New York (AP) – It was his night again. Lainey Wilson won the first prize at the annual 60th Country Music Academy – The title of artist of the year – for a second consecutive year. And it was after cleaning the house, winning trophies at home for the female artist and the album of the year.
“I really have the best fans in the world,” she said in her latest acceptance speech, admitting the experience of impostor syndrome. “I dreamed of entertaining. … Country music gave me more than I deserve it. ”
Beyond the domination of Wilson, the ACM 2025 prices were filled with celebration. Earlier, First candidate and leader The duo of Ella Langley with Riley Green, the omnipresence “You Like Tame Tame You Love Me”, was appointed single and musical event of the year.
Langley and Green used their first acceptance speech to shout Classic Country – songs with words – which inspired their modern success.
A revisation of the past could have been a theme on Thursday evening, evidenced by the top of the ceremony: a mixture of 14 minutes of six decades of country classics, interpreted by gender giants.
REBA MCENTIRE host Launched in Merle Haggard’s “Okie from Muskogee”, followed by Clint Black with “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glen Campbell and Wynonna Judd with the “why not me” of the Juds. Leann Rimes returned to the ACM Awards scene for his 1997 “Blue” ballad. Little Big Town discussed their song 2014 “Girl Crush” and Dan + Shay delivered their “tequila”.
It was an exciting way to launch the ACM Awards, live from the Ford Center to the star in Frisco, Texas, just north of Dallas.
And it was a highlight of the show, competed only by the introduction of ACM Alan Jackson Lifetime production price, the inaugural trophy awarded to its namesake, Jackson, after interpreting “Remember when”.
In his speech of acceptance, he joked saying that a fan named a dog after him. Do you have a price that bears his name? It’s not half bad either.
The first night trophy, the coveted song of the year, was awarded to Cody Johnson for his Radio success “Dirt Cheap”.
The performance followed, fast and furious. Mcentire, Wilson and Miranda Lambert joined for the world first of their new single “Trailblazer”, celebrating women in country music.
Eric Church interpreted his brand new single “Hands of Time”, succeeded the most awarded artist in the history of the awards ceremony, Lambert with “Run”. She was then joined by Langley to Duet “Kerosene” of the first album of Lambert in 2005 of the same name.
Zach Top stripped things to “use me”. Blake Shelton channeled the great George Strait for his new single “Texas”, followed by Wilson with “Whirlwind”. Kelsea Ballerini played At the top of his “luggage”. Johnson rocked “The Fall”, before playing “Red Dirt Road” with Brooks & Dunn. Chris Stapleton and his wife, Morgane, harmonized on “It takes a woman”.
Jelly Roll and Shaboozey have joined forces for their collaboration, “Amen”.
“It’s Shaboozey’s birthday,” said Jelly Roll. “We want to thank you all and we want to thank God.”
Backstreet Boys and Rascal Flatts closed the show.
The Oak Ridge Boys awarded the group of the year group to Old Dominion. It was a moving gesture; In 2024, Joe Bonsall, an Oak Ridge Boys, a Grammy Award winner And the famous tenor, death of complications Amyotrophic lateral neuromuscular disorder.
Another Tearjerker: Mcentire leading the public in a song of Fire Kris Kristofferson “Me and Bobby McGee.”
The male artist of the year went to Stapleton. Duo of the year was awarded to Brooks & Dunn.
Megan Moroney covered the “Stupid Boy” of Keith Urban and Stapleton made “Blue Ain’t Your Color” before the reception of the Australian Superstar of the Coveted Triple Crown Prize, marking the first time that an artist received the trophy on stage since Carrie Underwood was honored in 2010.
If anything, the 60th ACM Awards have proven that the show was at its best when it celebrates new acts and legends to an equal measure.
The ACM Awards broadcast on Prime Video and the Amazon music channel on Live Twitch. No main membership was required to see Livestream.