NASHVILLE, Tenn. — April 9, 2026 — Today, the Academy of Country Music® (ACM), Prime Video, and Dick Clark Productions (DCP) announced nominations for the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, with Megan Moroney, Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, and Lainey Wilson receiving the most nominations. The 61st ACM Awards will stream live exclusively for a global audience across 240+ countries and territories on Prime Video on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the world-renowned MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fans will also be able to watch the broadcast on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, as well as in the Amazon Music app.
Returning to the Sunday night timeslot, the Emmy-nominated, star-powered ACM Awards experience will feature unprecedented performances, exclusive collaborations, and unexpected moments from the biggest Country Music stars, including performances by Cody Johnson, Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, and Riley Green, with more to be announced in the coming weeks. Leading up to the big night, the Academy of Country Music will take over Las Vegas with previously announced ACM Awards week events including “ACM Lifting Lives Country on the Green: Riley Green & Friends” at Topgolf Las Vegas Friday, May 15 with Lauren Alaina, Randy Houser, and Rodney Atkins, alongside headliner Riley Green, as well as “ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash” at Mandalay Bay Beach Saturday, May 16 with Ashley Cooke, Braxton Keith, Dasha, Flatland Cavalry, Tucker Wetmore, and more.
Tickets for the 61st ACM Awards and ACM Awards week events are available for purchase on AXS.com, offering fans exclusive entry into a nonstop weekend packed with performances by their favorite Country stars.
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, such as Megan Moroney, Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, and Lainey Wilson, directly on the Amazon Music app HERE.
NOMINEE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE 61ST ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS:
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Female artists lead with the most nominations, including Megan Moroney with nine nominations, followed by Miranda Lambert with eight nominations, and then followed by Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson, tied with seven nominations each.
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Megan Moroney leads with the most nominations, and the most nominations across categories, with nine total, including her first nomination for Entertainer of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year, and third consecutive nomination for Female Artist of the Year and Visual Media of the Year (“6 Months Later”) as an Artist, and her first as Director. Moroney also receives nominations for Song of the Year (“Am I Ok?”) as an Artist and Songwriter, Single of the Year (“6 Months Later”), and Music Event of the Year (“You Had To Be There”) with Kenny Chesney.
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Miranda Lambert, the most-decorated artist in ACM Awards history, receives eight nominations, the most nominations she’s received in a single year since 2016. She receives her 17th nomination for Female Artist of the Year and her ninth nomination for Song of the Year, and 16th total nomination (including Artist and Songwriter credits) in the category.
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Ella Langley, the reigning ACM New Female Artist of the Year, receives seven nominations. This is her first nomination in the Artist-Songwriter of the Year category, as well as her first nomination credited as a Producer for Single of the Year (“Choosin’ Texas”).
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Lainey Wilson, the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year, receives seven nominations. This marks her fourth consecutive nomination for Female Artist of the Year and third straight nod for Entertainer of the Year, categories she has won every year she’s been nominated. Wilson’s nomination for Song of the Year (“Somewhere Over Laredo”), marks her fifth consecutive in the category and ninth total nomination overall (including Artist and Songwriter credits) in the category.
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Chris Stapleton, the reigning Male Artist of the Year, receives the most nominations for a male artist with six total, including his fifth consecutive nomination for Entertainer of the Year and his 11th consecutive nomination for Male Artist of the Year (an award he’s won five times).
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Zach Top, the reigning New Male Artist of the Year, receives five nominations, including his first for Male Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (“I Never Lie”), both as an Artist and Songwriter, and for Single of the Year (“I Never Lie”).
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Cody Johnson receives his third consecutive nomination for Entertainer of the Year, as well as his fourth consecutive nomination for Visual Media of the Year (“The Fall”).
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Riley Green receives four nominations, his third consecutive for Music Event of the Year, and his first-ever nominations for Male Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe), and Artist-Songwriter of the Year.
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Morgan Wallen receives his fourth consecutive nomination for Entertainer of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year, and his third nomination for Album of the Year (I’m The Problem).
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Luke Combs receives his seventh consecutive nomination for both Entertainer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year. A win for Combs in the Entertainer category will also clinch the coveted Triple Crown Award, which consists of an Entertainer of the Year win, plus wins in an act’s respective New Artist (Male, Female, Duo or Group) and Artist (Male, Female, Duo or Group) categories. Past ACM Triple Crown Award recipients include Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, and others. Combs earns his third nomination for Artist-Songwriter of the Year.
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Jelly Roll receives his third consecutive nomination for Entertainer of the Year.
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Parker McCollum receives his first-ever nomination for Album of the Year (Parker McCollum).
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Old Dominion receive their 11th consecutive nomination for Group of the Year. The group has taken home the title every year for the last eight years, passing Rascal Flatts for the most consecutive wins in the category.
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Brothers Osborne receive their 19th overall nomination. This is their 12th consecutive year being nominated for Duo of the Year, an award the pair has brought home four times.
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Kelsea Ballerini receives her ninth nomination for Female Artist of the Year.
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Rascal Flatts receive their 14th nomination for Group of the Year.
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Reba McEntire receives her first nomination since 2020, making this her seventh nomination for Music Event of the Year (“Trailblazer”).
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Every Song of the Year nominee is also credited as a songwriter on their respective track, with Miranda Lambert earning two separate nominations in the category.
FIRST TIME NOMINEES INCLUDE:
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49 Winchester
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Avery Anna
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Mackenzie Carpenter
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Carter Faith
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Caroline Jones
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Vincent Mason
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Emily Ann Roberts
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Thelma & James (*MacKenzie Porter nominated for Music Event of the Year in 2022 with Dustin Lynch)
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Hudson Westbrook
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Stephen Wilson Jr.
The following is the full list of nominees for the ACM Main Awards categories:
MAIN AWARDS:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
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Luke Combs
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Jelly Roll
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Cody Johnson
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Megan Moroney
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Chris Stapleton
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Morgan Wallen
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Lainey Wilson
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
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Kelsea Ballerini
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Miranda Lambert
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Ella Langley
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Megan Moroney
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Lainey Wilson
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
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Luke Combs
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Riley Green
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Cody Johnson
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Chris Stapleton
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Zach Top
GROUP OF THE YEAR
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49 Winchester
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Flatland Cavalry
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Old Dominion
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Rascal Flatts
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The Red Clay Strays
DUO OF THE YEAR
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Brooks & Dunn
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Brothers Osborne
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Dan + Shay
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Muscadine Bloodline
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Thelma & James
NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
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Avery Anna
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Mackenzie Carpenter
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Dasha
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Caroline Jones
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Emily Ann Roberts
NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
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Gavin Adcock
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Vincent Mason
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Shaboozey
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Hudson Westbrook
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Tucker Wetmore









