Awards
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Fans of the ACM Awards will get super-served at this year’s ceremony as the show, which had clocked in at two hours since moving to the commercial free Amazon’s Prime Video, will expand by 30 minutes.
“It was a long discussion with Amazon because we pride ourselves on the fact that we’re the only major awards show that clocks in at two hours and that’s a big consumer benefit for our show,” says Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside. “However, this year there’s so many things that we want to accomplish in the show because we want to give a proper nod to our history, but we still have a lot of business to take care of in terms of the current nominees as well, so we just felt like the extra time will allow us to do some special things. I don’t think viewers are going to be unhappy that we’re giving them an extra 30 minutes of really amazing content.”
Ella Langley leads all nominees with eight nods, which Whiteside sees as a sign of how current and fresh the ACM Awards are. “To have essentially a brand-new artist lead the nominations, especially in our 60th year, it’s almost like a full-circle thing, because we really pride ourselves on often being the first organization to honor a new artist,” Whiteside says. “It speaks to the fact that we’ve always been an organization that is very new artist forward.”
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Langley is followed by Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson, all of whom received seven nominations, with Chris Stapleton garnering six nods.
Whiteside also lauds Johnson’s seven nominations as “he just continues to grow and so it’s exciting to see him get acknowledged and, obviously, Morgan Wallen continues to be a juggernaut,” he says. He also enthuses over Kelsea Ballerini’s first nomination for entertainer of the year. “I can’t say enough about her and her journey and the way she continued to grow as an artist.”
Like Langley, a number of artists, including Dasha, Shaboozey, Red Clay Strays and Zach Top landed their first nominations this year. “It does feel like a really fresh crop of artists are getting recognized,” Whiteside says.
Beyoncé received no nominations, despite winning two country Grammys in February, including for country album of the year, just weeks before first-round ACM voting opened. “Were we hoping she’d be nominated? Absolutely,” Whiteside says. “We love that Beyoncé is in the country genre. That’s fantastic for all the country artists out there. It’s fantastic for the fans. The more successful she is, the more we’re bringing more mainstream people into the genre which we want.”
Unlike Grammy voters, who span all musical genres, the more than 5,000 ACM voters primarily make a living in country music and are mostly based in Nashville. “I think, more likely, they’re going to be voting for artists that they’ve got relationships with and work with on a regular basis and that are in the country music business 365,” Whiteside says, but adds, “We’d love to have Beyoncé on the show. She has an open invitation to be on the ACM stage anytime she ever wants to.”
As Whiteside, executive producer/show runner Raj Kapoor, and show producer dick clark productions work on the show, they are trying to strike the right balance between old and new. “It’s tough because we may have a really great idea on honoring this artist from the past, but then it’s like, ‘Well, that may take away a slot from a current artist’,” Whiteside says. So far, Wilson, Blake Shelton and Eric Church have been announced as performers. The three new artist winners-male, female and duo or group- who are announced in advance will also perform.
“It’s a little bit of a past/present/future approach,” Whiteside adds. “It’s going to be a really iconic night and a great way to look back and look forward and celebrate where we are right now as an industry.”
Plans around the ACM Awards are still being firmed up but will include free shows on the Star Plaza on May 6 and 7, as well as a Top Golf tee-off tournament on May 6, and an official after party following the awards.
With the Amazon deal and the contract with the Cowboys for the Frisco location both expiring this year, Whiteside says things could look very different next year depending upon if the deals aren’t renewed.
“For 2026, we may do a major pivot again and define what’s the future of the academy. This year is a very special year, but next year is going to be kind of turning the page,” he says. “It’ll be a fresh new year. We don’t know yet where we’ll be. We don’t know what [outlet] we’re going to be on. Everything’s a new day in 2026, so it’s going to be the evolution of the ACM Awards, but we’re excited about that because it’s a blank slate.”
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.
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are set to receive the 2025 ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award at the annual Chapin Awards Gala on June 4 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City.
The 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and longtime activists, who have been married since 1982, will become the second married couple to receive the award. Songwriting greats Nicholas Ashford & Valerie Simpson received it in 2010.
The Chapin Awards Gala will include a cocktail reception, dinner, and live music. Additional honorees will be announced in coming weeks.
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The event is a major fund-raiser for WhyHunger, a global nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger. Founded in 1975 by Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres, WhyHunger funds and supports community solutions to protect the human right to nutritious food.
“We are deeply honored to receive the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award and to stand alongside WhyHunger in their tireless fight to end hunger,” Benatar and Giraldo said in a joint statement. “Music has always been a powerful force for change, and we believe in using our voices not just to entertain, but to inspire action. WhyHunger’s mission aligns with our lifelong commitment to justice and equity, and we are proud to support their work in ensuring that nutritious food is a fundamental right for all.”
“As we celebrate WhyHunger’s 50th anniversary and reflect on our collective journey to end hunger and advance the human right to nutritious food, it’s important to uplift those who have helped lead the way,” Jenique Jones, WhyHunger’s executive director, said in a statement. “Honoring Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo with the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award is a testament to their unwavering commitment to social justice and their powerful influence in igniting change through music.”
Last year’s gala honored singer-songwriter Michael Franti for his music-driven activism, recognizing his work with his and his wife Sara’s non–profit, Do It for the Love.
Benatar won four consecutive Grammy Awards for best rock vocal performance, female from 1981-84 and charted 15 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She won three American Music Awards and a People’s Choice Award.
Chapin, a singer, songwriter and social activist, made a big impact in his life, which was tragically cut short when he was killed in a car crash in 1981 at age 38.
Chapin, who wrote and performed such pop/folk classics as “Cat’s in the Cradle” (a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974), “Taxi” and “W*O*L*D,” was an early music industry advocate for the world hunger movement. He co-founded WhyHunger a full decade before music industry titans came together as USA for Africa to record “We Are the World” in 1985. Chapin gave tirelessly gave of his time and talents to perform at benefits and events in support of a range of social causes. (On the afternoon he was killed, he was driving to a benefit, where he was slated to perform.)
Chapin received two Grammy nominations in his lifetime – best new artist of 1972 and best pop vocal performance, male two years later for “Cat’s in the Cradle” (which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011). In its year-end issue for 1972, Billboard gave Chapin a Trendsetter Award, which was inscribed “For devising a storytelling style of songwriting with a narrative impact rare to popular music.”
The ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award was first presented in 1987 to Kenny Rogers, who had been part of “We Are the World” two years earlier. Two subsequent recipients of the award – Harry Belafonte and Kenny Loggins – were also part of that iconic smash, which raised millions for famine relief.
Tickets to the event can be purchased here.
Here’s a full list of winners of the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award. They are listed in reverse chronological order.
2025: Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo
2024: Michael Franti
2019: John Mellencamp
2018: Jason Mraz
2017: Jon Batiste
2016: Kenny Loggins
2015: Grace Potter (ASCAP Harry Chapin Vanguard Award); Felix Cavaliere (ASCAP Harry Chapin Legacy Award)
2014: The Fab Faux (Beatles tribute band founded by Will Lee, bassist for Late Show With David Letterman)
2013: Yoko Ono
2012: Darlene Love, Peter Noone and Ronnie Spector
2011: Rubén Blades
2010: Ashford & Simpson
2009: Wyclef Jean
2008: Elvis Costello
2007: Jackson Browne
2006: Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels
2005: Michael McDonald
2004: Emmylou Harris
2003: Judy Collins
2000: Harry Belafonte
1994: Barbra Streisand
1988: Peter, Paul & Mary
1987: Kenny Rogers
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Ella Langley leads all nominees with eight, while Kelsea Ballerini lands her first entertainer of the year nod and Beyoncé scores none.
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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.
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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.
We’re just days away from Billboard’s 2025 Women in Music event, which is set to take place Saturday, March 29, at YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California. Hosted by Laverne Cox, the event will honor influential women in music, spanning artists and industry leaders, with performances, awards and tributes.
Honorees Aespa, Ángela Aguilar, Erykah Badu, Gracie Abrams, Megan Moroney, Muni Long and Tyla are also set to perform at the event.
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Tina Knowles is set to receive the Mother of the Year Award, which is entirely fitting. She’s the mother of not one, but two past Women in Music honorees. Beyoncé was Woman of the Year for 2009. Solange Knowles won the Impact Award in 2017.
The ranks of presenters at this year’s show include several women who were honorees at past Women in Music events. As part of Fifth Harmony, Lauren Jauregui won Group of the Year in 2015. Summer Walker took the Chart Topper Award in 2022. Becky G won the Impact Award in 2023. Victoria Monét won the Rising Star Award at last year’s event.
Billboard’s global partners have expanded Women in Music with new events launched around the world. ANNA, named Billboard Italy Woman of the Year at its inaugural ceremony, and Charlotte Cardin, honored as the Billboard Canada Woman of the Year, will be celebrated as Global Women of the Year.
VIZIO WatchFree+ is the exclusive home to the Billboard Women in Music 2025 live channel and on-demand collection available now through April 5, with the live show airing free on March 29 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on VIZIO TVs and in the VIZIO mobile app. The channel and on-demand collection features in-depth interviews, in-studio sessions with artists, episodic series and more.
VIZIO TV owners can watch Billboard Women in Music 2025 and the live event by opening the WatchFree+ app on their TV. For those who do not have a VIZIO TV, anyone can download the free VIZIO mobile app to their mobile device, click on the WatchFree+ button in the bottom row menu, and tune in to the Billboard Women in Music 2025 channel.
Jazzy will serve as red carpet correspondent, while backstage correspondent Drew Afualo will create behind-the-scenes content throughout the show. Girls Make Beats will host a special DJ performance during the red carpet featuring DJ Princess SC and DJ Sparkle. The red carpet will also feature appearances from Ari Lennox, Ashe, Ava Max, Bella Poarch, Heidi Montag, JoJo Siwa, Kandi Burruss, Keyshia Cole, Loren Gray, Madison Bailey, Queen Naija, Sophia Culpo, Tinashe, Victoria Justice and more.
Join us at Billboard Women in Music 2025 – get your tickets now! Get Tickets → HERE
Here’s the complete list of performers, presenters and honorees at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music event.
Honorees
Doechii, 2025 Woman of the Year Award
aespa, Group of the Year Award
Ángela Aguilar, Breakthrough Award
ANNA, Billboard Italy Woman of the Year
Charlotte Cardin, Billboard Canada Woman of the Year
Erykah Badu, Icon Award
GloRilla, Powerhouse Award
Gracie Abrams, Songwriter of the Year Award
JENNIE, Global Force Award
Megan Moroney, Rulebreaker Award presented by Crown Royal Whisky
Meghan Trainor, Hitmaker Award
Muni Long, Rising Star Award presented by Honda Stage
Tina Knowles, Mother of the Year Award
Tyla, Impact Award presented by Bose
Performers
Aespa
Ángela Aguilar
Erykah Badu
Gracie Abrams
Megan Moroney
Muni Long
Tyla
Presenters
Becky G
Kali Uchis
Madison Beer
Julia Michaels
Lauren Jauregui
Mickey Guyton
Suki Waterhouse
Summer Walker
Tanner Adell
Victoria Monét
Zara Larsson
The 2022 Academy Awards served as the ultimate rollercoaster ride of emotions for Will Smith, who won best actor honors for his role in King Richard, but also delivered the infamous slap across host Chris Rock’s face on stage for jokes made about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.
The actor-rapper received a 10-year ban from the Oscars, and had the option to appeal. The Associated Press caught up with Smith on Monday (March 24), during which he reflected on his actions and explained how he’s planning to move forward.
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“I am looking to be the best human I can possibly be, and I’m gonna take what I get with that,” the 56-year-old said.
Smith has since resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has been apologetic to Rock for slapping him onstage following a G.I. Jane joke about Pinkett-Smith.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,” Smith wrote in 2022. “I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.”
Rock hasn’t been open to speaking with Smith yet, but didn’t rule out returning as host for the Oscars at some point in the future.
“You never know. This is what I would say, the most miserable people on earth are people that can’t forgive,” the comedian said earlier in March. “And not just people, you have to forgive yourself sometimes, too. So, hey, you never know.”
On the music side, Smith is returning with his first album in 20 years, Based On a True Story. The LP arrives on Friday (March 28), and he’ll be hitting the road this summer for a tour across Europe and the U.K.
“A well opened up inside of me, a well of understanding of art and pain … all kinds of things that I didn’t even know were in there,” Smith told Billboard in January of his rejuvenated hunger for music. “Then after the Oscars, that spiritual investigation continued and a whole world woke up inside that I didn’t even know was there.”
Watch Will Smith talk about his Oscar ban below.
Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words, The Voice, The Daily Show and Variety Power of Women are among the music and entertainment-leaning winners of the 50th Annual Gracie Awards, which seeks to amplify women’s voices, stories, and achievements in media. The winners will be honored at the Gracie Awards Gala on May 20 at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, Calif. Comedian, writer and actress Fortune Feimster is set to host the show.
The Gracie Awards are presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF), which advances women in media through educational programs and scholarships.
Megan Thee Stallion’s documentary debuted on Prime Video on Halloween.
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Individual winners include Keke Palmer for Baby, This is Keke Palmer and Mayim Bialik for Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown.
“For 50 years, the Gracie Awards have honored the storytellers who push boundaries and redefine what’s possible,” Becky Brooks, president of AWMF, said in a statement. “This is more than an awards show—it is a movement that has championed inclusion, representation, and truth in the media. The women we celebrate today are shaping the next 50 years, ensuring that our narratives are not just seen or heard, but felt and remembered.”
The Gracie Awards Gala will be produced by female-owned production companies, and all-female production teams from Do Great Projects and Mythical Creators with Kristin Whalley serving as executive producer.
Local and student award recipients will be recognized at the Gracie Awards Luncheon on June 18 at Cipriani’s in New York City.
Here are highlights of the winners list for the 50th annual Gracie Awards Winners, with a focus on music and entertainment. The complete list of this year’s winners and event details is at www.allwomeninmedia.org.
Television/Streaming National Winners
2024 Paris Olympics on NBC; NBCUniversal; Sports Program; [TV – National]
Descendants: The Rise of Red; Disney+ / Disney Branded Television; Ensemble Cast- Family Programming; [TV – National]
DORA; Nickelodeon; Family Series; [TV – National]
INSIDE EDITION; CBS Media Ventures / INSIDE EDITION; News Magazine; [TV – National]
Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words; Prime Video; Documentary; [TV – National]
Molly McNearney (Jimmy Kimmel Live!); ABC; Writer Unscripted; [TV – National]
Molly Solomon (2024 Paris Olympics on NBC); NBCUniversal; Showrunner Non-Fiction; [TV – National]
The Daily Show; The Daily Show/Comedy Central; Talk Show – Entertainment; [TV – National]
The Voice; Warner Bros. Unscripted Television; Non-Fiction Entertainment – Competition; [TV – National]
Radio National Winners
Amy Brown (Women of iHeartCountry); Premiere Networks/iHeartMedia; Weekend Host / Personality; [Radio – Nationally Syndicated Commercial]
Angela Yee (Way Up with Angela Yee); Premiere Networks/iHeartMedia; Host/Personality; [Radio – Nationally Syndicated Commercial]
Breaking: Don’t Call It Break Dancing; ABC NEWS; Feature/Special; [Radio – Nationally Syndicated Commercial]
Music is Weapon (Thousand Miles Talks About Music); Taipei Broadcasting Station; Non-English Program; [Radio – Nationally Syndicated Non-Commercial]
Digital Media National Winners
Keke Palmer (Baby, This is Keke Palmer); Wondery; Audio Podcast Host – Entertainment; [DM – National]
Legacy Talk with Lena Waithe; Hillman Grad and Lemonada Media; Audio Podcast – Entertainment; [DM – National]
Mayim Bialik (Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown); ICON PR; Audio Podcast Co-host/Ensemble; [DM – National]
The Boar’s Nest: Sue Brewer and the Birth of Outlaw Country Music; Audible and Fresh Produce Media; Audio Podcast – Scripted; [DM – National]
Variety Power of Women; Variety; Website – Entertainment; [DM – National]
Radio Local Winners
Alabama (The Alabama Show); iHeartMedia; Host Morning Drive – Medium Market; [Radio – Local]
From Spirituals to Opera: The Inspiring Journey of Jubilee (Seattle’s Morning News); KIRO Newsradio; Soft News Feature – Historical; [Radio – Local]
Michelle Southern (Southern Rock); Guaranty Media – Eagle 98.1; Host Non-Morning Drive (Music DJ/Personality) Small Market; [Radio – Local]
Behind the Scenes of DJs: Women Setting the Vibe (MPR News with Angela Davis); Minnesota Public Radio News; Feature/Special; [Radio – Non-Commercial Local]
Trisha Yearwood added to her lengthy list of career accolades on Monday (March 24), when she was honored with the 2,805th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, during a ceremony held in Los Angeles.
Media personality Cody Alan, known for his work on SiriusXM and CMT, emceed the event, which honored Georgia native Yearwood’s numerous career milestones over the past three decades, and her journey from aspiring singer to multi-faceted entertainer, singer, author, television show leader, actress and businesswoman.
Two of Yearwood’s friends and fellow country artists, Reba McEntire and Carly Pearce, celebrated her at Monday’s ceremony.
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“What matters is the impact she’s continued to have on this industry, the genre, on me and on all of the next generation of female country artists,” Pearce said.
Pearce recalled several of the kind gestures Yearwood has made to her over the years, including greeting her backstage at the Opry and sending gifts from Yearwood’s line of pet products, for Pearce’s dogs Johnny and June, and inducting Pearce as a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
“What a full-circle moment and honor for me to get to be here to help usher in this historic achievement after all the times Trisha has stood by my side,” Pearce said. “She is as beautiful on the inside as she is the outside, and I believe her loved ones would say that she is the same, down-to-earth girl she has always been. I’m grateful to have such a wonderful blueprint for what it means to have an impactful career, but also most importantly what it means to be a good person. In an industry where people will chew you up and spit you out, Trisha is the warm hug. And don’t we all just need a Trisha Yearwood and a warm hug in our lives? This star is one not everyone will achieve, but where you belong.”
Yearwood’s fellow Hollywood Walk of Fame member McEntire recalled first meeting Yearwood at the ACMs in the 1990s, at a party after the show.
“I came by and sat with you and your mom…and I thought, ‘I love her already, she’s sittin’ with her mom,’ cause my mom and I were real close, just like you and your mom,” McEntire said. “Your dry sense of humor and wit won my heart….You were funny and the years just kept going by and we got to hang out and be with each other, we got to sing together and have dinners together. You taught me a lot about cooking on your cooking show and she was like, ‘Oh poor little Reba. I’m going to help her learn how to cook,’” she said with a grin. “And I appreciated that more than you know. But our friendship throughout the years means the world to me, because girls out on the road need a buddy and we are in the country music business where girls stick together. We have fun together, we complain and gripe to each other, because you can’t do that with anybody else, nobody else understands. So congratulations today, I’m thrilled to pieces for you…I love you with all my heart and congratulations.”
Among those in attendance was Yearwood’s husband and fellow country artist and Hollywood Walk of Famer Garth Brooks, who could be seen wiping away tears during the ceremony.
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce president/CEO Steve Nissen introduced Yearwood to the audience and welcomed her to accept her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The ceremony also took place near the iconic Capitol Records building, which also happens to be the place where Yearwood recorded her 2019 album Let’s Be Frank, an album of Frank Sinatra classics.
“This street represents creative genius, innovation, brilliance, recognized by your peers,” Nissen said, before Yearwood was presented with a resolution from the city council of Los Angeles.
Yearwood said, “It’s one of those surreal moments. My team, Team TY, who are all here and who I love, we all talk about being where your feet are and I’m trying to be where my feet are, but it’s very surreal to be here. It’s such an honor and the thing that makes it so special are the people who are here. I see a lot of faces in the crowd, who have been coming to see me since 1991. I love you and you know that, because all I ever wanted to do was to sing.”
To Pearce, Yearwood said, “Carly, your words were so kind. I want to tell you that when I met you for the first time, it was at a CMT Awards show and I just immediately knew that you were genuine. I knew I wanted to be your friend. So it’s been my honor to get to know you a little bit.”
Of McEntire, Yearwood said, “The person that taught me how to do that was the first artist who was so kind to me at an awards show and that was Reba McEntire, who just exemplifies friendship and class. She sent me flowers at my first awards show when nobody even knew I was in the dressing room. I though they were from my mom and dad and then I saw they were from Reba and I’m like, ‘Oh, okay.’ I’m so blessed that you and I have become more than just colleagues, but friends that get to hang out, because you’re right. There’s a misconception that female artists in particular are always climbing at each other and trying to get at each other, but the truth is, we’re all cheering for each other and with each other. This is an example of that. These girls, from every generation of country music, we’re all for each other.”
She also thanked the members of her team, Team TY, saying, “We are a team, I love you so much.” She added, “My family, my sister Beth, who is the crier, more than my husband actually. Her and her husband John are here representing our parents, who I know are here in this moment and just loving every second, especially my mom. She’s loving a star on Hollywood Blvd.” Yearwood continued by thanking her longtime producer Garth Fundis, saying, he is “the man who brought me ‘She’s in Love With the Boy,’ he brought me ‘The Song Remembers When,’ he brought me ‘Walkaway Joe,’” and thanked him for “helping me make my dreams come true.”
She also thanked her husband Brooks, calling him, “the one who has really been a cheerleader and one who, as many accolades and awards as he has won, I never see him get more excited than he does when I receive something. And for all the people who want this for me, nobody wants it more than you and I appreciate you for being my support. We’re down a few stars from each other, but we’ll figure out something, we’ll put out some breadcrumbs or something,” she added, jokingly. “I want to thank you all for taking out your time on this gorgeous day to be here for this star.”
McEntire and Pearce then joined Yearwood to reveal Yearwood’s newly minted star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Among the Georgia native’s accolades are three Grammy wins, three CMA Awards, membership in the Grand Ole Opry and the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, the ACM Honors icon award and CMT’s inaugural June Carter Cash humanitarian award. She won her first Grammy for best country vocal collaboration, for a collaborative rendition of the Patsy Cline classic “I Fall to Pieces” with Aaron Neville. She picked up two more wins, for best female country vocal performance (“How Do I Live”), and for best country collaboration with vocals (“In Another’s Eyes”) with husband Garth Brooks.
The Belmont University alumna has amassed numerous hits including her breakthrough “She’s in Love With the Boy,” as well as “How Do I Live,” “XXXs and OOOs (An American Girl),” “The Song Remembers When,” “I Would’ve Loved You Anyway,” “Believe Me Baby (I Lied),” and “Thinkin’ About You.”
Beyond the 15 albums she has released, she is also host of the Emmy-winning Food Network show Trisha’s Southern Kitchen. She’s written four New York Times bestselling cookbooks and has had cookware, furniture and home accessories lines. She also co-owns the Nashville bar Friends in Low Places with Brooks, with menus created by Yearwood.
Ahead, Yearwood is prepping her upcoming new album, which will feature her own work as a songwriter on each of the tracks. She’s previewed the project with the lead song “Put You in a Song.” Beyond her own business initiatives, Yearwood supports a range of charitable causes, including her longtime work with Habitat for Humanity, her support for breast cancer research and her nonprofit Dottie’s Yard which aids shelters and animal rescue causes.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame launched in 1961. Other country artists with with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame include Brooks, Roy Acuff, Clint Black, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Brooks & Dunn, Freddy Fender, Lefty Frizzell, Crystal Gayle, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Loretta Lynn, McEntire, Tim McGraw, Buck Owens and Charley Pride.
Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s old-school R&B smash “Luther,” now is in its fifth week atop the Billboard Hot 100, sounds like a natural to receive Grammy nods for record and song of the year when the nominations for the 2026 awards are announced later this year. The song, a nod to R&B legend Luther Vandross, contains a sample of Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s 1982 rendition of “If This World Were Mine,” which was originally recorded in 1967 by another legendary pair, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Its multi-format success in 2025 shows that old-school R&B songwriting values can still be embraced in today’s hip-hop-dominated R&B culture.
But while “Luther” may find favor next year with Grammy voters, Vandross had to wait nine years from his first Grammy nominations in 1982 until he finally won. His Grammy track record stood at 0-9 until he finally scored a W with “Here and Now,” which was voted best R&B vocal performance, male in 1991.
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Vandross was nominated for best new artist at the 1982 ceremony, but lost to Scottish pop singer Sheena Easton (who got off to a faster start, with a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, “Morning Train (Nine to Five),” and another top five hit with the Oscar-nominated James Bond theme “For Your Eyes Only”). More surprisingly, Vandross was nominated for best R&B vocal performance six times before he finally won in that category. That’s striking because Vandross is regarded as one of the premier R&B male vocalists of his time, and of all time.
Vandross, who suffered a severe stroke in 2003 and died in 2005 at age 54, won four Grammys during his lifetime. He won four more in the year following his death, including song of the year for “Dance With My Father,” which he co-wrote with Richard Marx.
Vandross isn’t the only R&B veteran who had to wait a good long while to finally win a Grammy. Gaye, who both wrote and recorded the original version of “If This World Were Mine,” had to wait even longer (15 years from the time of his first nomination) to win his first Grammys in 1983. His Grammy track record stood at 0-8 before he finally won best R&B vocal performance, male for his smash “Sexual Healing” and best R&B instrumental performance for an instrumental version that appeared on the B-side of that smash. Tragically, he was killed by his father less than 14 months after his belated double-Grammy triumph.
Vandross and Gaye have nothing on Lionel Richie, whose Grammy track record was a dismal 0-18 before he finally won best pop vocal performance, male, for “Truly,” also in 1983. Richie went on to win album of the year (for Can’t Slow Down) and song of the year (for “We Are the World,” a co-write with Michael Jackson), so we tend to think of him as Grammy royalty, but he had to wait a long while to be admitted to the club.
Lamar’s “Squabble Up” is also a strong candidate for Grammy nods in marquee categories. If either “Luther” or “Squabble Up” wins record or song of the year, coming on the heels of his wins in both categories on Feb. 2 with “Not Like Us,” Lamar would make Grammy history. He would become the fourth artist to win back-to-back Grammys for record of the year (following Roberta Flack, U2 and Billie Eilish), and only the second songwriter to win back-to-back Grammys for song of the year (following Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II, who won for co-writing H.E.R.’s “I Can’t Breathe” in 2021 and Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open” the following year).
The nominations for the 68th annual Grammy Awards are expected in November. The ceremony is expected in February 2026.
“I consider a hit song one that my 3-year-old knows,” Meghan Trainor says. The 31-year-old pop star and mother of two sons, Riley and Barry, says that her first-born has been jamming to Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” lately and also loves Billie Eilish and Miley Cyrus. When her own breakout single, “All About That Bass,” reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2014, she noticed that the song connected with both young children and adults. “So if I get kids involved in my songs as well as adults, I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s a hit,’ ” she says.
A decade removed from “All About That Bass,” a body-positive doo-wop riff that went viral years before TikTok, the former best new artist Grammy Award winner has fashioned a career as a chart stalwart with all-ages appeal. After her first two albums, 2015’s Title and 2016’s Thank You, produced six top 20 hits on the Hot 100 combined, Trainor spent the rest of the decade releasing one-off singles and collaborations, dabbling in film and TV projects and starting a family with her husband, actor Daryl Sabara. She returned to the Hot 100 in 2022 with “Made You Look,” which spawned a widespread dance trend online and peaked at No. 11, and “Criminals,” from her 2024 album, Timeless, reached the chart last year after serving as the theme song to the hit Netflix drama The Perfect Couple.
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Next on the to-do list for Billboard‘s 2025 Women in Music Hitmaker? Two more kids (“There’s so many dudes here — I want a baby girl”) and, maybe, leveraging her music career into a big-screen debut. “I want to be in a rom-com and then write the song for it,” she says. “Who do I have to talk to?”
Join us at Billboard Women in Music 2025 — get your tickets here.
Which of your own hits sticks with you the most?
I love the reactions I get from the audience. There’s nothing harder than when you’re onstage and you’re a songwriter and you’re like, “You don’t know this one?!” And when they do, you see me call out people who know every word. I know “Me Too” is always going to be fun. I know “Lips Are Movin’ ” is always going to be a blast.
BUNDÏ top and bra.
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When you’re in the studio, do you think about what the potential hits will be?
Usually when I’m writing an album, I’ll have one song that’s my favorite and I’ll say, “This is the top girl. This is how I want the entire album to sound like and we need to beat her.” For [the 2022 album] Takin’ It Back, I had “Don’t I Make It Look Easy.” “Made You Look” came after, and every day we just tried to beat it.
Why do you think the TikTok audience loves you so much?
My songs are really hooky. My main thing when I’m trying to write a song is I want you to be able to sing the melody by the second chorus. I think my stuff was just catchy enough that [TikTok users] could use the sound or make a simple dance to it or have fun and show something. I’ve noticed “Made You Look” still being used to sell products. I’m like, “That’s my song!” I still freak out.
Annakiki top, Michael Ngo skirt, Silent Opus jewelry.
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Hearing new artists like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, what do you think a hit sounds like now?
I need you to answer this for me, Sir Billboard, because I’m literally about to start my next album. There’s so many open lanes. Chappell and Sabrina are bringing instruments in and beautiful melodies and taking risks. What Doechii is doing — she’s just changing the world through art and [her] talent is thriving. Going into my next album, I’m nervous but also excited because there’s no more rules.
Is there something to be said about writing for yourself versus working with others?
I love learning from others. I always [say], “Please put me in a room with a better tennis player than me so I can learn more about tennis.” And sometimes going into a session with new people is scary. It’s like blind dating. And then you have to go, “Let’s try to create magic together.” My goal on this album is to find as many writers I love that I can collaborate with. I love Daniel Nigro. I want to work with him so bad. If you’re reading this, that’s my dream. And Andrew Watt. Andrew, pick me, choose me, love me. We would do something magical.
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This story appears in the March 22, 2025, issue of Billboard.