Ella Langley led the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards with five wins, and Lainey Wilson earned four, including her second consecutive Entertainer of the Year award. The May 8, 2025 ceremony recognized 15 member-voted categories; other radio, industry, studio and special awards were announced separately during the awards cycle.
Who won the ACM Awards 2025?
The 60th ACM Awards ceremony took place May 8, 2025, at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Reba McEntire hosted. The Academy said the event streamed internationally on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, reaching more than 240 countries and territories. The Academy’s ceremony announcement and main winners list covers the 15 categories voted on by members.
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Langley’s five wins included New Female Artist of the Year and three awards connected to “you look like you love me,” which she recorded with Riley Green. Green shared those three song-related wins. Wilson’s four awards included Entertainer of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year.
Winners in the 15 member-voted categories
| Category | Winner | Work and credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Lainey Wilson | Whirlwind; producer: Jay Joyce; label: BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville |
| Single of the Year | Ella Langley and Riley Green | “you look like you love me”; producer: Will Bundy; label: SAWGOD / Columbia Records |
| Song of the Year | Cody Johnson | “Dirt Cheap”; songwriter: Josh Phillips |
| Visual Media of the Year | Ella Langley and Riley Green | “you look like you love me”; producer: Will Bundy; label: SAWGOD / Columbia Records |
| Songwriter of the Year | Jessie Jo Dillon | |
| Artist-Songwriter of the Year | Lainey Wilson | |
| Music Event of the Year | Ella Langley and Riley Green | “you look like you love me”; producer: Will Bundy; label: SAWGOD / Columbia Records |
Accepting Female Artist of the Year, Wilson said, “the girls are kicking down some barn doors—and I love it!” The Academy also reported that Alan Jackson received the inaugural Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award at the main-show event.
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Radio Award winners announced before the ceremony
The Academy announced the radio winners on April 17, 2025, ahead of the May ceremony. Its release gives the winners below but does not assign a market-size qualifier to every individual in its compact list; these are presented without inferred subcategories. See the Academy’s Radio Award announcement.
On-Air Personality of the Year
- Big D and Bubba (Big D & Bubba)
- Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase (Crook & Chase Countdown)
- Josh Holleman, Rachael Hunter and Steve Grunwald (Josh, Rachael and Grunwald In The Morning, WYCD, Detroit)
- Big Dave and Stattman (The Big Dave Show, WUBE, Cincinnati)
- Joey Tack and Nancy Barger (Joey & Nancy, WIVK, Knoxville)
- Brent Lane and Mel McCrae (The Cat Pak Morning Show, WYCT, Pensacola)
Radio Station of the Year
- KYGO (Denver)
- WQDR (Raleigh)
- WIVK (Knoxville)
- WXBQ (Bristol)
Industry and Studio Recording Award winners
Announced July 8, 2025, these results recognize venues and live-music professionals alongside recording musicians and production talent. The Academy’s Industry and Studio Recording Awards announcement lists the winners.
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Industry Awards
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Casino of the Year—Theater | The Theater at Virgin Hotels (Las Vegas) |
| Casino of the Year—Arena | Harveys Lake Tahoe (Stateline) |
| Festival of the Year | Windy City Smokeout (Chicago) |
| Fair/Rodeo of the Year | Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo |
| Club of the Year | Joe’s on Weed St. (Chicago) |
| Theater of the Year | The Caverns (Pelham) |
| Outdoor Venue of the Year | BankNH Pavilion (Gilford) |
| Arena of the Year | Moody Center (Austin) |
| Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year | Gil Cunningham of Neste Live |
| Promoter of the Year | Aaron Spalding of Live Nation |
Studio Recording Awards
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Bass Player (tie) | Mark Hill and Craig Young |
| Drummer | Aaron Sterling |
| Acoustic Guitar Player | Tim Galloway |
| Electric Guitar Player | Brent Mason |
| Piano/Keyboards | Alex Wright |
| Specialty Instrument(s) | Jenee Fleenor |
| Audio Engineer | Drew Bollman |
| Producer | Dave Cobb |
Special award honorees in the 2025 awards cycle
The Academy announced these special honorees on July 9, after the May ceremony. They are distinct from the 15 member-voted categories listed above. Read the Academy’s special award announcement.
| Award | Honoree |
|---|---|
| ACM Film Award | Twisters |
| Icon Award | Eric Church and Ben Vaughn |
| International Award | Luke Combs |
| Lift Every Voice | Rissi Palmer |
| Lifting Lives | Jelly Roll |
| Milestone Award | Randy Travis |
| Poet’s Award | Mac McAnally |
| Service Award | Lori Badgett |
| Spirit Award | Cody Johnson |
| Artist-Songwriter of the Year | Lainey Wilson |
| Songwriter of the Year | Jessie Jo Dillon |
The Academy’s Film Award announcement says Twisters: The Album contains 29 original tracks.
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