Megan Moroney tops the nominations as Shania Twain makes her ACM debut in Las Vegas
The Academy of Country Music Awards are back in Las Vegas on Sunday night, and the 61st ceremony arrives with a new host at the podium, a venue that has long been part of the show’s identity and a nominations landscape dominated by country music’s women for the second consecutive year.
Shania Twain takes over as host
After Reba McEntire spent nearly two decades as the face of the ACM Awards ceremony, Shania Twain steps into the host role for the first time on Sunday. Twain is no stranger to winning at the Academy of Country Music, having collected Album of the Year in 1996 for The Woman in Me, Entertainer of the Year in 2000, the Double-Diamond Award in 1999 and the ACM Poet’s Award in 2022. Taking on hosting duties puts her on the other side of the telecast for the first time, and she arrives fresh off releasing a new song, Dirty Rosie, earlier in the week.
When, where and how to watch
The ceremony begins Sunday, May 17, at 8 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. PT from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This marks the show’s return to Nevada after three consecutive years at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Prime Video and Amazon Music will carry the show live, and no Amazon Prime subscription is required to watch. The ceremony will also stream on Twitch. For anyone who misses the broadcast, it will be available to watch on demand on Prime Video beginning Monday, May 18, at 8 p.m. ET.
The performers taking the stage
The Sunday lineup spans several generations and corners of the format. Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, Ella Langley, Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton, Cody Johnson, Riley Green, Thomas Rhett, Little Big Town, Dan + Shay, Kane Brown, Jordan Davis, Zach Top, Carter Faith, The Red Clay Strays, Avery Anna and Tucker Wetmore are all scheduled to perform. Musgraves will play a new single from her album Middle of Nowhere.
Megan Moroney leads the nominations race
Megan Moroney enters Sunday’s ceremony as the evening’s top nominee with nine nominations, including Entertainer of the Year and Single of the Year for her song Am I Okay? She is also in the running for Female Artist of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year, among others. Her nomination total continues a trend: Ella Langley led the field last year with eight nominations, keeping women at the center of the ACM conversation for back-to-back cycles.
The Entertainer of the Year race is crowded, featuring Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson alongside Moroney. The Female Artist of the Year category puts Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney and Lainey Wilson in direct competition. Male Artist of the Year contenders are Luke Combs, Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Zach Top.
Song of the Year nominees include Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton’s A Song To Sing, Megan Moroney’s Am I Okay?, Ella Langley’s Choosin’ Texas, Zach Top’s I Never Lie and Lainey Wilson’s Somewhere Over Laredo. Album of the Year features Zach Top’s Ain’t In It For My Health, Carter Faith’s Cherry Valley, Riley Green’s Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe), Morgan Wallen’s I’m The Problem and a self-titled release from Parker McCollum.
The Music Event of the Year nominees recognize collaborative recordings from the year, with entries from Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton, Shaboozey and Jelly Roll, Riley Green and Ella Langley, Megan Moroney and Kenny Chesney, and a three-way collaboration pairing Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson on Trailblazer.
The show begins Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video, and no subscription is needed to tune in.