This weekend saw the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, and the results were decisive — rising star Ella Langley came out firmly on top.
The ceremony returned to Las Vegas after three consecutive years at Ford Center in Texas, with Shania Twain taking over as host from Reba McEntire’s two year stint.
Ella Langley Wins Five ACM Awards In A Single Night
Ella Langley swept every prize she was nominated for, going seven-for-seven on the night, including Female Artist of the Year. Her five competitive wins were Song of the Year and Single of the Year for “Choosin’ Texas,” Female Artist of the Year, Artist-Songwriter of the Year, and Music Event of the Year for “Don’t Mind If I Do” by Riley Green featuring Langley.
The Song of the Year win, “Choosin’ Texas”, was co-written by Langley alongside country music veterans Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, and Joybeth Taylor. Lambert co-produced Langley’s entire sophomore album Dandelion and accepted the Single of the Year award on stage alongside Langley (streamed on Prime Video), telling the audience, “This is my 20th ACM this year, actually. I’m just so thankful that Ella trusted me with her art. Thank y’all for loving a country song. We love you so much for it.”
Langley performed a stripped-back acoustic rendition of “Be Her” during the broadcast.
Megan Moroney led the 2026 nominee class with nine nominations, while Miranda Lambert followed with eight, and Langley and Lainey Wilson were each nominated seven times. That Langley converted all seven into wins while Moroney and Lambert left without a competitive award is an illustration of how decisively the night tilted in one direction.
Cody Johnson Wins ACM Entertainer Of The Year
Cody Johnson took the top prize of Entertainer of the Year and also won Male Artist of the Year earlier in the evening, giving an emotional acceptance speech in which he saluted his wife.
Johnson’s Entertainer of the Year win comes from a field that included Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney, Chris Stapleton, charts darling Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson, making it a competitive result against several of country music’s highest-profile current names.
The Night’s Other Notable Moments
One of the most emotional moments of the evening came when Dan + Shay performed their new song “Say So” in tribute to music executive Ben Vaughn, who died by suicide last year. Lauren Alaina introduced the performance in tears, telling the audience, “Sometimes lifting lives can mean saving lives. If you are secretly suffering, you are not alone.”
The show closed with Blake Shelton covering Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler,” written by Don Schlitz, who died last month at 73, as a tribute to the legendary songwriter. Miranda Lambert debuted her new song “Crisco” during the broadcast, the Red Clay Strays performed “Demons in Your Choir,” and Lainey Wilson opened the show with “Can’t Sit Still.”
Jessie Jo Dillon won Songwriter of the Year.
61st ACM Awards: Full Winners List
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, Parker McCollum (Producers: Frank Liddell, Eric Masse; MCA Nashville)
Song of the Year: “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley (Songwriters: Ella Langley, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor)
Single of the Year: “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley
Music Event of the Year: “Don’t Mind If I Do,” Riley Green feat. Ella Langley
Songwriter of the Year: Jessie Jo Dillon
Visual of the Year:Stephen Wilson Jr., “Cuckoo”
Artist-Songwriter of the Year: Ella Langley
