ACM Awards 2026
Ella Langley Owns The 2026 ACM Awards As Cody Johnson Takes Country's Biggest Honour
What a night for country music in Las Vegas… and what a moment for Ella Langley!
The rising superstar was the undisputed breakout winner at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards, taking home an incredible five ACM trophies in a career-defining night - while Cody Johnson claimed country music's biggest prize, Entertainer of the Year.
Hosted for the first time by Shania Twain at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, this year's ACM Awards delivered huge performances, emotional tributes, and major star power from beginning to end.
Ella Langley dominated the night with her smash hit "Choosin' Texas," which picked up both Song of the Year and Single of the Year. She also claimed Female Artist of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year, while her collaboration with Riley Green, "Don't Mind If I Do," was named Music Event of the Year.
Meanwhile, Cody Johnson capped off a phenomenal year by winning both Male Artist of the Year and the night's top honour - Entertainer of the Year - further cementing his place as one of country music's biggest modern stars
Other major winners included:
• Parker McCollum — Album of the Year
• The Red Clay Strays — Group of the Year
• Brooks & Dunn — Duo of the Year
• Avery Anna — New Female Artist of the Year
• Tucker Wetmore — New Male Artist of the Year
• Jessie Jo Dillon — Songwriter of the Year for a third straight year
Despite leading the entire field with an incredible nine nominations, there were no wins (this time) for Megan Moroney. Her nominations included Entertainer of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year, Music Event of the Year, Visual Media of the Year, and Artist-Songwriter of the Year - a remarkable achievement in itself.
And here at Country Hits, we firmly believe Megan's moment is coming!
The night also featured standout performances from Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton, Little Big Town, Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown and more, making it one of the strongest ACM shows in recent memory.