Ella Langley could join an elite group of artists at the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 17, becoming just the fifth performer to win back-to-back awards for single of the year. She won the award last year for “you look like you love me,” her sexy collab with Riley Green, and is nominated again this year for her crossover smash “Choosin’ Texas.”
There are no sure things at awards shows, but Langley seems to be the clear front-runner in the category. The universally relatable “Choosin’ Texas” has logged 19 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and five nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The four other nominees in the category are Megan Moroney’s “6 Months Later,” Zach Top’s “I Never Lie,” Lainey Wilson’s “Somewhere Over Laredo” and Cody Johnson’s “The Fall.” None of these other nominees has won an ACM Award for single of the year. Wilson was nominated in 2023 for “Heart Like a Truck.” Johnson has been nominated twice – for “Til You Can’t” in 2023 and “Dirt Cheap” last year.
While Langley is this year’s only artist nominee for single of the year who won in that category previously, two producers of this year’s nominated records had won in that category previously as artists. Miranda Lambert, who co-produced Langley’s record with Langley and Ben West, won as an artist with “The House That Built Me” in 2011, “Over You” in 2013 and “Mama’s Broken Heart” in 2014. Kristian Bush, who produced Moroney’s record, won as both an artist and producer as half of Sugarland with Jennifer Nettles for “Stay” in 2012.
The ACM Award for single of the year goes to the artist(s), producer(s) and record company/label(s). If an artist also produced or co-produced the winning record, he or she gets two awards.
Here are the four artists who have won back-to-back ACM Awards for single of the year. The year shown is the year of the ceremony. Will Langley join them on May 17 when this year’s ACM Awards are presented at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, streaming live on Prime Video? Place your bets.
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
-
Willie Nelson
1985: “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before (Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson)
1986: “Highwayman” (Highwaymen – a collab with Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings)
Notes: Hal David and Albert Hammond co-wrote “To All the Girls…,” which topped Hot Country Songs for two weeks. Jimmy Webb wrote “Highwayman,” which topped the chart for one week.
-
Randy Travis
1987: “On the Other Hand”
1988: “Forever and Ever, Amen”
Notes: Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz co-wrote both songs. Both reached No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, for one and three weeks, respectively.
-
Faith Hill
1998: “It’s Your Love” (Tim McGraw with Faith Hill)
1999: “This Kiss”
Notes: Stephony Smith wrote “It’s Your Love,” which topped Hot Country Songs for six weeks. Beth Nielsen Chapman, Robin Lerner and Annie Roboff co-wrote “This Kiss,” which topped that chart for three weeks.
-
Miranda Lambert
2013: “Over You”
2014: “Mama’s Broken Heart”
Notes: Lambert teamed with Blake Shelton to co-write “Over You,” which topped both Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay. Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally and Kacey Musgraves co-wrote “Mama’s Broken Heart,” which reached No. 2 on both charts.
Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox
Sign Up
