61st ACM Awards: Ella Langley Dominates with Record-Breaking Seven Wins
The 61st Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards were held on May 17, 2026, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Shania Twain hosted the ceremony for the first time. The event began at 8 p.m. ET and streamed live on Prime Video for the fifth consecutive year, as well as on Twitch. The eligibility period for the awards was the calendar year 2025. The ceremony included approximately 20 performances over two and a half hours.
Key Award Recipients
- Entertainer of the Year: Cody Johnson
- Female Artist of the Year: Ella Langley
- Male Artist of the Year: Cody Johnson
- Group of the Year: The Red Clay Strays
- Duo of the Year: Brooks & Dunn
- New Female Artist of the Year: Avery Anna
- New Male Artist of the Year: Tucker Wetmore
- Album of the Year: Parker McCollum by Parker McCollum
- Song of the Year: "Choosin' Texas" – Ella Langley
- Single of the Year: "Choosin' Texas" – Ella Langley
- Music Event of the Year: "Don't Mind If I Do" – Riley Green featuring Ella Langley
- Songwriter of the Year: Jessie Jo Dillon (third consecutive win)
- Artist-Songwriter of the Year: Ella Langley
- Visual Media of the Year: "Cuckoo" – Stephen Wilson, Jr.
Noteworthy Results
Ella Langley won all seven awards for which she was nominated, setting a single-year record for the most awards won by an artist at the ACMs. She succeeded Lainey Wilson as Female Artist of the Year.
Megan Moroney led all nominees with nine nominations, including Entertainer of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year, but did not win any awards. Sources state Moroney did not attend the ceremony due to a prior commitment as a maid of honor. Miranda Lambert received eight nominations, including Female Artist of the Year.
Cody Johnson dedicated his Entertainer of the Year award to Luke Combs, noting that Combs missed the birth of his son while they were on tour together. Lainey Wilson, who had won the Entertainer of the Year award previously, did not win the category at this ceremony.
The awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Penske Media.
Performances and Presentations
Performers included Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Lainey Wilson, Kacey Musgraves (who performed songs from her album Middle of Nowhere), Little Big Town, Riley Green, Tucker Wetmore, Kane Brown, Dan + Shay, Parker McCollum (with Lee Ann Womack), and Blake Shelton, who closed the show with "The Gambler" as a tribute to its composer Don Schlitz, who died in April. Cody Johnson performed "Traveling Soldier" (written by Bruce Robison, originally recorded by the Dixie Chicks).
Presenters included Ashley McBryde, Shaboozey, and Keith Urban.
Yahoo provided live coverage of the event.
Attendance and Audience
According to one report, only three of the seven nominees for Entertainer of the Year attended the ceremony. Artists who generated notable audience applause included Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Tucker Wetmore, Jelly Roll, and Morgan Wallen.