The biggest night in Country music is finally here as the ACM Awards 2026 is all set to take place on May 17, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
As for the nominations, women are absolutely running the table and a country legend is hosting the ceremony for the very first time as Shania Twain steps into the hosting podium. Here is everything you need to know about this anticipated night, and who all could go home with an award
The nominations for ACM Awards 2026
Megan Moroney is the most-nominated artist in the ACM Awards 2026 with nine nods, Miranda Lambert follows with eight, and both Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson are right behind at seven each and that’s four women leading the entire field. The performances are stacked too, with Blake Shelton, Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and a lot more taking the stage.
The Entertainer of the Year race is genuinely hard to call as Lainey Wilson is the back-to-back defending champion, having taken it home in both 2024 and 2025. If she wins again tonight, she becomes the first woman ever to win Entertainer of the Year three consecutive years and nobody in ACM history has done that.
Alabama won it five years straight from 1982 to 1986, and Kenny Chesney and Garth Brooks each had four-peat runs, but no woman has ever pulled off three in a row. Luke Combs is also in the mix, and a win for him at the ACM Awards 2026 would complete his ACM Triple Crown as he already has New Male Artist and Male Artist of the Year on his shelf. That would also make him the 12th Triple Crown recipient, joining the company of people like Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and Chris Stapleton.
Also in the Entertainer field: Megan Moroney with her first-ever nomination in the category, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, and Morgan Wallen.
Female Artist of the Year looks a bit more settled. Ella Langley has had a remarkable run with her album Dandelion topped the Billboard 200, and Megan Moroney is the other likely contender. Wilson, though defending champion here too, may split votes with the newer faces.
For Male Artist, Chris Stapleton leads predictions for a sixth career win in the category, though Riley Green is getting some love as a potential upset. Song of the Year feels like it belongs to Choosin’ Texas by Langley as the song has been inescapable, and its dominance on charts and streaming makes it hard to bet against.
A few earlier pre-show awards have already been handed out: Tucker Wetmore won New Male Artist of the Year, Avery Anna took New Female Artist, Ella Langley received the Artist-Songwriter honor, and Stephen Wilson Jr. won Visual Media for Cuckoo.
Where can you watch the ACM Awards 2026?
You can watch the ACM Awards 2026 live tonight starting at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video and you do not need an Amazon Prime subscription. The show streams completely free to anyone with a basic Amazon account, which costs nothing to create.
It also airs simultaneously on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. Following the live broadcast, the full show will be available on demand on Prime Video starting Monday, May 18, at 8 p.m. ET.
If you want to be in the room, tickets are available through AXS.com, though getting in last-minute for a sold-out Vegas arena show is its own adventure.
Edited by Nibir Konwar