Snubs and Surprises at the 2026 ACM Awards

Cody Johnson’s win for male artist of the year was not a big surprise, but few figured he’d also take entertainer of the year. The competition was stiff – Lainey Wilson, who won the last two years, Chris Stapleton, who won in 2023, and four artists who were vying for their first wins in the category – Luke Combs (who has been nominated seven years in a row), Morgan Wallen (who has been nominated four years in a row), Jelly Roll (three years in a row) and Megan Moroney (this was her first nomination).

Johnson’s only previous ACM Award came two years ago when he won for song of the year as the artist who popularized “Dirt Cheap,” written by Josh Phillips.

Johnson was nominated for new male artist of the year at both the 2020 and 2021 ceremonies but lost both times. (This dream night more than makes up for it.)

Moroney was this year’s top nominee with nine nods but didn’t win a single award. Moroney won new female artist of the year two years ago but hasn’t won again since. Moroney wasn’t present at the ceremony. As she posted on social media Sunday morning, she was out of the country, serving as the maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding. (You could say she has her priorities straight. She’ll be back and will probably win again in the future.)

Wilson went 0-7 on the night. Stapleton went 0-6. Top went 0-5. That’s what happens when one artist (Ella Langley) gobbles up so many awards. Stapleton is just one award shy of tying George Strait’s record as the male artist with the most ACM Awards (19). If he’d won just one of the six awards, he would have tied King George. That will have to wait for another year.

Most pundits figured the front-runners for music event of the year were “A Song To Sing” by Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton and “Trailblazer” by Reba McEntire, Lambert and Lainey Wilson. Instead, the award went to Riley Green and Ella Langley for the second year in a row for “Don’t Mind If I Do.” They won last year for “you look like you love me.”

They are the first twosome to win in this category in back-to-back years since Faith Hill and Tim McGraw won in 1998 with “It’s Your Love” and again in 1999 with “Just To Hear You Say That You Love Me.”

McCollum received just one nomination this year, but it was a big one, album of the year. He wound up winning the award for his fifth studio album Parker McCollum. McCollum had won just two previous ACM Awards – new male artist of the year in 2022 and visual media of the year in 2024 for “Burn It Down.”

Wallen’s I’m the Problem, which topped the all-genre Billboard 200 for 13 weeks, was passed over for album of the year. His previous studio album, One Thing at a Time, which spent 19 weeks at No. 1 on that chart, was also passed over. He won in 2022 with Dangerous: The Double Album, his only win in the category to date, which is a meager showing for someone who is one of the best-selling album artists (from any genre) of this century.

Wallen is in good company, though. Garth Brooks, one of the best-selling album artists (from any genre) of all time, also has just one ACM Award for album of the year to his name. He won for No Fences. He was nominated, but lost, with five albums (all of which topped the Billboard 200 for five or more weeks): Ropin’ the Wind, The Chase, In Pieces, Sevens and Double Live.

Kelsea Ballerini was nominated for female artist of the year for the ninth time, an award she has yet to win. But she’s in very good company: Ballerini joins Anne Murray as the only artists to go 0-9 in that category. The widely-admired Canadian singer was nominated nine times between 1972 and 1986 without ever winning. Murray has retired, but Ballerini still has a chance to win in this category in the future.

These three artists lost new artist awards for the second year in a row. Shaboozey and Adcock lost new male artist of the year to Tucker Wetmore (after losing last year to Zach Top). Dasha lost new female artist of the year to Avery Anna (after losing last year to Ella Langley). The ACM Awards allows artists two chances in these categories, which means these three artists can’t compete again in these categories.