ACM Awards 2026: Full Winners List, Where to Watch & Everything That Happened Tonight

The ACM Awards 2026 — officially the 61st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards — aired live on Sunday, May 17, 2026, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show streamed on Amazon Prime Video at 8:00 PM ET, hosted by country legend Shania Twain. Ella Langley dominated the night with five wins, while Cody Johnson claimed the biggest prize of the evening: Entertainer of the Year.

The Night That Redefined Country Music Awards 2026

If you missed the ACM Awards 2026 — here’s the short version: Ella Langley arrived as a newcomer, and left country music royalty. The longer version? It was one of the most electric nights in the show’s 61-year history.

The country music awards 2026 season has delivered something genuinely special. Shania Twain made her debut as host — the first time in ACM history — and brought exactly the kind of warmth, humor, and commanding presence you’d expect from the best-selling female country artist of all time. She opened the night in a sparkling silver gown with dramatic black leather gloves, set the tone with sharp wit, and kept the energy moving through three hours of live performances and emotional award moments.

Over 5,000 Academy of Country Music members voted this year — a record-high membership — making this one of the most competitive and widely decided award shows in country music. Searches for “music awards tonight” and “ACM Awards 2026” surged across social media as fans tuned in from around the world, proving that no other genre has this kind of passionate, loyal audience.

The show also marked a return to Las Vegas after three consecutive years at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The MGM Grand Garden Arena gave the night a high-energy, concert-like atmosphere that matched the caliber of talent on stage.

Where to Watch ACM Awards 2026

Already missed the live show? Here is exactly where to catch every moment:

• Amazon Prime Video: The ACM Awards 2026 streamed live exclusively on Prime Video and is now available to stream on demand to all subscribers.
• Amazon Music & Twitch: Fans could also tune in on Amazon Music and Twitch as well as YouTube, reaching multiple platforms at the same time.
• Prime Video App: Stream on your smart TVs, phones, tablets, Fire TV and gaming consoles — just sign in with any Amazon account that has Prime membership.

No traditional cable subscription was needed to watch the ACM Awards 2026, which reflects the ongoing shift in how country music fans consume their biggest events.

Winners List of ACM Awards 2026

Here is the full breakdown of who took home trophies at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, category by category.

Entertainer of the Year

Winner: Cody Johnson

Cody Johnson took home the night’s biggest award, beating a star-studded field including Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and defending champ Lainey Wilson. Johnson’s win signals a shift — an independent-minded, traditional country artist proving that authenticity still wins at the highest level. He also became the first artist that night to win two trophies, having already claimed Male Artist of the Year earlier in the evening.

Female Artist of the Year

Winner: Ella Langley

This was the moment the MGM Grand Garden Arena stood up. Langley, visibly overwhelmed, took the stage and thanked each of her fellow nominees — Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and Megan Moroney — individually by name. “Thank you to the women in this category. To the women in this life,” she said through tears. Wilson had run over backstage to hug her and pray with her before she walked out. That kind of moment is why country music fans never really leave.

Male Artist of the Year

Winner: Cody Johnson

A clean double for Johnson. He won Male Artist of the Year over Luke Combs, Riley Green, Chris Stapleton, and Zach Top — a field that, on any other night, could have gone any direction. Johnson’s consistency on the road, his vocal power, and his refusal to compromise his sound made him the clear choice for ACM voters this year.

Album of the Year

Winner: Parker McCollum — Parker McCollum (Self-Titled)

Produced by Frank Liddell and Eric Masse and released on MCA Nashville, McCollum’s self-titled album beat out strong competition including Morgan Wallen’s I’m The Problem and Riley Green’s Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe). This is a significant win for McCollum, who has steadily built one of country music’s most devoted fanbases without ever chasing a trend.

Song of the Year

Winner: “Choosin’ Texas” — Ella Langley

“Choosin’ Texas” was the first award of the night, and it set the tone for Langley’s historic evening. It was written by Ella Langley, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert and Joybeth Taylor. The song crossed country and pop charts at the same time, bringing in fans way outside the normal country music listener. Lambert’s co-writing credit made the win feel like a passing of the torch from one generation to the next: He’s a young star with a big future ahead of him.

Songwriter of the Year

Winner: Jessie Jo Dillon

Dillon’s win is a reminder that the people writing the songs are just as important as the people singing them. Her pen has been behind some of country music’s most impactful recent releases, and the ACM’s Songwriter of the Year award is one of the few in the industry that exclusively honors the craft of writing. It is one of the most respected wins of the night inside Nashville’s music community.

New Male Artist of the Year

Winner: Tucker Wetmore

Announced ahead of the live telecast, Tucker Wetmore’s New Male Artist of the Year win confirmed what fans and industry insiders had been saying for over a year: this kid is built for country music. His voice carries the kind of grit and warmth that radio programmers and live audiences both respond to. Expect his name to be a major presence at the country music awards for years to come.

New Female Artist of the Year

Winner: Avery Anna

Also announced pre-show, Avery Anna’s win carries a certain full-circle poetry to it. Last year’s winner in this category was Ella Langley — who went on to become the biggest star of the 2026 ACM Awards night. Anna now steps into that same spotlight, with the kind of fan connection and vocal distinctiveness that suggests she could follow a similar trajectory.

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Ronnie Dunn: Country Music Royalty, Still Earning It

One of the loudest crowd reactions of the entire night came during the Duo of the Year presentation. When Brooks & Dunn — Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks — were named winners, the MGM Grand Garden Arena erupted.

Dunn’s acceptance speech was what country music is supposed to be. “I remember playing at a strip mall in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and thinking, ‘I’ve ruined my life,’ because I dropped out of college,” he told the crowd. We played here the other night for 80,000 people with Morgan Wallen. “There we go.” Brooks jumped in with the closer: “I don’t know why y’all aren’t getting sick of us — we love y’all.

FAQs: ACM Awards 2026

Q1. Who won Entertainer of the Year at the 2026 ACM Awards? 

Cody Johnson won Entertainer of the Year at the 61st Annual ACM Awards on May 17, 2026, beating out Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton, and Megan Moroney.

Q2. Who was the biggest winner at the ACM Awards 2026?

Ella Langley walked away with five awards — Female Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year, Artist-Songwriter of the Year, and Music Event of the Year.

Q3. Where can I watch the ACM Awards 2026 now? 

The full 61st ACM Awards show is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video on demand. You can watch all performances and award moments with an active Prime subscription.

Q4. Who hosted the ACM Awards 2026?

Country superstar Shania Twain hosted the 2026 ACM Awards for the very first time, marking a historic debut for the best-selling female country artist of all time.