2025 ACM Awards: Winners list and more, explored

The 60th Annual Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards returned to the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on May 8, 2025.

The night was hosted by country icon Reba McEntire. The event celebrated the past, present, and future of country music with a notable lineup and significant recognitions.

Ella Langley was leading the nominations with eight nods. Beloved artist Lainey Wilson clinched some of the 2025 ACM's top categories, including Entertainer of the Year.

The ACM Awards were first held in 1966. It is one of the oldest honors in country music. This year, the awards reflected a balance between honoring veterans like Brooks & Dunn and recognizing relatively rising names like Zach Top and The Red Clay Strays.

Notably, Ella Langley entered with the most nominations this year and she left with five wins, including New Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Music Event of the Year, and Visual Media of the Year. These awards are all for her collaboration with Riley Green, you look like you love me.

On the other hand, Lainey Wilson was named Entertainer of the Year for the second year in a row. She also collected four wins. In addition to the top honor, she was awarded Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Whirlwind, and Artist-Songwriter of the Year.

List of winners and nominees at the 2025 ACM Awards

As reported by Variety, winners and nominees of the 2025 ACM, based on varied categories, are as follows:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

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

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Kelsea Ballerini
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson – WINNER

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton – WINNER
Morgan Wallen

DUO OF THE YEAR

Brooks & Dunn – WINNER
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Muscadine Bloodline
The War And Treaty

GROUP OF THE YEAR

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

NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Kassi Ashton
Ashley Cooke
Dasha
Ella Langley – WINNER
Jessie Murph

NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Gavin Adcock
Shaboozey
Zach Top – WINNER
Tucker Wetmore
Bailey Zimmerman

NEW DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

Restless Road
The Red Clay Strays – WINNER
Treaty Oak Revival

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

“Am I Okay? (I’ll Be Fine)” – Megan Moroney
Producer: Kristian Bush
Record Company-Label: Columbia Records / Sony Music Nashville
“Beautifully Broken” – Jelly Roll
Producers: BazeXX, Brock Berryhill, Zach Crowell, Devin Dawson, Charlie Handsome, Ben Johnson, mgk, The Monsters & Strangerz, Austin Nivarel, SlimXX, Ryan Tedder, Isaiah Tejada, Alysa Vanderheym
Record Company-Label: BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville / Republic Records
“Cold Beer & Country Music” – Zach Top
Producer: Carson Chamberlain
Record Company-Label: Leo33
“F-1 Trillion” – Post Malone
Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins
Record Company-Label: Mercury Records / Republic Records
“Whirlwind” – Lainey Wilson – WINNER
Producer: Jay Joyce
Record Company-Label: BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville

SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey
Producers: Sean Cook, Nevin Sastry
Record Company-Label: American Dogwood / EMPIRE
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson
Producer: Trent Willmon
Record Company-Label: CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins
Record Company-Label: Mercury Records / Republic Records
“White Horse” – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton
Record Company-Label: Mercury Nashville
“You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green – WINNER
Producer: Will Bundy
Record Company-Label: SAWGOD / Columbia Records

SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

“4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson
Songwriters: Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere, Lainey Wilson
Publishers: Louisiana Lady; One Tooth Productions; Reservoir 416; Songs of One Riot Music; Sony/ATV Accent
“The Architect” – Kacey Musgraves
Songwriters: Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves, Josh Osborne
Publishers: Songs for Indy and Owl; Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson – WINNER
Songwriter: Josh Phillips
Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing; Write or Die Music; Write the Lightning Publishing
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
Songwriters: Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith, Morgan Wallen, Chandler Paul Walters, Ryan Vojtesak
Publishers: Bell Ear Publishing; Master of my Domain Music; Poppy’s Picks; Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing; Universal Music Corporation
“You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green
Songwriters: Riley Green, Ella Langley, Aaron Raitiere
Publishers: Back 40 Publishing International; Langley Publishing; One Tooth Productions; Sony/ATV Tree; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp

MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

“Cowboys Cry Too” – Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan
Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan, Alysa Vanderheym
Record Company-Label: Black River Entertainment
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins
Record Company-Label: Mercury Records / Republic Records
“I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood
Producer: Trent Willmon
Record Company-Label: CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville
“We Don’t Fight Anymore” – Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton
Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce
Record Company-Label: Big Machine Records
“You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green – WINNER
Producer: Will Bundy
Record Company-Label: SAWGOD / Columbia Records

VISUAL MEDIA OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]

“4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson
Producer: Jennifer Ansell
Director: Dano Cerny
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson
Producer: Dustin Haney
Director: Dustin Haney
“I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood
Producers: Christen Pinkston, Wesley Stebbins-Perry
Director: Dustin Haney
“Think I’m In Love With You” – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Wes Edwards, Angie Lorenz, Jamie Stratakis
Director: Running Bear (Stephen Kinigopoulos, Alexa Stone)
“You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green – WINNER
Producer: Whale Tale Music
Directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney

ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Luke Combs
ERNEST
HARDY
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson – WINNER

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Jessi Alexander
Jessie Jo Dillon – WINNER
Ashley Gorley
Chase McGill
Josh Osborne

Per Billboard, winners of some categories, such as Festival of the Year, Electric Guitar Player of the Year, Theater of the Year, and more are yet to be announced.