Megan Moroney, Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson Lead 2026 ACM Awards Nominations

The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards will air live on Prime Video and Amazon Music from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 17

NEED TO KNOW

• Megan Moroney leads the 2026 ACM Awards nominations with nine nods including Entertainer of the Year and Single of the Year
• Performers include Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, Kacey Musgraves and Riley Green with Musgraves debuting a song from her new album
• The awards will air live from Las Vegas on May 17 on Prime Video and Amazon Music platforms

Women are leading the 2026 ACM Awards nominations!

On Thursday, April 9, the Academy of Country Music, Prime Video and Dick Clark Productions unveiled the full list of nominations for the upcoming ACM Awards. Megan Moroney earned the most with nine, followed by Miranda Lambert with eight, while Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson each received seven nods.

Additional top nominees include Chris Stapleton with six nods, followed by Zach Top with five and Cody Johnson with four.

The coveted Entertainer of the Year category features Moroney, 28, Wilson, 33, Stapleton, 47, Johnson, 38, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen. Last year, the award went to Wilson.

First-time nominees include 49 Winchester, Avery Anna, Mackenzie Carpenter, Carter Faith, Caroline Jones, Vincent Mason, Emily Ann Roberts, Thelma & James, Hudson Westbrook and Stephen Wilson Jr.

Performers at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards will include Lambert, 42, Johnson, Wilson, Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town and Riley Green. Musgraves, 37, will perform a new song from her upcoming Middle of Nowhere album, while Wilson will premiere her song "Can't Sit Still" and Green will deliver a rendition of his song "Change My Mind."

The 2026 ACM Awards host has yet to be revealed.

The awards show will go down at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 17 and stream live on Prime Video. Viewers can also watch via he Amazon Music channel on Twitch and the Amazon Music app.

See the full list of 2026 ACM Awards nominations below.

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

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