The 2025 ACM Awards took place tonight, May 8, in Frisco, Texas. Newcomer Ella Langley was the top nominee, with eight nods, while Lainey Wilson, Morgan Wallen, and Cody Johnson had seven noms apiece.
Langley walked away with four awards, while Wilson took home four as well, including a second straight Entertainer of the Year honor.
Reba McEntire hosted the program once again. Scroll down to see the complete list of winners, plus our review of the show, featuring the best performances and most memorable moments of the broadcast.
See our new article on the 2026 ACM Awards.
List of 2025 ACM Winners
Here’s the full list of nominees and winners for the 60th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Winners are noted in BOLD.
It’s very possible that many of these artists will end up getting nominated at the 2026 Grammy Awards as well!
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
- Kelsea Ballerini
- Luke Combs
- Cody Johnson
- Jelly Roll
- Chris Stapleton
- Morgan Wallen
- Lainey Wilson – WINNER
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
- Kelsea Ballerini
- Ella Langley
- Megan Moroney
- Kacey Musgraves
- Lainey Wilson – WINNER
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
- Luke Combs
- Cody Johnson
- Jelly Roll
- Chris Stapleton – WINNER
- Morgan Wallen
- 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
- Am I Okay? (I’ll Be Fine) – Megan Moroney
- Beautifully Broken – Jelly Roll
- Cold Beer & Country Music – Zach Top
- F-1 Trillion – Post Malone
- Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson – WINNER
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
- “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey
- “Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson
- “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
- “White Horse” – Chris Stapleton
- “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green – WINNER
SONG OF THE YEAR (awarded to songwriters)
- “4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson, Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere
- “The Architect” – Kacey Musgraves, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
- “Dirt Cheap” – Josh Phillips – WINNER
- “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen, Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Hoskins, Ernest Keith Smith, Chandler Paul Walters, Ryan Vojtesak
- “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green, Aaron Raitiere
MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR
- “Cowboys Cry Too” – Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan
- “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
- “I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood
- “We Don’t Fight Anymore” – Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton
- “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green – WINNER
VISUAL MEDIA OF THE YEAR
- “4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson
- “Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson
- “I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood
- “Think I’m In Love With You” – Chris Stapleton
- “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green – WINNER
ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
- Luke Combs
- Ernest
- Hardy
- Morgan Wallen
- Lainey Wilson – WINNER (this award was presented off-air before the ceremony)
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
- Jessi Alexander
- Jessie Jo Dillon – WINNER
- Ashley Gorley
- Chase McGill
- Josh Osborne
Best Performances and Show Highlights From the ACM Awards
We will be updating this section as the show goes on all night long with our picks for the top live performances on the show.
Show-Opening Medley
The ACMs opening medley was twelve straight minutes of superstars performing past Song of the Year winners.
Reba McEntire opened the medley with Merle Haggard’s “Okie from Muskogee,” followed by Clint Black singing Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy,” the song that should have won the Record of the Year Grammy in 1976.
From there, the megastars just kept coming. Wynonna, LeAnn Rimes, Little Big Town, Dan + Shay all gave new takes on classic hits. Rimes’ slowed-down, string-heavy take on her early hit “Blue” was a highlight, a gorgeous reworking of the track.
Miranda Lambert & Ella Langley
After singing her latest single “Run,” which has been unfortunately slow to gain radio airplay, Miranda Lambert brought out Langley for a barnburning rendition of Lambert’s “Kerosene,” a hit 20 years earlier.
Langley later came back for a solo performance of her latest hit “Weren’t for the Wind.”
Lainey Wilson
The reigning Entertainer of the Year treated the audience to “Whirlwind,” the title track from her latest acclaimed album.
Wilson used a fiery red backdrop, dry ice smoke, and a tornado-like funnel created by a wind machine to enhance the performance.
Kelsea Ballerini
Kelsea Ballerini showed off a more rocking side by playing guitar on “Baggage.” She sang atop a huge pile of fake suitcases, an interesting set choice to match the theme of the song.
This performance reaffirmed why Ballerini was nominated for Entertainer of the Year.
Chris Stapleton
The winner for Male Vocalist of the Year, Chris Stapleton did what he normally does in these situations — deliver a powerful vocal performance of a slow song.
He dueted nicely with wife Morgane on “It Takes a Woman,” a song he wrote for her.
Alan Jackson
Lifetime Achievement Award winner Alan Jackson brought old-school balladry back to the ACM stage with “Remember When,” his nostalgic #1 hit from 2003.
He was expectedly humble and appreciative during his acceptance speech. One of the real class acts in all of popular music.
Jelly Roll & Shaboozey
Two of the biggest country stars of the moment had a moment together. Jelly Roll opened with his up-tempo track “Heart of Stone,” a song that perfectly fits the Shaboozey vibe.
Then Shaboozey and Jelly Roll sang “Amen” as a duo, backed up by a sizable choir. Hand-clapping, religious-adjacent songs are hot right now, and this one is right in the sweet spot.
Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert & Lainey Wilson
Three of the most famous women in music performed the world premiere of their new song “Trailblazer.” All clad in brown leather suede western wear, the ladies sang the track in honor of women who came earlier. Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn were among the women name-checked in the song.
Some collaborations can feel gimmicky, but this one works. It has a traditional sound and a positive message.
Rascal Flatts & the Backstreet Boys
Two of the biggest music groups in the world 20 years ago closed the show with a joint performance. Rascal Flatts sang portions of the old hit “What Hurts the Most” and new single “I Dare You.”
But the Backstreet Boys were the headliners here. They got the crowd going with “Larger Than Life,” one of their many hits from the boy band era.
Finally, the bands sang together on “Life is a Highway,” an energetic finale for the show. Not sure what it says about Rascal Flatts that their signature song is a remake, but at least it worked for them on this night.
The Oak Ridge Boys
The venerable Oak Ridge Boys made an appearance without their long-time leader, Joe Bonsall, who passed away last year. New vocalist Ben James helped the Boys present Group of the Year to Old Dominion.
For further reading, see our list of country artists who deserve to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Glen Campbell, and Kenny Rogers.
Which artists do you think should have been 2025 ACM Awards winners?
Last Updated on June 8, 2026