
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Chris Stapleton
DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
GROUP OF THE YEAR
Old Dominion
NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ella Langley
NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Zach Top
NEW DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Red Clay Strays
ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson
Producer: Jay Joyce
Record Company-Label: BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville
SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
You Look Like You Love Me – Ella Langley, Riley Green
Producer: Will Bundy
Record Company-Label: SAWGOD / Columbia Records
SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson
Songwriter: Josh Phillips
Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing; Write or Die Music; Write the Lightning Publishing
VISUAL MEDIA OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
You Look Like You Love Me – Ella Langley, Riley Green
Producer: Will Bundy
Record Company-Label: SAWGOD / Columbia Records
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Jessie Jo Dillon
ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Lainey Wilson
MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
You Look Like You Love Me – Ella Langley, Riley Green
Producers: Will Bundy
Record Company-Label: SAWGOD / Columbia Records
