The 60th annual Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony is underway in Texas, being seen exclusively through Amazon on Prime Video and Amazon’s Twitch channel. The honors are about to be doled out throughout the two-and-a-half-hour show. Ella Langley (pictured on the red carpet, above) as the top nominee, with nine nods; she’s already off to a good start with a win for best new female artist.
Cody Johnson’s single “Dirt Cheap” got the first award to be given out during the show, for song of the year, with the award being shared with Josh Phillips — whom Johnson noted in his speech was the sole writer on the song (a rarity in country nowadays).
Following that, in some of the least surprising developments of the night, Old Dominion won group of the year for the eighth year in a row, and Chris Stapleton repeated as male vocalist of the year. Brooks & Dunn returned to the winners’ circle as duo of the year.
Scroll through the list of nominees below, with winners’ names marked in bold, to see who has picked up a trophy in the Lone Star state (or, in a few cases, beforehand, since several awards were announced ahead of time, the better to leave more room for performance slots). Scroll, through, also, to see some of the artists’ red carpet looks.
The show opened with a 12-minute medley of ACM Songs of the Year from the six decades the show has been in existence, featuring the show’s host, Reba McEntire, along with Clint Black, Dan + Shay, LeAnn Rimes, Sugarland and Wynonna Judd.
Another medley slated for the show is a tribute to Keith Urban, who is receiving the ACM Triple Crown Award. He’ll be saluted with a medley performed by Chris Stapleton, Megan Moroney and Brothers Osborne.
Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 8, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Gilbert Flores for Variety
One of the most anticipated performances is by McEntire, Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert, singing a new trio single, “Trailblazer” (penned by Lambert, Wilson and Brandy Clark).
Other performers slated for the telecast include Alan Jackson, Backstreet Boys, Blake Shelton, Brooks & Dunn, Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Eric Church, Jelly Roll, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts, Shaboozey and Zach Top.
Jelly Roll at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 8, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Christopher Polk for Variety
Just behind Langley with eight nominations were Wilson, Cody Johnson and Morgan Wallen, tied with seven each. Stapleton was close behind that pack with six noms, followed by Post Malone and Riley Green with five each, and Ballerini with four.
Kelsea Ballerini at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 8, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Gilbert Flores for Variety
Lainey Wilson at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 8, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Gilbert Flores for Variety
The 2025 ACMs are being streamed live exclusively for a global audience across approximately 240 countries and territories on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, the headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys. The webcast started at 8 p.m. ET/5 PT and is scheduled to run for two and a half hours, a half-hour longer than last year’s show.
Pre-telecast awards were given to Ella Langley for best new female artist; Zach Top for best new male artist; the Red Clay Strays for best new duo or group; Lainey Wilson for artist-songwriter of the year; and Jessie Jo Dillon for (non-artist) songwriter of the year. (Dillon cowrote multiple tracks on three of five projects up for album of the year.)
Jessie Murph, Ella Langley at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 8, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Christopher Polk for Variety
A full list of the ACMs’ 2025 nominations, with winners marked in bold as they come up in the ceremony:
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 – WINNER
- Morgan Wallen
DUO OF THE YEAR
- Brooks & Dunn – WINNER
- Brothers Osborne
- Dan + Shay
- Muscadine Bloodline
- The War And Treaty
GROUP OF THE YEAR
- Flatland Cavalry
- Little Big Town
- Old Dominion – WINNER
- Rascal Flatts
- The Red Clay Strays
NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
- Kassi Ashton
- Ashley Cooke
- Dasha
- Ella Langley – WINNER
- Jessie Murph
NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
- Gavin Adcock
- Shaboozey
- Zach Top – WINNER
- Tucker Wetmore
- Bailey Zimmerman
NEW DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
- Restless Road
- The Red Clay Strays – WINNER
- 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
Record Company-Label: 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
Record Company-Label: BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville / Republic Records - “Cold Beer & Country Music” – Zach Top
Producer: Carson Chamberlain
Record Company-Label: Leo33 - “F-1 Trillion” – Post Malone
Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins
Record Company-Label: Mercury Records / Republic Records - “Whirlwind” – Lainey Wilson
Producer: Jay Joyce
Record Company-Label: 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
Record Company-Label: American Dogwood / EMPIRE - “Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson
Producer: Trent Willmon
Record Company-Label: CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville - “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins
Record Company-Label: Mercury Records / Republic Records - “White Horse” – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton
Record Company-Label: Mercury Nashville - “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green
Producer: Will Bundy
Record Company-Label: 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 – WINNER
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
Record Company-Label: Black River Entertainment - “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins
Record Company-Label: Mercury Records / Republic Records - “I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood
Producer: Trent Willmon
Record Company-Label: CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville - “We Don’t Fight Anymore” – Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton
Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce
Record Company-Label: Big Machine Records - “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green
Producer: Will Bundy
Record Company-Label: 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 – WINNER
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
- Jessi Alexander
- Jessie Jo Dillon – WINNER
- Ashley Gorley
- Chase McGill
- Josh Osborne
Carly Pearce at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 08, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Gilbert Flores for Variety
LeAnn Rimes, Eddie Cibrian at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 8, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Michael Buckner for Variety
Jelly Roll, Bunnie Xo at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 8, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Gilbert Flores for Variety
Morgane Stapleton, Chris Stapleton at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 8, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Christopher Polk for Variety
Shaboozey at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 08, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Christopher Polk for Variety
Rex Linn, Reba McEntire at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 8, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Gilbert Flores for Variety
Eric Church performs onstage at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 8, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Rich Polk for Variety
Jessie Jo Dillon and Megan Maroney at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 8, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Christopher Polk for Variety
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