2025 Academy of Country Music Awards Nominees Announced

The nominations for the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) have officially been unveiled, generating excitement among country music fans and industry insiders alike.

Leading Nominees

This year’s frontrunner is newcomer Ella Langley, who has received an impressive total of eight nominations. Close behind are seasoned nominees, including Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson, and Cody Johnson, each with seven nods, while Chris Stapleton follows with six nominations. Notable artists Post Malone and Riley Green are also in the running with five nominations each.

Competitive Categories

Wallen, Wilson, Johnson, Stapleton, along with Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, and Jelly Roll, vie for the prestigious title of Entertainer of the Year. Meanwhile, Langley is not only competing for Female Artist of the Year but is also nominated for New Female Artist of the Year, largely thanks to her collaboration with Riley Green on the hit song “you look like you love me.”

Triple Crown Consideration

If Luke Combs secures the win for Entertainer of the Year, he will achieve the coveted Triple Crown Award, which recognizes artists who have been named Entertainer of the Year, as well as having won in their respective new artist categories. Previous Triple Crown honorees include Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, and Carrie Underwood.

Performances and Host

Lainey Wilson, the reigning Entertainer of the Year, is among the artists scheduled to perform during the 60th ACM Awards alongside Blake Shelton and Eric Church. The ceremony will be hosted by Reba McEntire, a celebrated 16-time ACM winner, and will be available for live streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video on Thursday, May 8, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. The event will take place at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

Award Categories Overview

Below is the complete list of key nominations for the 2025 ACM Awards:

Main Awards

Entertainer of the Year

• Kelsea Ballerini
• Luke Combs
• Cody Johnson
• Jelly Roll
• Chris Stapleton
• Morgan Wallen
• Lainey Wilson

Female Artist of the Year

• Kelsea Ballerini
• Ella Langley
• Megan Moroney
• Kacey Musgraves
• Lainey Wilson

Male Artist of the Year

• Luke Combs
• Cody Johnson
• Jelly Roll
• Chris Stapleton
• Morgan Wallen

Duo of the Year

• Brooks & Dunn
• Brothers Osborne
• Dan + Shay
• Muscadine Bloodline
• The War and Treaty

Group of the Year

• Flatland Cavalry
• Little Big Town
• Old Dominion
• Rascal Flatts
• The Red Clay Strays

New Female Artist of the Year

• Kassi Ashton
• Ashley Cooke
• Dasha
• Ella Langley
• Jessie Murph

New Male Artist of the Year

• Gavin Adcock
• Shaboozey
• Zach Top
• Tucker Wetmore
• Bailey Zimmerman

New Duo or Group of the Year

• Restless Road
• The Red Clay Strays
• Treaty Oak Revival

Album of the Year

• Am I Okay? (I’ll Be Fine) – Megan Moroney
• Beautifully Broken – Jelly Roll
• Cold Beer & Country Music – Zach Top
• F-1 Trillion – Post Malone
• Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson

Single of the Year

• A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey
• Dirt Cheap – Cody Johnson
• I Had Some Help – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
• White Horse – Chris Stapleton
• you look like you love me – Ella Langley, Riley Green

Song of the Year

• 4x4xU – Lainey Wilson
• The Architect – Kacey Musgraves
• Dirt Cheap – Cody Johnson
• I Had Some Help – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
• you look like you love me – Ella Langley, Riley Green

Music Event of the Year

• Cowboys Cry Too – Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan
• I Had Some Help – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
• I’m Gonna Love You – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood
• we don’t fight anymore – Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton
• you look like you love me – Ella Langley, Riley Green

Visual Media of the Year

• 4x4xU – Lainey Wilson
• Dirt Cheap – Cody Johnson
• I’m Gonna Love You – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood
• Think I’m In Love With You – Chris Stapleton
• you look like you love me – Ella Langley, Riley Green

Artist-Songwriter of the Year

• Luke Combs
• ERNEST
• HARDY
• Morgan Wallen
• Lainey Wilson

Songwriter of the Year

• Jessi Alexander
• Jessie Jo Dillon
• Ashley Gorley
• Chase McGill
• Josh Osborne

Studio Recording Awards

Bass Player of the Year

• J.T. Cure
• Mark Hill
• Rachel Loy
• Tony Lucido
• Craig Young

Drummer of the Year

• Fred Eltringham
• Tommy Harden
• Evan Hutchings
• Aaron Sterling
• Nir Z

Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year

• Tim Galloway
• Todd Lombardo
• Mac McAnally
• Bryan Sutton
• Ilya Toshinskiy

Piano/Keyboards Player of the Year

• Dave Cohen
• Ian Fitchuk
• Billy Justineau
• Gordon Mote
• Alex Wright

Specialty Instrument Player of the Year

• Dan Dugmore
• Jenee Fleenor
• Josh Matheny
• Justin Schipper
• Kristin Wilkinson

Electric Guitar Player of the Year

• Kris Donegan
• Jedd Hughes
• Brent Mason
• Sol Philcox-Littlefield
• Derek Wells

Audio Engineer of the Year

• Brandon Bell
• Drew Bollman
• Josh Ditty
• Buckley Miller
• F. Reid Shippen

Producer of the Year

• Dave Cobb
• Ian Fitchuk
• Charlie Handsome
• Jon Randall
• Alysa Vanderheym

Industry Awards

Casino of the Year – Theater

• Deadwood Mountain Grand – Deadwood, SD
• Foxwoods Resort Casino – Mashantucket, CT
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort – Cherokee, NC
• The Theater at Virgin Hotels – Las Vegas, NV
• Yaamava’ Theater – Highland, CA

Casino of the Year – Arena

• Golden Nugget Lake Charles – Lake Charles, LA
• Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena – Atlantic City, NJ
• Harveys Lake Tahoe – Stateline, NV
• Mystic Lake Casino Showroom – Prior Lake, MN
• Turning Stone Resort Casino – Verona, NY

Festival of the Year

• C2C Country to Country – London, England
• CMC Rocks – Ipswich, Queensland
• Stagecoach Festival – Indio, CA
• Two Step Inn – Georgetown, TX
• Windy City Smokeout – Chicago, IL

Fair/Rodeo of the Year

• Calgary Stampede – Calgary, AB
• California Mid-State Fair – Paso Robles, CA
• Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, WY
• Minnesota State Fair – Falcon Heights, MN
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – Houston, TX

Club of the Year

• Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, TX
• Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville, TN
• Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK
• Georgia Theatre – Athens, GA
• Joe’s on Weed St. – Chicago, IL

Theater of the Year

• The Caverns – Pelham, TN
• MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston, MA
• The Met Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA
• The Rave/Eagles Club – Milwaukee, WI
• Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, TN

Outdoor Venue of the Year

• BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, NH
• CMAC – Canandaigua, NY
• Saint Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, FL
• The Wharf Amphitheater – Orange Beach, AL
• Whitewater Amphitheater – New Braunfels, TX

Arena of the Year

• Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, TX
• Moody Center – Austin, TX
• TD Garden – Boston, MA
• Thompson-Boling Arena – Knoxville, TN
• Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, MI

Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year

• Deana Baker
• Bobby Clay
• Gil Cunningham
• Weston Hebert
• Stacy Vee
• Taylor Williamson

Promoter of the Year

• Brent Fedrizzi
• Alex Maxwell
• Patrick McDill
• Anna-Sophie Mertens
• Rich Schaefer
• Aaron Spalding

For a comprehensive look at all nominations and additional information regarding the event, please visit the Hollywood Reporter.