The ACM has announced additional performers and new event details for this year’s ACM Awards Week lineup, which will take place leading up to the 61st ACM Awards on May 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Keith Urban will headline “ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash” at Mandalay Bay Beach on May 16. Urban joins previously announced performers Flatland Cavalry, Ashley Cooke, Dasha, Braxton Keith and Tucker Wetmore, as well as members of the Opry NextStage Class of 2026 Willow Avalon, Graham Barham, Tyler Braden, Alexandra Kay, Vincent Mason, Emily Ann Roberts and Hudson Westbrook on the show.

Additionally, Avery Anna, The Band Perry, Jenna Paulette and Caroline Jones have been announced as performers for the “Whiskey Jam Welcome Party” on May 14, a free ACM Awards welcome party open to both fans and industry alike held at Ole Red Las Vegas. Additional performers will be announced for the “Whiskey Jam Welcome Party” soon.

“Whiskey Jam Welcome Party” joins the previously announced ACM Awards Week events including the “ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash” and “ACM Lifting Lives Country on the Green: Riley Green & Friends” at Topgolf Las Vegas on May 15. The event will feature an up-close concert experience with headliner Green, alongside Lauren Alaina, Rodney Atkins, and Randy Houser. Tickets are available at $200 for VIP Early Access to General Admission doors and $150 for General Admission at AXS.com. Proceeds benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic partner of the Academy of Country Music.

SoFi, Kelsea Ballerini and CMA have partnered to launch the Amplify Your Ambitions Contest.

Today through April 30, artists can enter here for a chance to win the $200,000 grand prize or one of two $50,000 runner-up prizes. Three finalists will be selected by a panel of judges that includes Ballerini, Shane McAnally and Vivian Tu, SoFi’s Chief of Financial Empowerment and New York Times bestselling author. The winner will be revealed on June 4, when all three finalists perform in front of the judges at an intimate concert in Nashville.

“I know firsthand how much it takes to build a career in music, especially when you’re funding it on your own,” shares Ballerini. “That’s why I’m excited to partner with SoFi on this. We’re looking for artists with passion, determination, and a strong sense of who they are, artists who are not only committed to their craft but thoughtful about how they invest in themselves and their music.”

“At SoFi, we’re focused on helping people take control of their financial futures,” adds Lauren Staffor Webb, SoFi Chief Marketing Officer. “Our partnership with Kelsea and CMA reflects a shared commitment to investing in the next generation of artists and the fans who support them. As the presenting sponsor for CMA Fest, we’re extending our commitment by empowering SoFi members with the financial tools and support they need to build stability, grow their money, and make meaningful progress towards long term goals.”

More information about all eligibility requirements can be found here.

The Music Fights Fraud Alliance, the industry’s united coalition to fight fraud, recently welcomed 12 new member companies, announced new leadership and has expanded its mission to address publishing-specific fraud as it continues to evolve to address fraud across the industry.

Having more than doubled its membership since 2025 to more than 35 organizations across the global music supply chain, the Alliance now reflects a significant share of the world’s digital music traffic, enabling a more unified approach to mitigate and deter suspicious and fraudulent activity.

To guide member growth and expansion, the Alliance announced its new elected leaders who will help govern the nonprofit this year. Stephen White, Chief Product Officer at EMPIRE, will serve as Chair, and Darren Owen, Chief Operating Officer at FUGA, was elected as Treasurer. Portia Sabin, President of the Music Business Association, and Patra Sinner, General Counsel at Symphonic, will continue to serve respectively as Vice Chair and Secretary.

The new leadership team will oversee the Alliance’s most significant growth to date, welcoming 12 new members who represent a diverse cross-section of the industry. The new members are ASCAP, Believe Music Publishing, Ditto Music, GEMA, GYROGroup, ICE Services, Limbo Music, Roc Nation Distribution, SOCAN, Songtrust, SonoSuite and SoundExchange.

“Our success is dependent on being as inclusive and as reflective of the music industry as possible,” says Michael Lewan, Executive Director of the Music Fights Fraud Alliance. “As we continue to grow and expand our reach, the Alliance is better positioned to deliver solutions that strengthen the supply chain and protect all creators and rights holders.”

Jamey Johnson. Photo: David McClister

Jamey Johnson will hit the road on his “Traveling Truebadour” headlining tour, kicking off this May.

The tour begins on May 8 at the Anderson Music Hall in Hiawassee, Georgia, and currently runs through Oct. 11 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. Thirty-one shows have been announced, with more being added. The run will also make stops in Virginia, Texas, Illinois and many more.

Tickets go on sale Friday (April 17).

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of his major label debut, The Dollar. The tour will feature songs from his latest album, Midnight Gasoline, new music from his upcoming album and fan-favorite hits.

Traveling Truebadour Tour Dates: 
Fri, May 8 | Hiawassee, GA | Anderson Music Hall
Fri, May 22 | Quapaw, OK | Downstream Casino Resort – Indoor Pavilion
Sat, May 23 | Richmond, MO | Branded Outdoor Theater
Wed, June 3 | Wheeling, WV | The Capitol Theatre*
Thurs, June 4 | Farmington, PA | Timber Rock Amphitheatre*
Fri, June 5 | Charlotte, NC | The TD Amp Ballantyne
Sat, June 6 | Paris, TN | Tennessee River Jam ^
Thurs, June 11 | Chesterfield, MO | The Chesterfield Amphitheater*
Fri, June 12 | Sheffield, IL | Psycho Silo Saloon*
Thurs, July 9 | Fort Loramie, OH | Country Concert At Hickory Hill Lakes•
Fri, July 10 | Bethlehem, PA | Wind Creek Event Center
Sat, July 11 | Danville, VA | The Pantheon at Caesars Virginia*
Sat, July 25 | Bowler, WI | North Star Mohican Casino*
Fri, July 31 | Lake Charles, LA | Golden Nugget Lake Charles*
Sat, August 1 | Bossier City, LA | Paradise Theater at Margaritaville Resort Casino*
Sat, August 8 | Detroit Lakes, MN | WE Fest•
Sun, August 9 | Vale, SD | Full Throttle Saloon^
Thurs, August 13 | Shipshewana, IN | Blue Gate Performing Arts Center*
Sat, August 15 | French Lick, IN | French Lick Resort
Fri, September 4 | Fort Worth, TX | Billy Bob’s Texas*
Sat, September 5 | Grant, OK | Choctaw Casino Stage 271*
Fri, September 11 | New Haven, KY | The Amp at Log Still*
Sat, September 12 | Petros, TN | Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary
Sat, September 19 | Effingham, IL | Effingham Performance Center*
Sun, September 20 | Marion, IL | Marion Cultural and Civic Center*
Fri, October 2 | Gautier, MS | The Sound Amphitheater *
Sat, October 3 | Pine Bluff, AR | Saracen Event Center at Saracen Casino Resort %
Thurs, October 8 | Bristol, VA | Hard Rock Live Bristol*
Fri, October 9 | Charles Town, WV | The Event Center at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races*
Sat, October 10 | Atlantic City, NJ | Tropicana Atlantic City – Tropicana Showroom*
Sun, October 11 | Verona, NY | Turning Stone Resort Casino – Event Center*
* On Sale Friday, April 17 at 10 a.m. local time
• Festival
^ Free Event
% On Sale Date TBD

Ketch Secor

Abramorama has acquired the North American theatrical rights to Louder Than Guns, a documentary from Executive Producers Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, Former NPR Morning Edition host David Greene, and director Doug Pray. 

The film will open on May 8 at DCTV Firehouse Cinema in New York City, followed by a North American rollout to additional cities. In addition to the rollout, the film’s creators will co-present in Nashville with Voices for a Safer Tennessee, a non-profit committed to protecting communities and respecting the Second Amendment. On May 18, a 60-minute version of the film will air on PBS Nashville and affiliate stations as part of the celebrated Reel South documentary series.

Louder Than Guns moves the heated conversation around gun violence and firearm safety in America away from political divisiveness and toward real dialogue.The film is a journey through rural, urban, and suburban America that humanizes all sides of this country’s polarized gun debate through the power of music, civil discourse, and unexpected common ground. The film tackles the extremely complicated and sensitive subject of gun violence with an open and all-encompassing approach, inviting people with different points of view to share their thoughts and experiences in conversation without judgment.

The impetus for Louder Than Guns began in the wake of another horrific mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville. Immediately afterward, Secor felt compelled to speak out on gun reform. He wrote an op-ed in the New York Times entitled, “Country Music Can Lead America Out of Its Obsession with Guns” which caught the attention of Ketch’s friend, public radio journalist David Greene, and the two set out to start an open dialogue about gun rights and gun violence in America. Film director Doug Pray followed Ketch and Greene as the band toured rural and urban communities, naming the documentary Louder Than Guns after a song Ketch wrote for the victims of the Covenant shooting.

“After the Covenant shooting, I felt like silence was no longer an option,” says Secor. “But I also knew that shouting into the void wasn’t the answer. What David and I set out to find – and what Doug so beautifully captured – is the possibility of real conversation in a country that feels like it’s forgotten how to have one. Music has always been how Americans talk to each other across divides, and I believe it still can be.”

“Louder Than Guns is exactly the kind of film we believe in — one that meets audiences where they are and opens a door rather than closing one,” says Abramorama’s Damon G. Smith, SVP of Business Growth and Creative Strategy andKarol Martesko-Fenster, CEO/President. “Ketch, David, and Doug have created something genuinely rare: a film about one of America’s most divisive issues that leaves you feeling connected rather than combative. We’re proud to bring it to theaters nationwide.”

“Firearms affect everyone, but nobody wants to talk about it with people they might disagree with,” says director Doug Pray. “I’ve made a lot of documentaries about subjects that are easily stereotyped, misunderstood, or dismissed. Making this film while trying to keep an open mind to all sides of the gun safety debate was hard. But after a while, I realized we all agree more than we disagree. Music helped inspire the talking, and I hope audiences will be moved to continue the conversation.”

“After 25 years of covering this country’s hardest stories,” says Executive Producer David Greene. “I’ve learned that the most important thing a journalist can do is listen. That’s what this film is — an act of listening. Ketch and I didn’t set out to change anyone’s mind. We set out to understand, and what we found gave me more hope than I expected.”