NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� It was her night once again. took home the top prize at the 60th annual 鈥� the title of entertainer of the year 鈥� for a second year in a row. And that was after she cleaned house, taking home trophies for both female artist and album of the year.
鈥淚 really do have the best fans in the world,鈥� she said in her final acceptance speech, admitting to experiencing impostor syndrome. 鈥淚 dreamed about entertaining. ... Country music has given me more than I deserve.鈥�
Beyond Wilson's dominance, the 2025 ACM Awards were packed with celebration. Earlier, Ella Langley's duet with Riley Green, the ubiquitous 鈥淵ou Look Like You Love Me,鈥� was named single and music event of the year.
Both Langley and Green used their first acceptance speech to shout out classic country 鈥� songs with talking in them 鈥� that inspired their modern hit.
A revisitation of the past might have been a theme Thursday night, evidenced right at the top of the ceremony: a 14-minute medley of six decades of country classics, performed by giants of the genre.
launched into Merle Haggard's 鈥淥kie from Muskogee,鈥� followed by Clint Black with Glen Campbell's 鈥淩hinestone Cowboy" and Wynonna Judd with The Judds' 鈥淲hy Not Me." LeAnn Rimes returned to the ACM Awards stage for her 1997 ballad 鈥淏lue." Little Big Town tackled their 2014 track 鈥淕irl Crush鈥� and their 鈥淭equila.鈥�
It was an exciting way to kick off the ACM Awards, live from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, just north of Dallas.
And it was a show highlight, rivaled only by the introduction of the ACM Lifetime Achievement Award, the inaugural trophy given to its namesake, Jackson, after he performed 鈥淩emember When.鈥�
In his acceptance speech, he joked that a fan named a dog after him. Having an award named after him? That isn't half bad, either.
The first trophy of the night, the coveted song of the year, was awarded to Cody Johnson for his radio hit 鈥淒irt Cheap."
Performances followed, fast and furious. McEntire, Wilson and Miranda Lambert teamed up for the world premiere of their new single 鈥淭railblazer,鈥� celebrating women in country music.
Eric Church performed his brand-new single 鈥淗ands of Time,鈥� succeeded by the most awarded artist in the history of the award show, Lambert with 鈥淩un.鈥� She was then joined by Langley to duet 鈥淜erosene" from Lambert鈥檚 2005 debut album of the same name.
Zach Top stripped things down for 鈥淯se Me.鈥� Blake Shelton channeled the great George Strait for his new single 鈥淭exas," followed by Kelsea Ballerini performed Johnson rocked 鈥淭he Fall," before performing 鈥淩ed Dirt Road鈥� with Brooks & Dunn. Chris Stapleton and his wife, Morgane, harmonized on 鈥淚t Takes a Woman.鈥�
Jelly Roll and Shaboozey joined forces for their collaboration, 鈥淎men.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 Shaboozey鈥檚 birthday,鈥� Jelly Roll said. 鈥淲e wanna thank y鈥檃ll and we wanna thank God.鈥�
Backstreet Boys and Rascal Flatts closed the show.
The Oak Ridge Boys gave the group of the year award to Old Dominion. It was a moving gesture; in 2024 the Oak Ridge Boys' Joe Bonsall, a and celebrated tenor, of the neuromuscular disorder Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Another tearjerker: McEntire leading the audience in a sing-along of 鈥淢e and Bobby McGee.鈥�
Male artist of the year went to Stapleton. Duo of the year was awarded to Brooks & Dunn.
Megan Moroney covered Keith Urban's 鈥淪tupid Boy鈥� and Stapleton did 鈥淏lue Ain't Your Color鈥� ahead of the Australian superstar's reception of the coveted ACM Triple Crown Award, marking the first time an artist has received the trophy on stage since Carrie Underwood was honored in 2010.
If anything, the 60th ACM Awards proved the show is at its best when it celebrates new acts and legends in equal measure.
The ACM Awards streamed on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch Live. No Prime membership was required to view the livestream.
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For more coverage of this year鈥檚 ACM Awards, visit
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
