60th Academy of Country Music Awards
| 60th Academy of Country Music Awards | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date | May 8, 2025 |
| Location | Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas |
| Hosted by | Reba McEntire |
| Most wins | Ella Langley (5) |
| Most nominations | Ella Langley (7) |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | Prime Video |
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards were held on May 8, 2025, at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Reba McEntire returned as host.[1]
Background
On November 2, 2023, the Academy of Country Music announced that it would renew its partnership with Prime Video through 2025.[2][3] Reba McEntire hosted the ceremony for the eighteenth time. In press releases, ACM started that the ceremony would "celebrate six decades of Country Music and feature unforgettable performances by the genre's most legendary and multi-award-winning stars".[4] Radio personality Bobby Bones conducted candid interviews with artists throughout the show.
First time nominee, Ella Langley, led with seven nominations, including one as a director of her music video, she was followed by Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen, and Lainey Wilson with six nominations each.[5] Langley would win the most awards of the ceremony with five, two as both an artist of her music video and as a director.[6]
Triple Crown Award
On May 5, 2025, ACM announced that Keith Urban would be honored with the ACM Triple Crown Award. The honor distinguishes the achievement of an artist, duo or group who have received all of the ACM's three artist awards, the New Artist award, Male/Female Artist or Duo/Group award, and Entertainer of the Year awards.[7]
Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award
During the ceremony, Reba McEntire surprised the audience with announcement of the inaugural Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award.[8] Along with a special performance by Alan Jackson, the award's eponymous and inaugural honoree. The award will continue to recognize an iconic artist, duo, or group that has achieved both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, philanthropy, record sales, streaming numbers, and public representation.[9]
Winners and nominees
The nominees were revealed on March 27, 2025.[10] The eligibility period for submissions for the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards ran from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024.[11]
Special awards
| Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award | Triple Crown Award |
|---|---|
Performers
| Performer(s) | Song |
|---|---|
| Reba McEntire Clint Black Wynonna Judd LeAnn Rimes Little Big Town Dan + Shay |
Songs of the Decades Medley "Okie From Muskogee" "Rhinestone Cowboy" "Why Not Me" "Blue" "Girl Crush" "Tequila" |
| Eric Church | "Hands of Time" |
| Miranda Lambert Ella Langley |
"Run" "Kerosene" |
| Zach Top | "Use Me" |
| Blake Shelton | "Texas" |
| Lainey Wilson | "Whirlwind" |
| Kelsea Ballerini | "Baggage" |
| Chris Stapleton | "It Takes a Woman" |
| Ella Langley | "Weren't for the Wind" |
| Alan Jackson | Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award "Remember When" |
| Jelly Roll Shaboozey |
"Heart of Stone" "Amen" |
| Megan Moroney Chris Stapleton Brothers Osborne Keith Urban |
Honoring Triple Crown Award winner Keith Urban "Stupid Boy" "Blue Ain't Your Color" "Where the Blacktop Ends" |
| Cody Johnson Brooks & Dunn |
"The Fall" "Red Dirt Road" |
| Reba McEntire Miranda Lambert Lainey Wilson |
"Trailblazer" |
| Rascal Flatts Backstreet Boys |
"What Hurts the Most" "I Dare You" "Larger than Life" "Life Is a Highway" |
Presenters
- Lionel Richie – presented Song of the Year
- Riley Green – introduced New Male Artist of the Year, Zach Top
- The Oak Ridge Boys – presented Group of the Year
- Clint Black – presented Male Artist of the Year
- Kristian Bush of Sugarland – presented Duo of the Year
- Gabby Barrett – introduced New Female Artist of the Year, Ella Langley
- Reba McEntire – presented Single of the Year and the Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award to Alan Jackson
- Carly Pearce – recognized ACM Lifting Lives and St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital
- Martina McBride, Gretchen Wilson, Sara Evans, Crystal Gayle, and Wynonna Judd – presented Female Artist of the Year
- Ernest – introduced Jelly Roll and Shaboozey
- Amber Anderson and Kelly Sutton – recognized Dasha as Amazon Music's "Breakthrough Artist"
- Little Big Town – presented Album of the Year
- Jordan Davis and Chase Elliott – introduced Cody Johnson
- Lee Ann Womack and Parker McCollum – presented Musical Event of the Year
- Rita Wilson – introduced Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson
- Blake Shelton – presented Entertainer of the Year
Milestones
- Ella Langley received the most nominations of any artist in their first year of being nominated with seven total. Langley also holds the record for most wins for any artist in their first year of being nominated with five.
- Kelsea Ballerini received her first nomination for Entertainer of the Year.
- Lainey Wilson's win for Entertainer of the Year marked her second consecutive year winning the award, making her the third woman to win the award consecutively, following Taylor Swift in 2011 and 2012, and Carrie Underwood in 2009 and 2010. With her additional wins for Female Artist of the Year and Album of the Year, Wilson became the second woman in history to win all three awards in the same ceremony, following Loretta Lynn who did the same in 1976.
- Brooks & Dunn won Duo of the Year for the first time since 2009. Increasing their win count to a record seventeenth win in the category; increasing their own record and bringing their ACM Award count to thirty-one.
References
- ↑ Dunn, Jack (July 16, 2024). "Reba McEntire to Host 60th Academy of Country Music Awards for Amazon Prime Video in May". Variety. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
- ↑ Vlessing, Etan (November 2, 2023). "ACM Awards Renews Prime Video Deal Through 2025". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ↑ Pedersen, Erik (November 2, 2023). "Academy of Country Music Awards & Prime Video Extend TV Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ↑ "Blake Shelton, Eric Church, and Lainey Wilson Kick-Off Performance Rollout for Milestone 60th Academy of Country Music Awards". Academy of Country Music Awards. March 24, 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
- ↑ Grein, Paul (March 27, 2025). "Ella Langley Tops 2025 ACM Awards Nominations: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ↑ Chung, Gabrielle (May 9, 2025). "ACM Awards 2025 Winners: Complete List". E!. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ↑ "KEITH URBAN TO BE HONORED WITH ACM TRIPLE CROWN AWARD AT THE 60TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS". www.acmcountry.com. May 5, 2025. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
- ↑ Hudak, Joseph (May 8, 2025). "Alan Jackson to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at 2025 ACMs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (May 9, 2025). "Alan Jackson Receives Eponymous ACM Lifetime Achievement Award & Performs 'Remember When'". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ↑ West, Bryan (April 16, 2025). "ACM Awards nominations: Ella Langley, Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen among top nominees. See the full list". The Tennessean. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ↑ Grein, Paul (November 14, 2024). "Here's the Submissions & Voting Timeline for 2025 ACM Awards". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ↑ Willman, Chris (March 24, 2025). "Lainey Wilson, Blake Shelton, Eric Church Set as Performers for May's ACM Awards Show". Variety. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
- ↑ "ALAN JACKSON, BROOKS & DUNN, CHRIS STAPLETON, CLINT BLACK, CODY JOHNSON, KELSEA BALLERINI, LEANN RIMES, MIRANDA LAMBERT, RASCAL FLATTS, AND WYNONNA JUDD TO PERFORM AT THE 60TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS". www.acmcountry.com. April 24, 2025. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ↑ "SPECIAL PERFORMANCES AND CAN'T MISS COLLABORATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 60TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS". www.acmcountry.com. May 1, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025.