academy of country music awards
Lainey Wilson and Jessie Jo Dillon were named the winners of 2025 ACM Awards in the two songwriting categories on Thursday (May 8), ahead of tonight’s telecast. Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert presented Wilson with the artist-songwriter of the year award in a backstage surprise. Kelsea Ballerini presented Dillon with the songwriter of the year […]
The 2025 ACM Awards will open with 12 straight minutes of music highlighting ACM Award-winning Songs of the Year from across six decades. The segment will feature Clint Black, Dan + Shay, Wynonna Judd, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes and Sugarland.
Four of those artists popularized songs that won ACM Awards for song of the year, so you’re very likely to hear these songs in that medley – Dan + Shay’s “Tequila,” The Judds’ “Why Not Me,” Rimes’ “Blue” and Sugarland’s “Stay.”
Trending on Billboard
The show will also feature collaborative performances by Jelly Roll & Shaboozey; Backstreet Boys & Rascal Flatts; and Brooks & Dunn with Cody Johnson. Jelly and Shaboozey performed together at last weekend’s Stagecoach Festival in Indio, Calif. Backstreet Boys were also on the bill for the three-day festival.
Megan Moroney, the ACM’s 2024 winner for new female artist of the year, will also join this year’s star-packed show.
Hosted by 16-time ACM Award-winner McEntire, the 60th ACM Awards will stream live for a global audience on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The show will be expanded from two to two-and-a-half hours.
This will be the 18th time McEntire has hosted or co-hosted the ACM Awards. She first co-hosted the show in 1986 with John Schneider and the late Mac Davis. McEntire is fast closing in on Bob Hope’s record as the most frequent host of any major awards show. Hope hosted or co-hosted the Oscars 19 times between 1940 and 1978.
Previously announced performers are Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton, Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert, as well as Ella Langley and Zach Top, who were announced last week as the winners of new female and male artist of the year.
The ACM have not yet announced whether The Red Clay Strays, the winner of the ACM Award for new duo/group of the year, will perform, but it would be a good bet.
Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner of the 2025 ACM Awards, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music, and Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as executive producers for Dick Clark Productions. John Saade will also continue to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
Kapoor is among the most successful executive producers in TV. He has served in that capacity on the last four Grammy telecasts (alongside Ben Winston and Jesse Collins) and the last two Oscar telecasts (alongside Katy Mullan).
This year’s show is presented by Carnival Cruise Line. A limited number of tickets to the show are available for purchase on SeatGeek.
Established in 1966, the Academy of Country Music Awards is the longest-running country music awards show. The ACMs made history in 2022 as the first major awards ceremony to exclusively livestream, in collaboration with 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.
The Red Clay Strays were notified that they had won the ACM Award for new duo or group of the year on Monday (April 28) while recording with producer Dave Cobb in Savannah, Ga. Cobb also produced their first major-label album, Made by These Moments, which reached No. 9 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 29 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
The news was revealed to the band by the winningest artist in ACM history, Miranda Lambert, via a congratulatory phone call. Lambert previously informed Ella Langley of her win for new female artist of the year.
Trending on Billboard
Restless Road and Treaty Oak Revival were the other nominees for new duo or group of the year. This was the second nomination in the category for Restless Road, which means they cannot compete in this category again. Because the major country music awards shows allow artists two nominations in new artist categories, Treaty Oak Revival can.
The Red Clay Strays are also nominated for group of the year, where they are squaring off with Flatland Cavalry and three past winners in the category – Little Big Town, Old Dominion and Rascal Flatts.
The Red Clay Strays won emerging artist of the year at the 2024 Americana Music Honors & Awards. They were nominated for vocal group of the year at the 2024 CMA Awards.
The group has had some big breaks, including having a song (“Caddo County”) on the best-selling Twisters: The Album, and opening selected dates on The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds tour.
Hailing from Mobile, Alabama, the band is comprised of Brandon Coleman (lead vocals, guitar), Drew Nix (guitar and vocals), Zach Rishel (guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass), John Hall (drums), and Sevans Henderson (keys).
Langley and Zach Top, the winner for new male artist of the year, are set to perform on the 60th ACM Awards. The Red Clay Strays will probably also join the line-up of performers, though for now we are told only that they “will be celebrated” on the show.
The 60th ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will stream live exclusively for a global audience on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. A limited number of tickets to the landmark 60th ACM Awards are available for purchase on SeatGeek.
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.
Ella Langley received her first Academy of Country Music Award, for new female artist of the year, on Friday afternoon (April 25). While onstage for her set at Rock the Country in Knoxville, Tennessee, Langley received the news via a congratulatory video from Miranda Lambert, the winningest artist in ACM history.
It was hardly a surprise because Langley was the most-nominated artist for the upcoming 60th ACM Awards, with eight nods. None of the other nominees for new female artist of the year – Kassi Ashton, Ashley Cooke, Dasha and Jessie Murph – had more than that one nomination.
Trending on Billboard
“I’m here to tell you how proud I am of you for being the top nominated artist for the Academy of Country Music Awards this year,” Lambert said in the video. “You are my friend, first and foremost, a fellow dog rescue advocate, you are a co-writer, you are my soul sister in country music and a partner in crime. We are gonna celebrate so big in Dallas, Texas! They ain’t even ready!”
Lambert won in that same category in 2007 – one year after Carrie Underwood took the prize, and one year before Taylor Swift did. (A pretty good run, there.)
This was the second nomination in the new female artist of the year category for both Ashton and Cooke, which means they cannot be nominated in the category again. Dasha and Murph can be, due to the generous policy at both the ACM and CMA Awards whereby new artists can be nominated twice in the category.
Langley, 25, is also nominated for female artist of the year and in four categories for “you look like you love me,” her breakthrough hit featuring Riley Green. The sexy duet is nominated for single of the year, song of the year, music event of the year and visual media of the year. Langley is nominated as both artist and songwriter in the song of the year category and as both artist and director in visual media of the year.
“you look like you love me” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, No. 7 on Hot Country Songs and No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. Langley co-wrote all of the songs on her debut album, hungover, which reached No. 11 on Top Country Albums and No. 49 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
Zach Top was presented with the award for new male artist of the year on Thursday. The ACM has yet to present the award for new duo or group of the year. The nominees are Restless Road, The Red Clay Strays and Treaty Oak Revival.
Langley will be celebrated for her win at the 60th ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire. The show will stream live for a global audience on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. A limited number of tickets are available for purchase on SeatGeek.
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.
The Academy of Country Music revealed the winners of the ACM Radio Awards bright and early on Thursday (April 17). Ella Langley, this year’s top nominee at the upcoming 60th ACM Awards with eight nominations, called the radio on-air personalities and radio stations to surprise them with the news of their ACM Awards.
Winners announced include multiple first-time honorees. In the On-Air categories, first-time winners include: Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase of Crook & Chase Countdown for National Weekly On-Air Personality of the Year; Josh Holleman, Rachael Hunter, and Steve Grunwald of Josh, Rachael and Grunwald in the Morning for Major Market On-Air Personality of the Year; Joey Tack and Nancy Barger of Joey & Nancy for Medium Market On-Air Personality of the Year; and Mel McCrae of The Cat Pak Morning Show for Small Market On-Air Personality of the Year.
Among radio stations, WIVK in Knoxville, Tenn. won Radio Station of the Year, Medium Market for the ninth time, a longer winning streak than any of this year’s other winners.
Trending on Billboard
The 60th ACM Awards are set to take place on Thursday, May 8 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas and streaming exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Video. Reba McEntire is set to host the show, which will feature performances by Blake Shelton, Eric Church, and Lainey Wilson, with more to be named. A limited number of tickets to the 60th ACM Awards are available now at SeatGeek.
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music, and Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as executive producers for DCP. John Saade will also continue to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
Here’s a complete list of the 2025 ACM Radio Award winners, with a notation indicating how many times each has won in this category.
On-Air Personality of the Year Winners
National Daily: Big D, Bubba | Big D & Bubba (fourth wins)
National Weekly: Lorianne Crook, Charlie Chase | Crook & Chase Countdown (first wins)
Major Market: Josh Holleman, Rachael Hunter, Steve Grunwald | Josh, Rachael and Grunwald in the Morning – WYCD – Detroit, Mich. (first wins)
Large Market: Big Dave, Stattman | The Big Dave Show – WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio (fourth win, third win, respectively)
Medium Market: Joey Tack, Nancy Barger | Joey & Nancy – WIVK – Knoxville, Tenn. (first wins)
Small Market: Brent Lane, Mel McCrae | The Cat Pak Morning Show – WYCT – Pensacola, Fla. (third win, first win, respectively).
Radio Station of the Year Winners
Major Market: KYGO – Denver, Colo. (second win)
Large Market: WQDR – Raleigh, N.C. (fourth win)
Medium Market: WIVK – Knoxville, Tenn. (ninth win)
Small Market: WXBQ – Bristol, Va. (second win)
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.
Ella Langley is the leading nominee for the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards. Six of her eight nods are for “you look like you love me,” her hit collaboration with Riley Green – single of the year, music event of the year, song of the year (as both artist and songwriter) and visual media of the year (as both artist and director).
The sexy duet won musical event of the year at the CMA Awards in November. It reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, No. 7 on Hot Country Songs and No. 30 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. Langley, 25, is also nominated for both female artist of the year and new female artist of the year.
Trending on Billboard
Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson are close behind with seven nods. Chris Stapleton has six. Green and Post Malone each have five. Kelsea Ballerini has four, including her first nod for entertainer of the year.
Other artists who break into marquee categories for the first time include Muscadine Bloodline, nominated for duo of the year, and The Red Clay Strays, nominated for group of the year. The latter act is nominated for two awards, more than any other ongoing group or duo this year.
Zach Top’s debut album, Cold Beer & Country Music, is nominated for album of the year. This marks the first time a debut album has been in the running for that top honor since 2016, when Stapleton’s Traveller and Sam Hunt’s Montevallo were both nominated. (Traveller won.)
Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Wallen, is nominated for single of the year, alongside “you look like you love me.” It’s the second time in three years that two collaborative hits have been nominated in this category in the same year. “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” by Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde and “Thank God” by Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown were both nominated in 2023.
Many of last year’s winners are back to defend in those same categories, including Wilson, last year’s winner for both entertainer of the year and female artist of the year; Stapleton (male artist of the year), Dan + Shay (duo of the year), Old Dominion (group of the year) and Jessie Jo Dillon (songwriter of the year).
This is the sixth year in a row that Luke Combs has been nominated for both male artist of the year and entertainer of the year. He has yet to win in the latter category. If he finally brings it home this year, he’ll clinch the ACM’s Triple Crown Award, which consists of wins in the appropriate new artist and artist categories as well as entertainer of the year. Combs won new male artist of the year in 2019 and male artist of the year the following year. Past ACM Triple Crown Award recipients include Wilson, Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney.
Little Big Town receives its 19th nomination for group of the year, which is just one shy of tying Alabama’s long-held record for the most nods in the history of the category. Little Big Town landed its first nomination in the category in 2006, the same year Alabama landed its 20th and last. (Neither act won that year. The award went to Rascal Flatts.)
Rascal Flatts is nominated for group of the year for the 13th time, and for the first time since 2017.
Old Dominion is nominated for group of the year for the 10th consecutive year. The group has taken home the award every year for the last seven years. If they win again this year, they will surpass Rascal Flatts for the most wins in the category. (If Rascal Flatts wins, they, and not Old Dominion, will become the winningest group in the history of the category.)
Brooks & Dunn is nominated for duo of the year for the 16th time. They won in that category at the CMA Awards in November, beating recent category favorites Dan + Shay and Brothers Osborne. Dan + Shay are nominated for duo of the year at the ACM Awards for the 12th year in a row. Brothers Osborne is in the running for the 11th year in a row.
Stapleton receives his 10th consecutive nomination for male artist of the year, an award he has won four times. Stapleton is also nominated for entertainer of the year for the seventh time.
Kacey Musgraves receives her ninth nomination for female artist of the year. She won in 2019. Ballerini is nominated for the eighth time. She has yet to win in that category.
Bailey Zimmerman, who was nominated for new male artist of the year two years ago, is a finalist in that category again this year. (ACM rules allow artists two tries at newcomer awards.) Kassi Ashton and Ashley Cooke are both nominated for new female artist of the year for the second year in a row. Restless Road is nominated for new duo or group of the year for the second year in a row.
Charlie Handsome is competing with himself for album of the year. He is nominated as a producer of both Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken and Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion. Similarly, Dustin Haney is competing with himself for visual media of the year, as the producer/director of Cody Johnson’s “Dirt Cheap” and the director of Johnson & Carrie Underwood’s “I’m Gonna Love You.”
Alysa Vanderheym, a songwriter and producer best known for her work with Ballerini, makes history as the first woman to receive an ACM nomination for producer of the year. Women producers are slowly but surely making inroads in this male-dominated field. At this year’s Grammys, Alissia Benveniste (who goes by just her first name), became the first woman in six years to receive a nod for producer of the year, non-classical. Her credits included work with Jamila Woods, Rae Khalil and BJ the Chicago Kid.
The eligibility period for the 60th ACM Awards was Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2024. Awards are voted on by members of the Academy of Country Music, which has more than 5,000 members. In five categories, an artist may receive more than one nomination if they are also credited as a producer, director or songwriter.
Hosted by Reba McEntire, the 60th ACM Awards will stream live exclusively on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Tex. A limited number of tickets to the 60th ACM Awards are available for purchase on Seat Geek.
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music, and Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as executive producers for DCP. John Saade will also continue to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
The following is the full list of nominees for the Main Awards, the Studio Recording Awards and the Industry Awards categories:
Entertainer of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Female Artist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson
Male Artist of the Year
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Muscadine Bloodline
The War and Treaty
Group of the Year
Flatland Cavalry
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
The Red Clay Strays
New Female Artist of the Year
Kassi Ashton
Ashley Cooke
Dasha
Ella Langley
Jessie Murph
New Male Artist of the Year
Gavin Adcock
Shaboozey
Zach Top
Tucker Wetmore
Bailey Zimmerman
New Duo or Group of the Year
Restless Road
The Red Clay Strays
Treaty Oak Revival
Album of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
Am I Okay? (I’ll Be Fine) – Megan Moroney; producer: Kristian Bush; Columbia Records / Sony Music Nashville
Beautifully Broken – Jelly Roll; producers: BazeXX, Brock Berryhill, Zach Crowell, Devin Dawson, Charlie Handsome, Ben Johnson, mgk, The Monsters & Strangerz, Austin Nivarel, SlimXX, Ryan Tedder, Isaiah Tejada, Alysa Vanderheym; BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville / Republic Records
Cold Beer & Country Music – Zach Top; producer: Carson Chamberlain; Leo33
F-1 Trillion – Post Malone; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson; producer: Jay Joyce; BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville
Single of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey; producers: Sean Cook, Nevin Sastry; American Dogwood / EMPIRE
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; producer: Trent Willmon; CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
“White Horse” – Chris Stapleton; producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton; Mercury Nashville
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Will Bundy; SAWGOD / Columbia Records
Song of the Year
Awarded to songwriter(s)/publisher(s)/artist(s)
“4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson; songwriters: Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere, Lainey Wilson; publishers: Louisiana Lady; One Tooth Productions; Reservoir 416; Songs of One Riot Music; Sony/ATV Accent
“The Architect” – Kacey Musgraves; songwriters: Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves, Josh Osborne; publishers: Songs for Indy and Owl; Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; songwriter: Josh Phillips; publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing; Write or Die Music; Write the Lightning Publishing
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; songwriters: Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith, Morgan Wallen, Chandler Paul Walters, Ryan Vojtesak; publishers: Bell Ear Publishing; Master of my Domain Music; Poppy’s Picks; Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing; Universal Music Corporation
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; songwriters: Riley Green, Ella Langley, Aaron Raitiere; publishers: Back 40 Publishing International; Langley Publishing; One Tooth Productions; Sony/ATV Tree; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp
Music Event of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
“Cowboys Cry Too” – Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan; producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan, Alysa Vanderheym; Black River Entertainment
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
“I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood; producer: Trent Willmon; CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville
“we don’t fight anymore” – Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton; producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce; Big Machine Records
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Will Bundy; SAWGOD / Columbia Records
Visual Media of the Year
Awarded to producer(s)/director(s)/artist(s)
“4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson; producer: Jennifer Ansell; director: Dano Cerny
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; producer: Dustin Haney; director: Dustin Haney
“I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood; producers: Christen Pinkston, Wesley Stebbins-Perry; director: Dustin Haney
“Think I’m In Love With You” – Chris Stapleton; producers: Wes Edwards, Angie Lorenz, Jamie Stratakis; director: Running Bear (Stephen Kinigopoulos, Alexa Stone)
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Whale Tale Music; directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney
Artist-Songwriter of the Year
Luke Combs
ERNEST
HARDY
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Songwriter of the Year
Jessi Alexander
Jessie Jo Dillon
Ashley Gorley
Chase McGill
Josh Osborne
Producer of the Year
Dave Cobb
Ian Fitchuk
Charlie Handsome
Jon Randall
Alysa Vanderheym
Audio Engineer of the Year
Brandon Bell
Drew Bollman
Josh Ditty
Buckley Miller
F. Reid Shippen
Bass Player of the Year
J.T. Cure
Mark Hill
Rachel Loy
Tony Lucido
Craig Young
Drummer of the Year
Fred Eltringham
Tommy Harden
Evan Hutchings
Aaron Sterling
Nir Z
Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year
Tim Galloway
Todd Lombardo
Mac McAnally
Bryan Sutton
Ilya Toshinskiy
Piano/Keyboards Player of the Year
Dave Cohen
Ian Fitchuk
Billy Justineau
Gordon Mote
Alex Wright
Specialty Instrument Player of the Year
Dan Dugmore
Jenee Fleenor
Josh Matheny
Justin Schipper
Kristin Wilkinson
Electric Guitar Player of the Year
Kris Donegan
Jedd Hughes
Brent Mason
Sol Philcox-Littlefield
Derek Wells
Casino of the Year – Theater
Deadwood Mountain Grand – Deadwood, S.D.
Foxwoods Resort Casino – Mashantucket, Conn.
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort – Cherokee, N.C.
The Theater at Virgin Hotels – Las Vegas, Nev.
Yaamava’ Theater – Highland, Calif.
Casino of the Year – Arena
Golden Nugget Lake Charles – Lake Charles, La.
Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena – Atlantic City, N.J.
Harveys Lake Tahoe – Stateline, Nev.
Mystic Lake Casino Showroom – Prior Lake, Minn.
Turning Stone Resort Casino – Verona, N.Y.
Festival of the Year
C2C Country to Country – London
CMC Rocks – Ipswich, Queensland
Stagecoach Festival – Indio, Calif.
Two Step Inn – Georgetown, Tex.
Windy City Smokeout – Chicago
Fair/Rodeo of the Year
Calgary Stampede – Calgary, Alberta
California Mid-State Fair – Paso Robles, Calif.
Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, Wy.
Minnesota State Fair – Falcon Heights, Minn.
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – Houston
Club of the Year
Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, Tex.
Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville
Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, Okla.
Georgia Theatre – Athens, Ga.
Joe’s on Weed St. – Chicago
Theater of the Year
The Caverns – Pelham, Tenn.
MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston
The Met Philadelphia – Philadelphia
The Rave/Eagles Club – Milwaukee, Wisc.
Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, Tenn.
Outdoor Venue of the Year
BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, N.H.
CMAC – Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center – Canandaigua, N.Y.
Saint Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, Fla.
The Wharf Amphitheater – Orange Beach, Ala.
Whitewater Amphitheater – New Braunfels, Tex.
Arena of the Year
Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, Tex.
Moody Center – Austin, Tex.
TD Garden – Boston
Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center – Knoxville, Tenn.
Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
Deana Baker
Bobby Clay
Gil Cunningham
Weston Hebert
Stacy Vee
Taylor Williamson
Promoter of the Year
Brent Fedrizzi
Alex Maxwell
Patrick McDill
Anna-Sophie Mertens
Rich Schaefer
Aaron Spalding
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.
Blake Shelton, Eric Church and Lainey Wilson are the first performers to be named for the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards. Hosted by Reba McEntire, the 60th ACM Awards will stream live exclusively on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
Shelton, a five-time ACM Awards co-host, will perform his current hit, the highly apropos “Texas.” The song is currently in the top 20 on both Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay. Shelton is set to release his 13th studio album, For Recreational Use Only, on May 9, the day after the ACM Awards. This will mark Shelton’s first album for BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville, following a long and successful run on Warner Music Nashville. Shelton co-hosted the ACM Awards in 2011-12 with McEntire and from 2013-15 with Luke Bryan.
Trending on Billboard
Church will perform on the heels of the release of his eighth studio album Evangeline Vs. The Machine, which is due May 2, six days before the show date.
Wilson will perform one year after winning the ACM’s top honor, Entertainer of the Year. Her fifth studio album, Whirlwind, was released in August. It reached No. 3 on Top Country Albums and No. 8 on the Billboard 200, both career highs for the artist.
Nominations for the 60th ACM Awards will be announced on Thursday (March 27). Additional performers, presenters and ACM Awards week will be announced in the coming weeks.
Established in 1966, the ACM Awards is the longest-running country music awards show. The Country Music Association Awards launched the following year. In 2022, the ACM Awards became the first major awards ceremony to exclusively livestream, in collaboration with Prime Video.
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music, and Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as executive producers for DCP. John Saade will also continue to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
This year’s ACM Awards will celebrate six decades of country music. A limited number of tickets to the show are available for purchase on SeatGeek.
DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldridge. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.
The Academy of Country Music has announced ACM Radio Awards nominees for the 60th ACM Awards, including double nominations for KCLR-FM in Columbia, Mo.; WHKO-FM in Dayton, Ohio; WIVK-FM in Knoxville, Tenn.; WQDR-FM in Raleigh, N.C.; WSIX-FM in Nashville; WUSN-FM in Chicago; WUSY-FM in Chattanooga, Tenn.; and WYCT-FM in Pensacola, Fla.
Winners of the ACM Radio Awards will be announced ahead of the 60th ACM Awards and celebrated during ACM Awards week.
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards will be held on Thursday, May 8 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Tex., and stream live on Prime Video. Reba McEntire will once again host the show. This will mark the 18th time McEntire has hosted or co-hosted the ACM Awards, placing her just one show behind Bob Hope as the most frequent host of any major awards show. Hope hosted or co-hosted the Oscars 19 times between 1940 and 1978. McEntire first co-hosted the ACM Awards in 1986 (alongside Mac Davis and John Schneider), and first served as solo host in 2002.
Trending on Billboard
Tickets are available to purchase at ACMawards.com. ACM members and those who work in the country music industry can email ticketing@acmcountry.com for direct access to ACM Awards tickets.
The full list of 60th ACM Awards nominations will be announced in the coming weeks, as will performers, presenters and detailed plans for ACM Awards week events taking place around the Dallas area.
The 60th ACM Awards marks a return to Frisco, Tex., for the third consecutive year. Ford Center at The Star in Frisco opened in 2016 and serves as the practice facility for the Dallas Cowboys, as well as the home for many major sporting events throughout the year.
The 2024 show, also hosted by McEntire, was a two-hour concert event that streamed live globally on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner. Kapoor was one of three executive producers of the 2025 Grammy Awards on Feb. 2 (along with Jesse Collins and Ben Winston) and one of two executive producers of the 2025 Oscars on March 2 (along with Katy Mullen). Kapoor has received eight Primetime Emmy nominations, winning in 2022 as an executive producer of Adele: One Night Only, which was voted outstanding variety special (pre-recorded).
Patrick Menton serves as co-executive producer of the ACM Awards. Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as executive producers for DCP, and Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the ACM. John Saade will serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
Here’s a complete list of the 60th ACM Radio Awards nominees:
National Daily On-Air Personality of the Year
Ashley Till, Y2Kountry with Ashley Till
Big D, Bubba, Big D & Bubba
Buzz Brainard, Nick Ultra, The Music Row Happy Hour with Buzz Brainard
Cody Alan, Highway Mornings with Cody Alan
Patrick Thomas, PickleJar Up All Night
National Weekly On-Air Personality of the Year
Kelleigh Bannen, Today’s Country Radio
Lorianne Crook, Charlie Chase, Crook & Chase Countdown
Steve Harmon, Country Gold with Steve Harmon
Wayne D, Tay Hamilton, iHeartCountry House Party
Whitney Allen, The Big Time Saturday Night
On-Air Personality of the Year – Major Market
The Lo Show – Lo Sessions, KKBQ-FM, Houston
The Morning Wolfpack with Matt McAllister – Matt McAllister, Gabe Mercer, “Captain Ron” Koons, KKWF-FM, Seattle
John and Tammy: San Diego’s Morning Show, John Flint, Tammy Lee, KSON-FM, San Diego
The Scotty Kay Show – Scotty Kay, WUSN-FM, Chicago
Josh, Rachael and Grunwald in the Morning – Josh Holleman, Rachael Hunter, Steve Grunwald, WYCD-FM, Detroit
On-Air Personality of the Year – Large Market
Heather Froglear – Heather Froglear, KFRG-FM, Riverside, Calif.
Deb & Matt in the Morning – Deborah Honeycutt, Matt Malone, WFMS-FM, Indianapolis
Wayne D and Tay – Wayne D, Tay Hamilton, WSIX-FM, Nashville
The Big Dave Show – Big Dave, Stattman, WUBE-FM, Cincinnati
The Q Morning Crew with Mike and Amanda – Amanda Daughtry, Mike Wheless, WQDR-FM, Raleigh, N.C.
On-Air Personality of the Year – Medium Market
The Bee Morning Coffee Club – TJ Sharp, Bo Jaxon, Hope Breen, WBEE-FM, Rochester, N.Y.
New Country Mornings with Nancy and Woody – Nancy Wilson, Aaron Woods, WHKO-FM, Dayton, Ohio
Joey & Nancy – Joey Tack, Nancy Barger, WIVK-FM, Knoxville, Tenn.
Julie and DJ in the Morning – Julie Kansy, Dale Sellers, WPCV-FM, Lakeland, Fla.
Mo & StyckMan – Mo, StyckMan, WUSY-FM, Chattanooga, Tenn.
On-Air Personality of the Year – Small Market
Hilley & Hart – Kevin Hilley, Erin Hart, KATI-FM, Jefferson City, Mo.
Liz & Scotty in the Morning – Liz DelGrosso, Scotty Cox, KCLR-FM, Columbia, Mo.
Ben & Arnie – Ben Butler, Arnie Andrews, WCOW-FM, Sparta, Wisc.
The Dr. Shane and Tess Show – Dr. Shane, Tess, WPAP-FM, Panama City, Fla.
The Cat Pak Morning Show – Brent Lane, Mel McCrae, WYCT-FM, Pensacola, Fla.
Radio Station of the Year – Major Market
KSCS-FM, Dallas-Fort Worth
KYGO-FM, Denver
WMZQ-FM, Washington, D.C.
WPOC-FM, Baltimore
WUSN-FM, Chicago
Radio Station of the Year – Large Market
KNCI-FM, Sacramento, Calif.
WDSY-FM, Pittsburgh, Pa.
WGH-FM, Virginia Beach, Va.
WQDR-FM, Raleigh, N.C.
WSIX-FM, Nashville
WWKA-FM, Orlando
Radio Station of the Year – Medium Market
KUZZ-FM, Bakersfield, Calif.
KXKT-FM, Omaha, Neb.
WHKO-FM, Dayton, Ohio
WIRK-FM, West Palm Beach, Fla.
WIVK-FM, Knoxville, Tenn.
WLFP-FM, Memphis, Tenn.
WUSY-FM Chattanooga, Tenn.
Radio Station of the Year – Small Market
KCLR-FM, Columbia, Mo.
KFGE-FM, Lincoln, Neb.
WKML-FM, Fayetteville, N.C.
WXBQ-FM, Bristol, Va.
WYCT-FM, Pensacola, Fla.
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Corporation. PMC is also the parent company of Billboard.
Lainey Wilson and Chris Stapleton were the top winners at the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards, which were presented on Thursday (May 16) at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
Stapleton won four awards, more than anyone else, but Wilson won the top prize, entertainer of the year. Luke Combs and Jordan Davis each won two awards. (Under ACM rules, artists can win two awards in a few categories – one as an artist and one as producer or songwriter.)
Morgan Wallen was shut out, despite receiving six nods.
Trending on Billboard
Wilson won entertainer of the year two years after winning the ACM Award for new female artist of the year. That’s the fastest climb from a new artist award to entertainer of the year at the ACMs since The Chicks, then called Dixie Chicks, also made the advance in just two years. That female trio was named new group or duo in 1999 and won entertainer of the year in 2001.
Wilson thus achieves what the ACM calls the Triple Crown. She won new female artist of the year two years ago and female artist of the year last year. Wilson repeated in the latter category this year. She’s the first artist to win back-to-back awards in this category since Maren Morris in 2020-21.
Wilson also won music event of the year for the second year in a row. She won this year as a featured artist on Jelly Roll’s “Save Me.” She won last year as a featured artist on Hardy’s “Wait in the Truck.”
Stapleton won album of the year for the fourth time, a total equaled or exceeded only by Miranda Lambert, who has won five times in the category. Lambert won with five consecutive studio albums. Stapleton has won with four of his five solo studio albums. He missed only when From a Room, Vol. 2 lost to Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour. (He won two awards in this category, one as artist and one as co-producer.)
Stapleton won male artist of the year for the fourth time, just one shy of the all-time record of five wins shared by Merle Haggard, Brad Paisley and George Strait. Stapleton also won artist-songwriter of the year in the second year it was presented. Hardy was the inaugural winner last year. These awards up Stapleton’s ACM Awards trophy count to 20.
Combs’ “Fast Car” won single of the year. The crossover smash reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s the fourth winner in that category to reach No. 1 on No. 2 on Billboard’s flagship singles chart, following Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy” (the 1976 winner; No. 1); Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s “Islands in the Stream” (the 1984 winner; No. 1) and Lady A’s “Need You Now” (the 2010 winner, No. 2). Combs won two awards for the single, as artist and co-producer.
But Tracy Chapman did not win song of the year for writing “Fast Car,” as was expected. The Jordan Davis hit “Next Thing You Know” won instead in that category. Davis co-wrote the song with Chase McGill, Greylan James and Josh Osborne. It’s the second win in this category for Osborne, who co-wrote the Old Dominion hit “One Man Band,” which won four years ago. (Davis won two awards in this category – one as artist and one as a cowriter.)
Old Dominion won group of the year for the seventh year in a row. That equals Rascal Flatts’ run of seven consecutive wins from 2003-09.
Dan + Shay won duo of the year for the fourth time, equaling Brothers Osborne’s four-year reign for the recent ACM record. The all-time record is held by Brooks & Dunn and The Judds, with 16 wins.
Megan Moroney won new female artist of the year, while Nate Smith won new male artist of the year. Both were also nominated in those categories last year, but lost to Hailey Whitters and Zach Bryan, respectively. ACM rules give artists two attempts to take home the award.
Tigirlily Gold won in the revived category of new duo or group of the year. The award was last presented five years ago to LANCO. Tigirlily Gold, which consists of sisters Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh, is the second sister duo to win in this category. The first was The Kinleys, which consisted of Heather and Jennifer Kinley. They won in 1998. (The Kinleys were identical twins. The sisters of Tigirlily Gold are about 2-1/2 years apart in age.)
Jessie Jo Dillon won songwriter of the year. She’s the third woman to win in that category, following Hillary Lindsey (a three-time winner) and Lori McKenna.” Dillon’s win was no surprise. She was nominated for songwriter of the year, non-classical at the Grammy Awards earlier this year.
Parker McCollum’s “Burn It Down” won visual media of the year. Two years ago, McCollum won ACM new male artist of the year.
The show was produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldridge. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.
The line-up of performers and presenters for the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards is just about set, and the key word is collaboration. Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan will team up for a performance, as will Blake Shelton and wife Gwen Stefani and also Nate Smith featuring Avril Lavigne. In addition, Post Malone is booked for the show. He is expected to perform “I Had Some Help,” his new single featuring Morgan Wallen, though that has not yet been announced.
Presenters include Alabama (most awarded group in Academy history with 22 ACM Awards), Carin León (two-time Latin Grammy Award winner), Dion Pride (son of country legend Charley Pride), Rozene Pride (Pride’s widow), Richard Sherman (Super Bowl XLVIII Champion & Thursday Night Football analyst), Charissa Thompson (host, Thursday Night Football) and Randy Travis (11-time ACM Award-winning artist).
Trending on Billboard
Hosted by 16-time ACM Award-winner Reba McEntire, the ACM Awards will stream live for a global audience on Prime Video from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on Thursday (May 16) at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. A Prime membership will not be required to watch live. The full rebroadcast will be available directly following the stream on Prime Video and available the next day for free on Amazon Freevee and the Amazon Music app.
The ACM Awards will kick off with the Official ACM Awards Red Carpet Show hosted by Amber Anderson and Kelly Sutton (co-hosts, Country Heat Weekly podcast), Makho Ndlovu (host, Amazon Live), and Elaina D. Smith (host, Nights With Elaina), with Katie Neal (host, Katie & Company) serving as a correspondent from the carpet. Presented by Prime Video and Amazon Music, the Red Carpet Show will also feature a performance by Megan Moroney (this year’s most nominated female artist with six nods), and air on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Plus, Bobby Bones, five-time ACM Awards winner for national on-air personality of the year, will be featured throughout the night. His segment, “Backstage with Bobby Bones,” will showcase intimate artist interviews and special moments of the show.
Fans can also experience a week of pre-ACM livestream celebrations hosted by Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson courtesy of Amazon Music. Broadcasting live on the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, the festivities will kick off on Tuesday (May 14) at 9 p.m. ET with Live from the ACM Awards: ACM New Artist Winners Celebration from Tostitos Championship Plaza at The Star, which will feature musical performances and special guests, as well as the presentation of the ACM new male artist, new female artist, and new duo or group of the year.
On Wednesday (May 15) at 9 p.m. ET, fans will be able to stream Live from the ACM Awards: Backstage with Kelly & Amber. Amber and Kelly will also release three ACM-themed Country Heat Weekly podcasts on Thursdays, starting on May 9 with the duo’s interview with McEntire.
Fans can also stream the Official ACM Awards playlist available now on Amazon Music in celebration of this year’s nominees. Fans can listen to Country Music’s biggest stars directly on the Amazon Music app.
The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions. Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music, and Barry Adelman serves as executive producer for DCP. John Saade continues to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
Here are the performers and presenters for the 2024 ACM Awards. Any additional performers will be added to the list as they are announced.
Performers
Jason Aldean
Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan
Kane Brown
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Miranda Lambert
Post Malone
Parker McCollum
Reba McEntire
Thomas Rhett
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani
Nate Smith featuring Avril Lavigne
Chris Stapleton
Lainey Wilson
Presenters
Alabama
BRELAND
Tyler Cameron
Jordan Davis
Sara Evans
Carin León
Little Big Town
Ashley McBryde
Dion and Rozene Pride
Noah Reid
Richard Sherman
Charissa Thompson
Randy Travis
Clay Walker