NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 60TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS: ELLA LANGLEY LEADS WITH EIGHT NODS

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — March 27, 2025 — The Academy of Country Music (ACM) and Dick Clark Productions (DCP) today announced nominations for the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards on TODAY, with Ella Langley, Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen, and Lainey Wilson receiving the most nominations. Hosted by 16-time ACM Award-winning entertainment icon Reba McEntire, the 60th ACM Awards will stream live exclusively for a global audience across 240+ countries and territories on Prime Video on Thursday, May 8 at 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT/5 p.m. PDT from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The monumental anniversary show will celebrate six decades of Country Music and feature unforgettable performances by the genre’s most legendary and multi-award-winning stars, including Blake Shelton, Eric Church, and Lainey Wilson.

A limited number of tickets to the 60th ACM Awards are available now at SeatGeek, offering fans exclusive entry into a night packed with their favorite Country stars performing the biggest hits.

Fans can also stream the Official ACM Awards playlist available now on Amazon Music in celebration of this year’s nominees. Fans can listen to country music’s biggest stars, such as Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, and Jelly Roll, directly on the Amazon Music app HERE.

The following is the full list of nominees for the ACM Main Awards, Studio Recording Awards, and Industry Awards categories:

MAIN AWARDS:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

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

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

• Kelsea Ballerini
• Ella Langley
• Megan Moroney
• Kacey Musgraves
• Lainey Wilson

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

• Luke Combs
• Cody Johnson
• Jelly Roll
• Chris Stapleton
• Morgan Wallen

DUO OF THE YEAR

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

GROUP OF THE YEAR

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

NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

• Kassi Ashton
• Ashley Cooke
• Dasha
• Ella Langley
• Jessie Murph

NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

• Gavin Adcock
• Shaboozey
• Zach Top
• Tucker Wetmore
• Bailey Zimmerman

NEW DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

• Restless Road
• The Red Clay Strays
• 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

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

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

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

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

Producer: Whale Tale Music

Directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney

ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

• Luke Combs
• ERNEST
• HARDY
• Morgan Wallen
• Lainey Wilson

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

• Jessi Alexander
• Jessie Jo Dillon
• Ashley Gorley
• Chase McGill
• Josh Osborne

NOMINEES IN NUMERICAL ORDER

Ella Langley (8): Female Artist of the Year; New Female Artist of the Year; Single of the Year; Song of the Year (Artist & Songwriter nominations); Music Event of the Year; Visual Media of the Year (Artist & Director nominations)

Cody Johnson (7): Entertainer of the Year; Male Artist of the Year; Single of the Year; Song of the Year; Music Event of the Year; Visual Media of the Year (x2)

Morgan Wallen (7): Entertainer of the Year; Male Artist of the Year; Single of the Year; Song of the Year (Artist & Songwriter nominations); Music Event of the Year; Artist-Songwriter of the Year

Lainey Wilson (7): Entertainer of the Year; Female Artist of the Year; Album of the Year; Song of the Year (Artist & Songwriter nominations); Visual Media of the Year; Artist-Songwriter of the Year

Chris Stapleton (6): Entertainer of the Year; Male Artist of the Year; Single of the Year (Artist & Producer nominations); Music Event of the Year; Visual Media of the Year

Riley Green (5): Single of the Year; Song of the Year (Artist and Songwriter nominations); Music Event of the Year; Visual Media of the Year

Post Malone (5): Album of the Year; Single of the Year; Song of the Year (Artist and Songwriter nominations); Music Event of the Year

Kelsea Ballerini (4): Entertainer of the Year; Female Artist of the Year; Music Event of the Year (Artist and Producer nominations)

Luke Combs (3): Entertainer of the Year; Male Artist of the Year; Artist-Songwriter of the Year

Kacey Musgraves (3): Female Artist of the Year; Song of the Year (Artist and Songwriter nominations)

Josh Osborne (3): Song of the Year (Songwriter nomination), Music Event of the Year (Producer nomination), Songwriter of the Year

Jelly Roll (3): Entertainer of the Year; Male Artist of the Year; Album of the Year

ERNEST (2): Song of the Year (Songwriter nomination); Artist-Songwriter of the Year

Ashley Gorley (2): Song of the Year (Songwriter nomination); Songwriter of the Year

Noah Kahan (2): Music Event of the Year (Artist and Producer nominations)

Megan Moroney (2): Female Artist of the Year; Album of the Year

Carly Pearce (2): Music Event of the Year (Artist and Producer nominations)

The Red Clay Strays (2): Group of the Year; New Duo or Group of the Year

Shaboozey (2): New Male Artist of the Year; Single of the Year

Zach Top (2): New Male Artist of the Year; Album of the Year

Carrie Underwood (2): Music Event of the Year; Visual Media of the Year

Gavin Adcock (1): New Male Artist of the Year

Jessi Alexander (1): Songwriter of the Year

Kassi Ashton (1): New Female Artist of the Year

Kristian Bush (1): Album of the Year (Producer nomination)

Brooks & Dunn (1): Duo of the Year

Brothers Osborne (1): Duo of the Year

Ashley Cooke (1): New Female Artist of the Year

Dan + Shay (1): Duo of the Year

Dasha (1): New Female Artist of the Year

Devin Dawson (1): Album of the Year (Producer nomination)

Jessie Jo Dillon (1): Songwriter of the Year

Flatland Cavalry (1): Group of the Year

HARDY (1): Artist-Songwriter of the Year

Little Big Town (1): Group of the Year

Chase McGill (1): Songwriter of the Year

mgk (1): Album of the Year (Producer nomination)

Jessie Murph (1): New Female Artist of the Year

Muscadine Bloodline (1): Duo of the Year

Old Dominion (1): Group of the Year

Rascal Flatts (1): Group of the Year

Restless Road (1): New Duo or Group of the Year

Morgane Stapelton (1): Single of the Year (Producer nomination)

Ryan Tedder (1): Album of the Year (Producer nomination)

Treaty Oak Revival (1): New Duo or Group of the Year

The War And Treaty (1): Duo of the Year

Tucker Wetmore (1): New Male Artist of the Year

Bailey Zimmerman (1): New Male Artist of the Year

The 2025 ACM Studio Recording Awards and Industry Awards will be presented to recipients at the 18th Academy of Country Music Honors, a special event held annually in August in Nashville. More details about this year’s show will be announced in the coming months.

STUDIO RECORDING AWARDS:

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• J.T. Cure
• Mark Hill
• Rachel Loy
• Tony Lucido
• Craig Young

DRUMMER OF THE YEAR

• Fred Eltringham
• Tommy Harden
• Evan Hutchings
• Aaron Sterling
• Nir Z

ACOUSTIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Tim Galloway
• Todd Lombardo
• Mac McAnally
• Bryan Sutton
• Ilya Toshinskiy

PIANO/KEYBOARDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Dave Cohen
• Ian Fitchuk
• Billy Justineau
• Gordon Mote
• Alex Wright

SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Dan Dugmore
• Jenee Fleenor
• Josh Matheny
• Justin Schipper
• Kristin Wilkinson

ELECTRIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Kris Donegan
• Jedd Hughes
• Brent Mason
• Sol Philcox-Littlefield
• Derek Wells

AUDIO ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

• Brandon Bell
• Drew Bollman
• Josh Ditty
• Buckley Miller
• F. Reid Shippen

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

• Dave Cobb
• Ian Fitchuk
• Charlie Handsome
• Jon Randall
• Alysa Vanderheym

INDUSTRY AWARDS:

CASINO OF THE YEAR – THEATER

• Deadwood Mountain Grand – Deadwood, SD
• Foxwoods Resort Casino – Mashantucket, CT
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort – Cherokee, NC
• The Theater at Virgin Hotels – Las Vegas, NV
• Yaamava’ Theater – Highland, CA

CASINO OF THE YEAR – ARENA

• Golden Nugget Lake Charles – Lake Charles, LA
• Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena – Atlantic City, NJ
• Harveys Lake Tahoe – Stateline, NV
• Mystic Lake Casino Showroom – Prior Lake, MN
• Turning Stone Resort Casino – Verona, NY

FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR

• C2C Country to Country – London, England
• CMC Rocks – Ipswich, Queensland
• Stagecoach Festival – Indio, CA
• Two Step Inn – Georgetown, TX
• Windy City Smokeout – Chicago, IL

FAIR/RODEO OF THE YEAR

• Calgary Stampede – Calgary, AB
• California Mid-State Fair – Paso Robles, CA
• Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, WY
• Minnesota State Fair – Falcon Heights, MN
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – Houston, TX

CLUB OF THE YEAR

• Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, TX
• Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville, TN
• Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK
• Georgia Theatre – Athens, GA
• Joe’s on Weed St. – Chicago, IL

THEATER OF THE YEAR

• The Caverns – Pelham, TN
• MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston, MA
• The Met Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA
• The Rave/Eagles Club – Milwaukee, WI
• Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, TN

OUTDOOR VENUE OF THE YEAR

• BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, NH
• CMAC – Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center – Canandaigua, NY
• Saint Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, FL
• The Wharf Amphitheater – Orange Beach, AL
• Whitewater Amphitheater – New Braunfels, TX

ARENA OF THE YEAR

• Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, TX
• Moody Center – Austin, TX
• TD Garden – Boston, MA
• Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center – Knoxville, TN
• Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, MI

DON ROMEO TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR

• Deana Baker
• Bobby Clay
• Gil Cunningham
• Weston Hebert
• Stacy Vee
• Taylor Williamson

PROMOTER OF THE YEAR

• Brent Fedrizzi
• Alex Maxwell
• Patrick McDill
• Anna-Sophie Mertens
• Rich Schaefer
• Aaron Spalding

The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music, and Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as executive producers for DCP. John Saade will also continue to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.

Established in 1966, the Academy of Country Music Awards is the longest-running Country Music awards show and made history in 2022 as the first major awards ceremony to exclusively livestream, in partnership with Prime Video. This year’s show marks its return to Texas for the third consecutive year.

Follow the Academy of Country Music on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, join the conversation with #ACMawards, and sign up for the FREE ACM A-List for the latest news and updates in your email inbox.

About the Academy of Country Music:

Founded in Southern California in 1964 as a regional trade organization, the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC (ACM) has grown in the 60 years since into a leading association for the Country Music industry. Headquartered in Nashville, TN and boasting record-high membership of more than 5,000 worldwide, the Academy serves as a powerhouse advocate for Country fans, artists, and all facets of the business, as well as a supporter of philanthropic work through charitable partner ACM LIFTING LIVES, dedicated to improving lives through the power of music and providing aid in times of need, with a focus on health initiatives. 2025 is a landmark year for the Academy with the 60th ACM Awards, hosted by entertainment icon Reba McEntire, returning to the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys in Texas for a third consecutive year and streaming live for a global audience on Prime Video. The Academy also remains relentlessly committed to creating a more inclusive environment for underrepresented groups in Country Music, from the boardroom to the stage, and proudly presents ACM LEVel Up, a two-year professional development and enrichment curriculum for rising leaders, among other initiatives. For more information, visit ACMcountry.com or ACMLiftingLives.org. 

About Dick Clark Productions:

Dick Clark Productions (DCP) is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming including the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest,” “Golden Globes,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” from 19 Entertainment and DCP, and “Streamy Awards.” Dick Clark Productions owns one of the world’s most extensive and unique entertainment archive libraries with more than 60 years of award-winning shows, historic specials, performances, and legendary programming. Dick Clark Productions is owned by Penske Media Corporation, in a subsidiary joint venture between Penske Media and Eldridge. Dick Clark Productions is a Penske Media company. For more information, please visit DickClark.com.

About Prime Video: 

Prime Video is a first-stop entertainment destination offering customers a vast collection of premium programming in one app available across thousands of devices. On Prime Video, customers can customize their viewing experience and find their favorite movies, series, documentaries, and live sports – including Amazon MGM Studios-produced series and movies Red One, Road House, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, Reacher, The Boys, Cross, and The Idea of You; licensed fan favorites; Prime member exclusive access to coverage of live sports including Thursday Night Football, WNBA, and NWSL, and acclaimed sports documentaries including Bye Bye Barry and Kelce; and programming from partners such as Apple TV+, Max, Crunchyroll and MGM+ via Prime Video add-on subscriptions, as well as more than 500 free ad-supported (FAST) Channels. Prime members in the U.S. can share a variety of benefits, including Prime Video, by using Amazon Household. Prime Video is one benefit among many that provides savings, convenience, and entertainment as part of the Prime membership. All customers, regardless of whether they have a Prime membership or not, can rent or buy titles via the Prime Video Store, and can enjoy even more content for free with ads. Customers can also go behind the scenes of their favorite movies and series with exclusive X-Ray access. For more info visit www.amazon.com/primevideo.

About The Star:

The Star is the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and training facility in Frisco, Texas. Developed as a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of Frisco, Frisco ISD and the Dallas Cowboys, The Star features Ford Center, a 12,000-seat indoor stadium and entertainment venue that hosts Frisco ISD football games, concerts, the prestigious Academy of Country Music Awards, the Dallas Open – an official ATP 500 tournament, and other special events; Cowboys Fit, a 60,000 square-foot gym developed in partnership with leading fitness developer, Mark Mastrov; Cowboys Club, a members-only club where the country club meets the NFL; the Omni Frisco Hotel, a 16-floor, 300-room luxury hotel; Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star, a 300,000 square-foot center of excellence for sports medicine; Twelve Cowboys Way, a 17-story, luxury residential tower in partnership between Pro Football Hall-of-Fame Quarterback #12 Roger Staubach, and Dallas-based developer and former Dallas Cowboys center, Robert Shaw; Formation, a dynamic coworking experience offering a collaborative work environment of open workspace, dedicated desks and private offices; as well as a variety of shopping, dining and nightlife options throughout The Star District. For more information on The Star, visit www.TheStarInFrisco.com.