It’s ACM Week, y’all.
This week, country music’s elite will flock to Frisco, Texas, to attend the Academy of Country Music Awards. The Awards show has many events in Texas leading up to the award show night including free concerts for country music fans at The Star in Frisco, or if you’re looking to boot scoot and boogie at the world’s largest honky tonk, Jelly Roll and friends announced a show at Billy Bob’s on Tuesday, May 6th.
It’s a big week for country music stars, but some might have more nerves than others walking into the awards shows on Thursday night. Ella Langley is one artist to watch as she received the most nominations this year, racking up eight in total. She’s already won in two categories: New Female Artist of the Year and Visual Media of the Year for her hit duet with Riley Green, “You Look Like You Love Me.”
She will be one to watch this year, and it appears that she might be on track to be this year’s big winner and breakout star.
While Langley might be nervous given the number of awards she’s nominated for, some other artists might also be nervous, as their nominations put them in a position to break a record or two.
Thanks to data collected by VegasInsider.com, these are the artists eligible to set a new record at the 60th ACM Awards.
The ACM Record Book
Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn currently hold the record for most wins in the Duo of the Year category. This year, they could extend their record and take home the award for the 17th time. If not, they will remain the category’s leaders with 16 wins under their belt.
They could also extend their record for the most award-winning duo in ACM history. With 30 awards to their name, being named Duo of the Year would make their grand total of awards 31.
That’s a lot of ACM wins.
Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton might join an elite club on Thursday night if he wins Male Artist of the Year. He would join three other artists who have won this award more than five times. Brad Paisley and George Strait have won five times, and Merle Haggard won six times. Stapleton has been given this honorable award four times in his career, but Thursday might add a fifth.
Stapleton received a few other nominations this year, which means he has a chance to break the record for most wins among a male solo artist. George Strait currently holds the record with 24 Academy of Country Music Awards to his name. While Stapleton has won 20 awards, given that he received six nominations this year, he could break Strait’s record if he’s on a winning streak.
The King will always be The King, but if Stapleton can set a new record, it will solidify his status as one of the best modern-day country artists.
Lainey Wilson
The Bell Bottom Country star has undoubtedly shaken up the scene over the last few years, not only for her look but also for her authentic country-to-the-core sound. Lainey Wilson is a born entertainer, and if she wins Entertainer of the Year this year, she will become the first woman in over a decade to have won Entertainer of the Year two years in a row. The last woman to achieve this was Taylor Swift, who won the honor in 2011 and 2012.
Wilson also had the chance to become the third solo female artist to win Album of the Year on multiple occasions. Wilson first won this honor in 2023 with Bell Bottom Country, and given the success of Whirlwind, I think she has a strong chance of making this a reality. Other women who are members of this elite club include Miranda Lambert, who has won five Album of the Year awards, and Kacey Musgraves, who holds two.
Luke Combs
If he takes home Entertainer of the Year, Luke Combs could finally win the Triple Crown of country music awards. Combs is one of the few artists who has been nominated for New Male Artist of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year. While Combs has won both New Male Artist and Male Artist of the Year, he has yet to close the deal with an Entertainer of the Year win.
Combs has been nominated for this award six times without winning, so hopefully, 2025 will be his year to close out this trifecta of wins.
Ella Langley has already won two awards, and Zach Top and the Red Clay Strays have also taken home honors, so this year is already shaping up to celebrate some very deserving artists. I can’t wait to see who else wins big.
The ACM Awards will be hosted by 16-time ACM Award-winner Reba McEntire, and the big anniversary show will celebrate six decades of country music and stream live exclusively on Prime Video from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 8 PM ET.
