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With 16 Hot Country Songs No. 1s and 21 Country Airplay No. 1s, Keith Urban has been a force in country music in the 21st century. On Thursday (May 8) night’s ACM Awards broadcast, the Aussie legend was saluted with the Triple Crown Award. That award goes to an artist who has been named new artist of the year, artist of the year and entertainer of the year, which Urban has – making him just the 12th person to do so.
Before Urban took the stage to accept the award, Megan Moroney, Chris Stapleton and Brothers Osborne hit the stage of the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, to perform three of Urban’s many hits. Moroney sang an affecting, lovely version of “Stupid Boy,” with her voice in fine form as she delivered the bittersweet song. Chris Stapleton crooned “Blue Ain’t Your Color” as Urban and his wife, Nicole Kidman, held each other and swayed; Stapleton’s signature rasp suited the song beautifully, and Urban himself couldn’t help but sing along whenever the camera was on him. “We love you, Keith,” Stapleton said after he wrapped. Concluding the Triple Crown musical salute, Brothers Osborne rocked through “Where the Blacktop Ends,” ripping up the 2001 hit and ending the tribute on an energetic note.
Accepting the award, Urban thanked the Academy of Country Music and, of course, his wife. “I love you, babygirl,” he told the Oscar winner (and Babygirl star) as she looked on and smiled. “Our girls watching at home, Sunday and Faith, I love you both. I have a massive team I couldn’t possibly thank by name,” Urban said. Still, he made a point to shout out his behind-the-scenes players, noting that “there’s no such thing as a self-made man.” Additionally, ever the gentleman, he thanked Moroney, Stapleton and Brothers Osborne, as well as the other musicians on stage. “We’re gonna be out on tour by the end of the month!” he said before leaving.
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As Billboard’s Paul Grein noted in his exclusive on this year’s Triple Crown Award, Urban qualified by winning top new male vocalist in 2001, male vocalist of the year in 2005 and 2006. and entertainer of the year in 2019. Additionally, he’s the first singer to get the Triple Crown Award on the ACM Awards telecast since 2010.
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
Some of the world’s biggest country music stars descended on the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday (May 8) for the 2025 ACM Awards. This year’s ACM Awards is a big one, too, as the show is celebrating 60 years of country music excellence. As everyone from Reba McEntire, who hosted for the 18th time in her career, to ACM Triple Crown Award honoree Keith Urban rolled up, Billboard was there — and we’re giving viewers an exclusive look at all of the best snapshots from the official Boot Barn portrait studio.
Opening with 12 straight minutes of music honoring past song of the year winners, the 2025 ACM Awards featured performances from Clint Black, Dan + Shay, LeAnn Rimes, Little Big Town and Wynonna Judd, as well as collaborative showcases from Jelly Roll and Shaboozey, the Backstreet Boys and Rascal Flatts and Brooks & Dunn with Cody Johnson.
The ceremony was filled with awards, too, naturally. Ella Langley has the most nominations of anyone this year with eight, while Johnson, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton have six; Riley Green, Post Malone and Kelsea Ballerini each have multiple nods as well. Among the biggest-ticket prizes being given away are entertainer of the year, male and female artist of the year, best duo and song and album of the year. Alan Jackson was honored with a lifetime achievement award — one the Academy of Country Music introduced this year called the Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award, no less, and Keith Urban was saluted with the Triple Crown Award.
Below, see the best photos — the fabulous looks and dazzling smiles attendees wore at the 2025 ACM Awards.
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
Jelly Roll was living the dream on Thursday (May 8) when he performed “Heart of Stone,” the third single from his sophomore album, Beautifully Broken, at the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards held at at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas.
“I’m wide awake and I’m dreamin’/ Wonderin’ where and when I fell apart/ Oh, I fell apart/ I had enough of my demons/ Angels only meet you where you are,” he sang emotionally, his voice powerful, during the chorus from the track about some very dark days in his life. As he belted out the chorus, Bunnie XO, who is married to the country star, sang along in the audience. “And I’m in the dark/ Least for now, Lord, I ain’t losin’ hope/ That somehow you can make a heart of gold/ From this heart of stone.”
As the tune ended, Jelly pointed to the heavens and mouthed, “Thank you.” The cameras then shifted to Shaboozey, who stood alone as he began his new single, the two men’s collaboration “Amen,” off the “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” singer’s Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going. After the chorus, Jelly joined in as he walked through the crowd, giving Wynonna Judd a hug before he made his way onto the stage next to ‘Boozey to finish the upbeat tune as Keith Urban and Nicole kidman sang along from the audience.
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At the end of the Jelly and Shaboozey’s duet, the “Need a Favor” singer turned to his song partner, who turns 30 on Friday (May 9), and said, “Happy birthday, ‘Boozey!” before giving him a big hug.
Jelly Roll — who is nominated for entertainer of the year, male artist of the year and album of the year for his Billboard 200 chart-topper Beautifully Broken — spoke about “Heart of Stone” while appearing on The Jennifer Hudson Show in April. “I love the lyrics of this song,” he explained to the host, specifically pointing out the lyrics to the second verse. “When I hear ‘Lord, can you hear me? I’m shackled in these chains/ I’m haunted by the lies of every time I said I’d change.’ Wow, that just reminds me of all the times that I went and looked in the mirror and said, ‘I’m gonna be different today’ and I wasn’t different that day. … It still gives me goosebumps and it makes me want to stand up and do something about it. It makes me want to quit being a man that puts it off and start being a man that does it right now.”
Country icon and 16-time ACM Awards winner Reba McEntire is the host of the show; it is her 18th time helming the ceremony. The show streamed live on Amazon’s Prime Video.
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
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The first ever Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award was handed out at the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday (May 8). The award was given to — “You guessed it,” as host Reba McEntire quipped — country legend Alan Jackson, who also performed his 2003 Hot Country Songs-topping hit ballad “Remember When.” The […]
See how Billboard ranks every song on the new LP.
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The Academy of Country Music Awards kicked off its 60th ceremony with a medley performance of hit songs from throughout its six decades — spanning from the 1960s to the 2010s — with one of its preeminent contemporary power couples sharing a sweet moment in the crowd at its closing. “I’m proud to sing this […]
That’s some piglet! Jessie Murph had just the pal to help her get all the attention at the Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday (May 8) — her perfectly pink porcine pet, Wilbur! The little pig stole the show and posed for photos with numerous country stars while the “Blue Strips” singer made her […]