Lainey Wilson, Ella Langley Dominate At The 60th ACM Awards [Recap]

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Lainey Wilson onstage at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 08, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.

The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards took place last night (May 8), streaming live from The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Reba McEntire returned as host for the milestone event, which was broadcast internationally via Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.

The show opened with an electric, 12-minute medley celebrating 60 years of ACM Song of the Year winners. Reba kicked it off with “Okie from Muskogee,” followed by Clint Black on “Rhinestone Cowboy,” Wynonna Judd with “Why Not Me,” LeAnn Rimes on “Blue,” Little Big Town with “Girl Crush” and Dan + Shay with “Tequila.” The segment set the tone for a night full of nods to the genre’s past while spotlighting the current generation of hitmakers.

Ella Langley at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 08, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.

Texas native Cody Johnson took home the first award of the night: ACM Song of the Year for “Dirt Cheap.” The song’s sole writer, Josh Phillips, joined him on stage to accept.

Eric Church delivered a moody performance of his new single “Hands of Time” before Miranda Lambert offered “Run,” then welcomed Ella Langley onstage for a fiery rendition of “Kerosene” to mark the 20th anniversary of the hit. Langley paid tribute to the song’s original music video by wearing a white tank top emblazoned with “Mama Tried.”

Zach Top followed with a strong acoustic take on “Use Me,” holding the arena’s attention with a stripped-down setup.

Old Dominion won ACM Group of the Year for the eighth year in a row, breaking Rascal Flatts’ record for most consecutive wins in the category. The award brings their ACM tally to 10.

Blake Shelton performed his recent No. 1 “Texas” before Lainey Wilson delivered “Whirlwind,” showcasing her power as a live performer.

Ronnie Dunn, Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 08, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.

Chris Stapleton earned ACM Male Artist of the Year for the second year running, and fifth time overall. He dedicated the award to the late Ben Vaughn, the beloved music executive who passed earlier this year.

In a brief in-show memorial, McEntire recognized those the country community lost in the past year, including Joe Bonsall, Melba Montgomery, Vaughn and Karl Dean.

Brooks & Dunn were named ACM Duo of the Year—marking their first win in the category in 15 years and extending their record to 17 total wins in the category. They expressed heartfelt thanks during their speech, joking that the fans had been “paying [our] rent for the past 30 years.”

Kelsea Ballerini performed “Baggage,” and Stapleton returned to the stage with Morgane Stapleton for a duet on “It Takes A Woman.” Langley reappeared for a performance of “Weren’t For The Wind.”

Shortly after, she took home ACM Single of the Year for “You Look Like You Love Me,” which had already won Visual Media of the Year ahead of the livestream. Langley, Riley Green and producer Will Bundy accepted the award together, marveling at the success of a song with “talking in the verses.”

Alan Jackson onstage at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 08, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.

Alan Jackson was honored with the inaugural Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award. He performed “Remember When” and gave a gracious speech reflecting on his journey: “I came to Nashville with a paper sack full of songs and a crazy dream…. all these years later, receiving an honor like this is mind-blowing.”

Wilson later picked up ACM Female Artist of the Year for the third consecutive year. She thanked her fellow nominees and added, “The girls are kicking down some barn doors—and I love it.”

Jelly Roll gave a gospel-infused performance of “Heart of Stone” before joining Shaboozey, who celebrated his birthday on show day, for a performance of “Amen.”

Later in the show, Stapleton, Megan Moroney and Brothers Osborne honored Keith Urban with a tribute performance featuring “Stupid Boy,” “Blue Ain’t Your Color” and “Where the Blacktop Ends”—the latter featuring Urban himself joining in. Urban was recognized with the ACM Triple Crown Award, which celebrates artists who’ve won New Artist of the Year, Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year.

Keith Urban at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 08, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.

Lainey Wilson also won ACM Album of the Year for Whirlwind.

Cody Johnson returned to perform “The Fall,” then joined Brooks & Dunn for a duet on “Red Dirt Road.”

Langley and Green reappeared once more to accept ACM Music Event of the Year for “You Look Like You Love Me.”

Toward the end of the show, McEntire, Lambert and Wilson debuted their collaborative track “Trailblazer” live for the first time.

Wilson was then named ACM Entertainer of the Year for the second year in a row, making her the third woman in ACM history to earn back-to-back wins in the category. In her speech, she acknowledged that she was feeling imposter syndrome and said she’s learning to receive recognition with an open heart.

The show closed on a high-energy note with a surprise set from Rascal Flatts and the Backstreet Boys, who teamed up for a medley that included “What Hurts the Most,” “I Dare You,” “Larger Than Life” and “Life is a Highway.”

LB Cantrell
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