The 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards, hosted by the iconic Reba McEntire, aired Thursday night, May 8th, on Prime Video at 8 p.m. EST. The annual awards show kicked off with a medley of songs that had won the ceremony’s Song of the Year award over various decades. Those watching witnessed the likes of Reba McEntire, Clint Black, Dan + Shay, Wynonna Judd, LeAnn Rimes, and Little Big Town come together to pay homage to the previous winners in that category. What else went down at this year’s ACM awards? Let’s dig into what went down during the 60th year of this iconic award show!
This Year’s ACM Awards
Other than the 12-minute medley of classic country hits sung at the show’s top, there were many other performances throughout the night at this year’s ACM Awards. Collaborations during the show included:
- Miranda Lambert and Ella Langley sang a duet of Lambert’s smash hit “Kerosene.”
- Brooks and Dunn were joined by Cody Johnson to perform their hit song “Red Dirt Road.”
- Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, and host Reba McEntire got together to debut their new single “Trailblazer.”
- Jelly Roll and Shaboozey performed their epic collaboration “Amen.”
- Chris Stapleton performed his hit single “It Takes a Woman” with none other than his wife, Morgane Stapleton.
- Rascal Flatts and the Backstreet Boys teamed up to perform a medley of hits, including the Rascal Flatts hit “What Hurts the Most” and the iconic Backstreet Boys song “Larger than Life.”
These incredible collaborations were not the only performances on the ACM Awards, as there was an array of individual performances from the likes of:
- LeAnn Rimes returned to sing “Blue”.
- Miranda Lambert performed again, this time with her son, “Run”.
- Eric Church shared his new single “Hands of Time.”
- Ella Langley sang her current hit song, “Weren’t For The Wind.”
- Cody Johnson sang his song “The Fall” off his new album Leather.
- Blake Shelton sang his song “Texas,” perfect for the occasion being hosted in the Lone Star State
- Kelsea Ballerini performed a song off her latest album, “Baggage.”
- Lainey Wilson captivated the audience with a performance of the track off her current album, “Whirlwind.”
- Zach Top performed the fan favorite “Use Me.”
Celebrated Stars
In addition to those incredible performances, the ACM Awards showcased Chris Stapleton, Megan Moroney, and Brothers Osborne performing a medley of Keith Urban’s hit songs as Urban received the “Triple Crown Award.” Additionally, Alan Jackson received the new ACM Lifetime Achievement Award named after him and performed his 2003 hit song “Remember When.”
Award Winners
Presenters for this year’s ACM awards include a wide variety of previous ACM Award-winning artists, including Carly Pearce, The Oak Ridge Boys, Jordan Davis, Gabby Barrett, and more! We know that Alan Jackson took home the inaugural “Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award,” and Keith Urban was presented with the “Triple Crown Award,” so who else took home something special?
Entertainer of the Year: Lainey Wilson
Female Artist of the Year: Lainey Wilson
Male Artist of the Year: Chris Stapleton
Duo of the Year: Brooks & Dunn
Group of the Year: Old Dominion
New Female Artist of the Year: Ella Langley
New Male Artist of the Year: Zach Top
New Duo or Group of the Year: The Red Clay Strays
Album of the Year: “Whirlwind” from Lainey Wilson, produced by Jay Joyce from the record company label BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville.
Single of the Year: “You Look Like You Love Me” from Ella Langley and Riley Green. Produced by Will Bundy at the record company label SAWGOD/ Columbia Records.
Song of the Year: “Dirt Cheap” from Cody Johnson, songwriter Josh Phillips, and publishers Warner-Tamerlane Publishing, Write or Die Music, and Write the Lightning Publishing.
Visual Media of the Year: “You Look Like You Love Me” from Ella Langley and Riley Green. Produced by Will Bundy and record company label SAWGOD/Columbia Records.
Songwriter of the Year: Jessie Jo Dillion
Artist-Songwriter of the Year: Lainey Wilson
Music Event of the Year: “You Look Like You Love Me” from Ella Langley and Riley Green, produced by Will Bundy and Record Company Label: SAWGOD/Columbia Records.
Final Thoughts
With performances by 26 legendary artists, Ella Langley taking home the most wins of the night, Lainey Wilson being named ACM Entertainer of the Year, and Alan Jackson accepting the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in his name, the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards was a night of star-studded success for the world of country music! Capturing the essence of country music, the 2025 ACM Awards showcased the incredible community of artists, making it a memorable night for fans and musicians!
