The Academy of Country Music Awards takes place next month, and the biggest artists in country music, along with country music fans, will descend upon Las Vegas to honor the music, performances, and artists that make country music the hottest genre of 2026.
Leading Women
For the first time, women are leading the nominations for the ACMs, with Megan Moroney at the forefront with nine nominations, including Entertainer of the Year and Female Artist of the Year.
Miranda Lambert follows with eight nominations, and Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson, with seven nominations each, round out the top four most-nominated artists.
Newcomers Langley and Wilson have seen a meteoric rise in their music careers. Langley won ACM awards in 2025 for her hit song with Riley Green, “You Look Like You Love Me,” for Music Event of the Year, Single of the Year, and Visual Media of the Year.
Wilson is doubling back after winning four ACMs last year. This will be her third nomination for Entertainer of the Year. She won the award the past two years, and in 2025, she faces stiff competition from Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton, Megan Moroney, Cody Johnson, Luke Combs, and Jelly Roll, all vying for this year’s honor.
Both Lambert and Megan Moroney hope to continue building their careers for the 2026 ACM Awards. Miranda is nominated for Female Artist of the Year, Song, Visual Media, and Event of the Year (A Song to Sing ft. Chris Stapleton)
Megan Moroney, fresh off her latest album, “Cloud 9,” is coming in strong for 2026 with several nominations for Song of the Year (Am I Okay?), Single of the Year (6 Months Later), Music Event of the Year (“You Had to Be There” ft. Kenny Chesney), Visual Media of the Year, Artist Songwriter of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year.
Don’t Miss These ACM Performers
Moroney will no doubt be putting in overtime at the ACMs. In addition to being the most-nominated artist at the ACMs, she will also take the stage to perform. Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, and Riley Green are also slated to perform.
If you’re not lucky enough to snag an ACM ticket, then there are events leading up to the big day. On Friday (May 15), Riley Green will host an event at the Las Vegas Topgolf that includes performances by Lauren Alaina, Rodney Atkins, and Randy Houser.
On Saturday (May 16), fans can check out ACM’s Next Wave Country Beach Bash at the Mandalay Bay Beach and Wave Pool with performances from Braxton Keith, Dasha, Flatland Cavalry, Tucker Wetmore, and Ashley Cooke, along with members from the 2026 Opry NextStage class.
How to Watch the ACMs
If you can’t get to Vegas for ACM weekend, then the awards will stream live May 17 on Twitch, Amazon Music Channel, and Prime Video starting at 5 p.m. PT/7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET.
