The 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards are set for a major transformation, introducing a new host, a different venue, and a notable surge in female nominees, signaling a distinct evolution for the annual ceremony.
New Host and Venue
Country music legend Shania Twain will host the ACM Awards for the first time, taking over from Reba McEntire. The event is also moving to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, leaving behind the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, after three years.
When and Where to Watch
Scheduled for 17 May at 8 p.m. EDT, the ceremony will be streamed live on Prime Video, the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, and the Amazon Music app.
Nominees
Megan Moroney leads the nominations with nine, followed by Miranda Lambert, the most decorated artist in ACM history, with eight. Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson each have seven nominations. Chris Stapleton earned six, Zach Top five, and Cody Johnson four.
Entertainer of the year contenders include Moroney, Wilson, Stapleton, Johnson, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, and Morgan Wallen. Wilson won the top prize in 2025 for the second consecutive year.
Album of the year features Wallen's I'm the Problem, Top's Ain't In It For My Health, Riley Green's Don't Mind If I Do, Parker McCollum's Parker McCollum, and first-time nominee Carter Faith's Cherry Valley.
Other first-time nominees include 49 Winchester, Avery Anna, Mackenzie Carpenter, Hudson Westbrook, and Stephen Wilson Jr.
What's New This Year
Beyond the venue change and Twain's hosting debut, women dominate the nominations. Ashley McBryde commented on the trend: "I think it is so cool. But the music industry pitting women against one another? I am not sure that will ever stop. But we have managed to build a table and make it bigger, and now it is. I am looking forward to operating in the environment we built."
Unlike last year, no single song dominates. Single of the year nominees include Lambert and Stapleton's "A Song to Sing", Moroney's "Am I Okay?", Langley's "Choosin' Texas", Top's "I Never Lie", and Wilson's "Somewhere Over Laredo".
Performers
Confirmed performers include Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Zach Top, Carter Faith, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Riley Green, Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town, Blake Shelton, Dan + Shay, Jordan Davis, Kane Brown, The Red Clay Strays, Thomas Rhett, Avery Anna, and Tucker Wetmore.
