2026 ACM Awards: Ella Langley Wins 5, Cody Johnson Rules

Ella Langley walked away from the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards with five trophies, and Cody Johnson took the night's top prize, as Texas and outsider country artists dominated a ceremony that returned to Las Vegas for the first time in four years.

Langley Sweeps Every Nomination, Including Four on the Main Telecast

Going into Sunday night at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Ella Langley carried seven nominations. She left having won all five she was up for.

Her Song of the Year and Single of the Year wins both went to "Choosin' Texas," the track that became one of country radio's defining moments of the past year. She also took Music Event of the Year for "Don't Mind If I Do," her collaboration with Riley Green, and closed the main telecast with Female Artist of the Year. Her fifth award, Artist-Songwriter of the Year, was announced during the pre-show.

Accepting Song of the Year from presenter Michael Bublé, Langley said she was "not at a loss for words very often" before thanking fans directly for connecting with the song. Her voice audibly cracked during the Female Artist of the Year speech, where she credited the women in country music who had encouraged her. "I would not be standing up here without the encouragement of so many women," she said.

Megan Moroney had led all nominees heading into the night with nine nominations. She did not take home a major award, her categories effectively cleared by Langley's sweep.

Langley also performed during the ceremony, choosing a stripped acoustic version of "Be Her" — a deliberate contrast to the more produced performances around her, and a decision that put the song's writing front and center.

Cody Johnson and Parker McCollum Extend Texas Country's Awards Reach

Cody Johnson won Entertainer of the Year, the Academy's top honor, for the first time in his career. He defeated Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson, and Megan Moroney — a field that included several past winners and multiple Grammy-recognized acts.

In his acceptance speech, Johnson dedicated the award to Combs, citing a specific instance in which Combs reportedly missed the birth of a child to fulfill a touring commitment to Australian fans. The gesture framed Johnson's win not as a rivalry but as a tribute to the work ethic that country touring demands.

Johnson also won Male Artist of the Year, making him a double winner on the night.

Parker McCollum claimed Album of the Year for his self-titled record, beating out Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem, Zach Top's Ain't in It for My Health, Riley Green's Don't Mind If I Do, and Carter Faith's Cherry Valley. McCollum dedicated the win to his "Texas country and Red Dirt family," making the geographic and cultural thread of the evening explicit.

Industry observers at the ceremony noted that three of the night's most significant awards — Entertainer of the Year, Male Artist, and Album of the Year — went to artists who have long operated outside the mainstream Nashville infrastructure. Whether that reflects a durable shift in Academy voting or a single strong cycle for Texas-based acts remains an open question.

Historic Milestones for Brooks & Dunn, Jessie Jo Dillon, and the Red Clay Strays

Several other awards produced outcomes worth noting on their own terms.

Brooks & Dunn won Duo of the Year for the 18th time — an outright record for the category. Kix Brooks acknowledged the longevity with some self-deprecation on stage: "I don't know why y'all aren't getting sick of us, but we love y'all."

Jessie Jo Dillon won Songwriter of the Year for the third consecutive year, becoming the first person to hold the award in three straight cycles. The award covers calendar-year songwriting credits across the industry, not a single song or artist.

The Red Clay Strays, a retro rock and gospel-inflected group from Alabama, won Group of the Year, ending what live coverage described as Old Dominion's near-decade hold on the category. The Strays' sound sits at a noticeable distance from mainstream country pop, and their win was treated as a surprise by several outlets following the ceremony.

Tucker Wetmore took New Male Artist of the Year, besting a competitive field that included Shaboozey and Gavin Adcock. Avery Anna won New Female Artist of the Year in the pre-show. Visual Media of the Year went to Stephen Wilson Jr. for "Cuckoo."

Shania Twain Hosts for the First Time; Ceremony Returns to Las Vegas

Shania Twain, 60, served as host for the first time in her career, taking over from Reba McEntire, who had held the role 18 times. On the red carpet, Twain debuted a new look — freshly cut bangs paired with a floor-length silver sequined gown with a black cougar design near the hem and long black leather gloves.

In her opening monologue, Twain noted that her first ACM top 10 hit and her first ACM win both arrived exactly 30 years ago. She saluted the current generation of women in country music with the line, "Make it loud for all our sheroes."

The ceremony marked the ACM's return to MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas after three consecutive years at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The broadcast aired live on Amazon Prime Video and the Amazon Music app, with a simulcast on Twitch. Some viewers reported difficulty accessing the pre-show, which ran exclusively on Amazon Music rather than Prime Video — a platform that coverage noted lacks native video support on certain TV applications, leaving some early awards announcements harder to find in real time.

Lainey Wilson, herself a former multi-year Entertainer of the Year winner, opened the main ceremony with a performance of her new single "Can't Sit Still." Other notable performances came from Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Kane Brown, Carter Faith, Thomas Rhett and Jordan Davis, and Cody Johnson.