• Ella Langley was the night’s biggest winner, taking home seven trophies across five categories at the 61st ACM Awards
• Kacey Musgraves made her ACM Awards performance debut with a scene-stealing, innuendo-packed rendition of “Dry Spell”
• Shania Twain hosted the Las Vegas ceremony for the first time, delivering multiple costume changes throughout the night
• Cody Johnson won Entertainer of the Year, while Riley Green and Parker McCollum also took home hardware
• The red carpet delivered major fashion moments from Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Kelsea Ballerini and more

Las Vegas had a lot to celebrate Sunday night. The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards took over the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 17, and from the red carpet to the final trophy, it was one of the most memorable nights country music has had in years.

Ella Langley was the undeniable queen of the evening, walking away with seven trophies across five categories — including Artist-Songwriter of the Year, which she claimed before the show even began. The “Choosing Texas” singer-songwriter has been on a record-breaking run, and Sunday only added to it. Cody Johnson had his own massive night, picking up two key wins including Entertainer of the Year. Riley Green and Parker McCollum also took home awards.

But the trophies were only part of the story.

Kacey Musgraves Finally Takes the ACM Stage — and Makes It Unforgettable

Despite being a seven-time ACM winner, Kacey Musgraves had never actually performed at the show — until now. The 37-year-old East Texas native made her ACM Awards performance debut with “Dry Spell,” the lead single from her seventh studio album Middle of Nowhere, and she committed fully to the bit.

The set was styled like a country mart grocery store, and Musgraves opened the number perched on a washing machine — a direct nod to the song’s most memorable lyric. She tossed sausage into a grocery buggy, worked the aisles, and delivered the song’s cascade of innuendo with the kind of deadpan comedic timing that only she can pull off. For the performance, she traded the oversized camo hoodie from the music video for a white tank top, Daisy Dukes, and strappy silver heels.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=NlohfwTunwU%3Ffeature%3Doembed

“911, it’s officially a cry for help / Y’all, I’m going through a dry spell, yep,” she sang, and the crowd — and the internet — had feelings about it. The reaction was split almost immediately, which honestly felt like the whole point. Musgraves has always understood that polarizing and forgettable are not the same thing.

“If you do have a unique sound or unique style or perspective to offer, you’re going to be told that it’s too different or that it’s not going to work or it doesn’t make sense,” Musgraves said after her 2019 ACM wins for Female Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for Golden Hour. “And that’s, truthfully, just the industry being lazy.”

“Dry Spell” — which she co-wrote with Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne, and produced with longtime collaborators Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk — has reached No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100. Musgraves wasn’t nominated for an award this year, but she didn’t need a trophy to own the room.

Her appearance also carried an added layer of significance. Middle of Nowhere, which dropped March 11, features “Horses and Divorces,” a Texas dancehall-inspired duet with Miranda Lambert that put a long-rumored feud firmly to rest. The two co-wrote the track with Shane McAnally, and it debuted at No. 84 on the Hot 100 — making Musgraves and Lambert the first artists in over a decade to debut on that chart with an all-female country duet.

“My heart was beating so fast because I’m a crazy country music fan, and these two women are my Dolly and Loretta,” McAnally told Variety. “And they both switched roles; I’m not saying who is who, but there was no ego in it. They have so much respect for each other, and I got to be a part of what I really do believe is history.”

The Red Carpet Was Its Own Show

Before the performances and the trophies, the MGM Grand Garden Arena red carpet delivered a full fashion showcase — and the country girls showed up.

Musgraves set the tone early, arriving in a strapless black velvet Tanner Fletcher fall 2026 gown with ivory ruffled trim and a sweetheart neckline. She wore her dark hair in brushed-out waves with a small kiss curl on her forehead, added a red lip and winged liner, and finished with pearl drop earrings. It was a full vintage pinup moment — precise, considered, and completely her.

Lainey Wilson, who recently married Devlin “Duck” Hodges, arrived in a strapless coral Marmar Halim gown with a fringe skirt — ditching her trademark Stetson for gold chandelier earrings and signaling what feels like a new style chapter. Kelsea Ballerini came in a cream Roberto Cavalli gown with a corseted bodice and gold foliage print, her honey-blonde waves accessorized with a matching gold foliage piece.

Ella Langley wore a bridal-inspired white corseted gown with a statement lariat necklace featuring a gold flower — a tribute to her album Dandelion. Shaboozey kept it cool in a black leather trench coat, faded matching pants, half-buttoned white shirt, silver chains, and a black cowboy hat. Thomas Rhett arrived in a mocha suit with an ivory knit polo, complementing wife Lauren Akins, who wore a polka-dot Rodarte midi-dress with bow details.

And then there was host Shania Twain, who walked the carpet in a show-stopping silver strapless Falguni Shane Peacock gown — beaded palm-tree embroidery, a sequin panther across the skirt, and dramatic elbow-length leather gloves with grommet details — before proceeding to change outfits multiple times throughout the night. Twain, who called Las Vegas “a place that feels like home,” was hosting the ACM Awards for the first time, and she clearly came prepared.

The full show is available to stream on demand on Prime Video starting Monday. And if Musgraves sitting on a washing machine at the ACMs isn’t the image that defines country music’s 2026 moment, it’s hard to imagine what would be.

The post ACM Awards 2026: Best Looks, Moments and Winners appeared first on Cream.

• Ella Langley swept all seven of her nominations at the 2026 ACM Awards, including Song, Single, and Female Artist of the Year
• Cody Johnson won Entertainer of the Year — his first — and dedicated the award to fellow nominee Luke Combs
• The 61st ceremony moved back to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, hosted for the first time by Shania Twain
• Parker McCollum pulled off a surprise Album of the Year win over Morgan Wallen and others
• Blake Shelton closed the night with a tribute to the late Don Schlitz, performing Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler”

Ella Langley walked into the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday night and didn’t stop walking back to the stage. By the time the night was over at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, she had collected seven trophies — every single nomination she had — making her the undisputed story of the evening even before Cody Johnson claimed the one prize she wasn’t up for.

It started with the very first award of the night. Michael Bublé presented Langley with Song of the Year for “Choosin’ Texas,” the crossover smash that’s turned her into one of country’s biggest names. She was visibly caught off guard. “I’m not at a loss for words very often,” she said from the podium. “Thank you to the fans. I don’t know why you latched on to this song, but thank you for doing it. I never would have imagined to even dream for it.”

Less than an hour later, she was back up there for Single of the Year — same song. Then she joined Riley Green as their duet “Don’t Mind if I Do” took Music Event of the Year. And then came Female Artist of the Year, her fourth trophy of the broadcast. Her voice cracked as she tried to speak. “I’m trying to get to say something, but I can’t,” she managed. “I would not be standing up here without the encouragement of so many women.”

Before the cameras even rolled Sunday night, Langley had already picked up Artist-Songwriter of the Year in the pre-show. Seven for seven. And for what it’s worth, her currently bestselling album Dandelion missed the eligibility window entirely — which means she’s already a frontrunner for Album of the Year at the 2027 ceremony.

Cody Johnson’s First Entertainer of the Year — and the Dedication Nobody Saw Coming

The top prize of the night went to Johnson, 38, on his third nomination for Entertainer of the Year and his first win. He’d already taken home Male Artist of the Year earlier in the evening, where he delivered one of the night’s most talked-about performances — a powerhouse, emotionally raw rendition of “Travelin’ Soldier” that reminded everyone exactly why he was in that conversation.

But his Entertainer of the Year speech is what people will be talking about. Johnson told the crowd he had a dedication they “probably didn’t expect” — and then he gave it to fellow nominee Luke Combs.

“There’s a man that was up for this award that I personally watched devote his life to country music,” Johnson said. “I was there the night in Australia when his wife gave birth to one of their sons. And I watched the anguish, I watched the defeat on his face for not being there, because he was across the world playing music in a sold-out arena. The next night, right after, I watched him get on stage and absolutely murder the stage, and go on stage and play country music and preach the message of country music to a bunch of Australians across the world.”

“So, tonight I want to dedicate my first Entertainer of the Year award to my buddy, Luke Combs. I love you, brother.”

Johnson was a supporting act on Combs’ 2023 world tour. The moment he referenced — Combs missing the birth of his son Beau while performing in Australia — Combs himself spoke about publicly at the time. Combs and his wife Nicole are now parents to three boys: Tex, Beau, and Chet, born this past February.

Earlier in his speech, Johnson reached back to his childhood: “When I was a little kid, I remember my mom walked in my room, and I had a little microphone duct-taped to the side of my bunk bed, and I had a guitar with no strings on it, and I was singing a Rick Trevino song. All I’ve ever wanted to do was be in front of a crowd and entertain.” He went on to call music “the greatest drug that has ever been introduced on planet Earth.”

Johnson’s upcoming 10th studio album, Banks of the Trinity, drops June 26. His single “The Fall” — which topped the US Country Airplay charts ahead of the show — follows his previous number ones “Til You Can’t” and “The Painter.”

Shania Takes the Helm, and a Big Night for Country’s Women

The show itself was a genuine event. Shania Twain hosted for the first time — taking over from Reba McEntire, who had held that post 18 times — and she walked out to her 1997 anthem “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” before getting reflective in her opening remarks. She talked about winning her first ACM Award 30 years ago, her first top 10 hit at age 30, and then turned her attention squarely to the women in the room. “Make it loud for all our sheroes,” she cheered. She also congratulated Lainey Wilson on her wedding, which had taken place just the Sunday before.

Wilson, the two-time reigning Entertainer of the Year, opened the broadcast with “Can’t Sit Still,” her latest single — an anthemic, big-swing song about ambition that was exactly the right way to kick things off. Miranda Lambert, the most-decorated artist in ACM Awards history, performed “Crisco.” Thomas Rhett and Jordan Davis teamed up for “Ain’t A Bad Life.” Avery Anna debuted “Bang Bang,” a country-rock reimagination of Nancy Sinatra’s classic. Zach Top did “Honky Tonk Till It Hurts.” Little Big Town brought “Hey There Sunshine.” The Red Clay Strays, who later won Group of the Year, delivered “Demons in Your Choir.”

Kacey Musgraves was a highlight, performing “Dry Spell” from her upcoming Middle of Nowhere album atop a washing machine and in a grocery store — her particular brand of cheeky staging landing perfectly. Langley performed “Be Her” acoustically. Carter Faith’s “If I Had Never Lost My Mind” was a vocal standout. Kane Brown delivered “Woman.” Tucker Wetmore, who won New Male Artist of the Year in the pre-show, performed “Brunette” on the broadcast.

McCollum Pulls the Upset, and a Closing Tribute

Album of the Year was the night’s biggest competitive surprise. Parker McCollum took it for his self-titled 2025 release, beating Morgan Wallen’s blockbuster I’m the Problem, Zach Top’s Ain’t In It for My Health, Riley Green’s Don’t Mind If I Do, and first-time nominee Carter Faith’s Cherry Valley. McCollum and Lee Ann Womack also dueted “Killin’ Me” from that album during the show.

Brooks & Dunn won Duo of the Year, with Kix Brooks offering the night’s most self-aware line: “I don’t know why y’all aren’t getting sick of us, but we love y’all.”

Jessie Jo Dillon made history in the pre-show, winning Songwriter of the Year for the third consecutive time — the first artist ever to do so. Avery Anna and Tucker Wetmore took New Female and New Male Artist of the Year, respectively. Stephen Wilson Jr. won Visual Media of the Year for “Cuckoo.”

The night closed with two final performances carrying real weight. Dan + Shay performed “Say So,” dedicated to Ben Vaughn, the late Warner Chappell president and CEO. Then Blake Shelton took the stage for a powerful cover of “The Gambler” — written by the late Don Schlitz, the country music legend who died last month, and most famously recorded by Kenny Rogers in 1978. The song went five-times platinum and helped crack open country music to mainstream pop audiences. It was a fitting, quietly moving way to end the night.

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