2025 ACM Awards: Winners list and more, explored

60th Academy of Country Music Awards - Press Room - Source: Getty
2025 ACM Awards winners explored - Image Source: Getty

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.


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Edited by Sezal Srivastava