Wilson is named ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year while Dillon earns her second ACM Songwriter of the Year Award
Yesterday (Wed, May 7th), the winners of the Artist-Songwriter of the Year and Songwriter of the Year categories were revealed in two special moments ahead of tonight’s (Thurs, May 8th) 60th Academy of Country Music Awards, which airs live at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT live from Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas.
As one of this year’s most-nominated artists, Lainey Wilson with seven, earned her first ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year Award in a backstage surprise from Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert. Having these leading ladies of country music surprise the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year with this honor couldn’t have been more fitting, as the moment arrived on the heels of the trio announcing their forthcoming collaboration, “Trailblazer,” which they plan to debut in a live performance during tonight’s 60th ACM Awards. Wilson, who penned this new track with Lambert and Brandy Clark, also co-wrote every track on her latest album, Whirlwind, a 14-track project that is not only nominated for the coveted ACM Album of the Year Award this year but also features her hit single “4x4xU,” which earned her two nominations in this year’s ACM Song of the Year category as a songwriter and artist. This marks Wilson’s 13th ACM Award win.
For the second year in a row, Jessie Jo Dillon earned the ACM Songwriter of the Year Award in an on-stage surprise from her frequent collaborator and ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee, Kelsea Ballerini, during ACM Country Kickoff. This honor arrives after Dillon co-penned multiple tracks on three of the five projects vying for Album of the Year at tonight’s 60th ACM Awards.
Wilson and Dillon join Zach Top, Ella Langley, and Riley Green as early winners. On April 24th, Zach Top was crowned ACM New Male Artist of the Year prior to taking the stage for a sold-out show on his Cold Beer & Country Music Tour in Wilmington, North Carolina. The news was revealed by the winningest duo in ACM history, Brooks & Dunn, through a special video congratulating Top for winning his first ACM Award. The next day, Langley was surprised with her first ACM Award after being named ACM New Female Artist of the Year during her Rock The Country set in Knoxville, Tennessee. The news was revealed through a special video from the winningest artist in ACM history, Miranda Lambert, congratulating Langley for winning her first ACM Award. Last week, Langley and Green were surprised on stage during Country Thunder in Florida when Reba “interrupted” the show via video to award the duo with ACM Visual Media of the Year for “You Look Like You Love Me.”
The 60th ACM Awards will stream live exclusively for a global audience across 240+ countries and territories on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, live from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys.
The celebration of 60 years of the ACM Awards will feature an opening you won’t want to miss, with 12 minutes straight of music highlighting ACM Songs of the Year from six decades in an all-star performance that brings together Clint Black, Dan + Shay, LeAnn Rimes, Sugarland, Reba McEntire, and Wynonna Judd. The milestone show will also feature a star-packed lineup of previously announced performers including Alan Jackson, Backstreet Boys, Blake Shelton, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Eric Church, Jelly Roll, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts, Shaboozey, and Zach Top. Country superstar Keith Urban will be honored with the coveted ACM Triple Crown Award. To celebrate, the monumental show will feature must-see performances of his chart-topping hits by Chris Stapleton, Megan Moroney, and Brothers Osborne.
Plus, five-time ACM Award-winner Bobby Bones has also been added to the ACM Awards show, where he will have multiple moments throughout the night with candid artist interviews.
This Emmy-nominated, star-powered experience will feature unprecedented performances, exclusive collaborations, and unexpected moments from the biggest Country Music stars of the past, present, and future, all while celebrating the genre’s most iconic and emerging talent. A limited number of tickets to the landmark 60th ACM Awards are available for purchase on SeatGeek, offering fans exclusive entry into a nonstop celebration packed with performances by their favorite country stars and seats closer to the action than ever.
