WOMEN LEAD NOMINATIONS FOR THE 61ST ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS

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The Academy of Country Music, Prime Video, and Dick Clark Productions have officially raised the curtain on the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, announcing a powerhouse slate of nominees that finds women firmly at the forefront of the genre.

The 61st ACM Awards will stream live to a global audience in more than 240 countries and territories exclusively on Prime Video on Sunday, May 17, 2026. The ceremony returns to its high-energy Sunday night slot at 8 p.m. ET, broadcasting from the iconic MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Women Lead the Pack

This year’s nominations are dominated by a quartet of female powerhouses. Megan Moroney emerges as the night’s top contender with nine nominations. Moroney secured her first-ever nod for Entertainer of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year, while her hit “Am I Ok?” and the single “6 Months Later” earned recognition across the Song, Single, and Visual Media categories.

Close behind is the most-decorated artist in ACM history, Miranda Lambert, who netted eight nominations—her highest single-year tally since 2016. Joining them in the top tier are Ella Langley and reigning Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson, who are tied with seven nominations each. Langley’s breakout year includes her first Producer credit for “Choosin’ Texas,” while Wilson looks to maintain her perfect streak in the Female Artist and Entertainer categories.

Male Artist Highlights and Triple Crown Hopes

Chris Stapleton leads the male field with six nominations, marking his 11th consecutive year in the Male Artist of the Year category. Meanwhile, Luke Combs enters the night with high stakes; a win for Entertainer of the Year would secure him the prestigious ACM Triple Crown Award, a feat previously achieved by legends like Miranda Lambert and Jason Aldean.

Other notable nominees include:

  • Zach Top: The reigning New Male Artist earns five nods, including his first for Male Artist of the Year.
  • Morgan Wallen: Receives his fourth consecutive nomination for Entertainer of the Year.
  • Old Dominion: Looking to extend their record-breaking streak with an 11th consecutive Group of the Year nomination.
  • Post Malone: Secured his first-ever ACM nominations, including a nod for Male Artist of the Year.

A Weekend of Country in the Desert

The awards ceremony is only the finale of a massive “ACM Awards Week” takeover in Las Vegas. On Friday, May 15, Riley Green will headline “ACM Lifting Lives Country on the Green” at Topgolf, supported by Lauren Alaina and Randy Houser. On Saturday, the party moves to Mandalay Bay Beach for “ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash,” featuring rising stars like Ashley Cooke and Tucker Wetmore.

The main event on Sunday promises a “star-powered experience” with confirmed performances from Kacey Musgraves, Cody Johnson, Little Big Town, and more.

How to Watch

Fans can catch the action on Prime Video or via the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. Tickets for the live event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and associated festival events are currently available at AXS.com. To gear up for the show, the Official ACM Awards playlist is now live on Amazon Music, featuring hits from all of this year’s top nominees.

The following is the full list of nominees for the ACM Main Awards categories:

MAIN AWARDS:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

  • Luke Combs
  • Jelly Roll
  • Cody Johnson
  • Megan Moroney
  • Chris Stapleton
  • Morgan Wallen
  • Lainey Wilson

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

  • Kelsea Ballerini
  • Miranda Lambert
  • Ella Langley
  • Megan Moroney
  • Lainey Wilson

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

  • Luke Combs
  • Riley Green
  • Cody Johnson
  • Chris Stapleton
  • Zach Top

GROUP OF THE YEAR

  • 49 Winchester
  • Flatland Cavalry
  • Old Dominion
  • Rascal Flatts
  • The Red Clay Strays

DUO OF THE YEAR

  • Brooks & Dunn
  • Brothers Osborne
  • Dan + Shay
  • Muscadine Bloodline
  • Thelma & James

NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

  • Avery Anna
  • Mackenzie Carpenter
  • Dasha
  • Caroline Jones
  • Emily Ann Roberts

NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

  • Gavin Adcock
  • Vincent Mason
  • Shaboozey
  • Hudson Westbrook
  • Tucker Wetmore

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

  • Ain’t In It For My Health – Zach Top

Producer: Carson Chamberlain

Record Company-Label: Leo33

  •  Cherry Valley – Carter Faith

Producer: Tofer Brown

Record Company-Label: Gatsby Records / MCA

  •  Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe) – Riley Green

Producer: Dann Huff, Michael Knox

Record Company-Label: Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment

  •  I’m The Problem – Morgan Wallen

Producers: Joey Moi, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Durrett

Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records

  • Parker McCollum – Parker McCollum

Producers: Frank Liddell, Eric Masse

Record Company-Label: MCA

SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

  • A Song To Sing – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton

Songwriters: Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure

Publishers: I Wrote These Songs; Pink Dog Publishing; Songs for the Munch Music; Songs of Influence; Sony/ATV Tree Publishing; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp

  •  Am I Okay? – Megan Moroney

Songwriters: Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, Jessie Jo Dillon

Publishers: Big Ass Pile of Dimes Music; Big Music Machine

  • Choosin’ Texas – Ella Langley

Songwriters: Ella Langley, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor

Publishers: Bada Bing & Bada Langley Publishing; Little Louder Songs; Sony Music Publishing

  • I Never Lie – Zach Top

Songwriters: Zach Top, Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols

Publishers: Music and Magazine Publishing; Rio Bravo Music Inc; Sony/ATV Tree Publishing; Too Broke to Quit Music; Zach Top Music

  • Somewhere Over Laredo – Lainey Wilson

Songwriters: Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Andy Albert, Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg

Publishers: Concord Sounds; Dtown Boogie Music; Emi Feist Catalog Inc; Songs Of Riser House; Songs Of Wild Cat Well Music; Sony/ATV Countryside; Story Farmer; Tacklebox Music Publishing

SINGLE OF THE YEAR[Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

  • 6 Months Later – Megan Moroney

Producers: Kristian Bush

Record Company-Label: Sony Music Nashville / Columbia Records

  • Choosin’ Texas – Ella Langley

Producers: Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Ben West

Record Company-Label: SAWGOD / Columbia Records

  • I Never Lie – Zach Top

Producers: Carson Chamberlain

Record Company-Label: Leo33

  • Somewhere Over Laredo – Lainey Wilson

Producers: Jay Joyce

Record Company-Label: BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville / Broken Bow Records

  • The Fall – Cody Johnson

Producers: Trent Willmon

Record Company-Label: CoJo Music / Warner Records Nashville

MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

  • A Song To Sing – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton

Producers: Dave Cobb

Record Company-Label: Republic Records

  • Amen – Shaboozey & Jelly Roll

Producers: Danny Majic, Nevin Sastry, Sean Cook

Record Company-Label: Empire

  • Don’t Mind If I Do – Riley Green feat. Ella Langley

Producers: Dann Huff, Michael Knox

Record Company-Label: Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment

  • Trailblazer – Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson

Producers: Tony Brown, Reba McEntire

Record Company-Label: MCA

  • You Had To Be There – Megan Moroney & Kenny Chesney

Producers: Kristian Bush

Record Company-Label: Sony Music Nashville / Columbia Records

VISUAL MEDIA OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]

  • 6 Months Later – Megan Moroney

Producers: Christen Pinkston & Wesley Stebbins-Perry

Director: CeCe Dawson, Megan Moroney

  • A Song To Sing – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton

Producers: James Stratakis

Director: Alexa King Stone, Stephen Kinigopoulos

  • Cuckoo -Stephen Wilson, Jr.

Producers: Tim Cofield

Director: Tim Cofield

  • Somewhere Over Laredo – Lainey Wilson

Producers: Katie Babbage

Director: TK McKamy

  • The Fall – Cody Johnson

Producers: Christen Pinkston & Wesley Stebbins-Perry

Director: Dustin Haney

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

  • Jessie Jo Dillon
  • Ashley Gorley
  • Charlie Handsome
  • Chase McGill
  • Blake Pendergrass

ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

  • Luke Combs
  • Riley Green
  • Ella Langley
  • Megan Moroney
  • Morgan Wallen