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Lainey Wilson made history at the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards.
The “4x4xU” singer-songwriter won Entertainer of the Year at the annual show, making her the first woman to top the category in back-to-back years since Taylor Swift in 2011 and 2012.
“I’m sure everybody [has felt] a little bit of imposter syndrome. I won’t lie to you, I have a little bit,” Wilson said as she accepted her trophy for Entertainer of the Year, the night’s top prize. “I read something not long ago that said, ‘If something is given to you, then you need to accept it with an open heart and open mind.’”
She continued, “I love making people feel things. I love making people laugh and cry. I’m sorry, I like to make you cry. Because I love to feel things. Everybody loves to feel things. And country music has given me more than I deserve.”
Wilson led a night that included buzz-worthy moments from tried-and-true favorites, breakout songs from rising stars and standing ovations for living legends. Reba McEntire hosted the three-hour show, which aired Thursday on Amazon Prime Video from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.
From Wilson’s win to an award named after Alan Jackson, read on for highlights from the 2025 ACM Awards.
Lainey Wilson Wins Big
Alongside winning Entertainer of the Year, Wilson brought home trophies for Female Artist of the Year and Album of the Year – two of the night’s most competitive fields. She earns the awards behind the success of 2024 album Whirlwind.
In accepting her win for Female Artist of the Year, Wilson saluted the category’s four other nominees – Kelsea Ballerini, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney and Kacey Musgraves.
“To every single one of these girls in this category: I couldn’t do this without y’all. I couldn’t. This is a wild ride and it’s nice to be able to have people to call and relate to,” Wilson said. “I’m so proud for every single one of y’all. Y’all are whoopin’ butt. The girls are kickin’ down some barn doors and I like it.”
Alan Jackson Earns Lifetime Achievement
During Thursday’s show, the Academy of Country Music introduced a new honor: The ACM Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award. Jackson, its first honoree and namesake, accepted the award with a pedal steel-soaked performance of his 2003 ballad “Remember When.”
“It’s quite an honor. A few years ago, one of my fans named their dog after me. I thought that was somethin’, but this is really amazing,” said Jackson, the 66-year-old star who was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in 2022. He continued, “To be serious now. I came to Nashville with a paper sack full of songs and crazy dream. All these years later, I’m stading here … it’s just mind-blowing.”
A Tribute To Keith Urban
Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne and Moroney teamed up for an emotional tribute to Keith Urban, recipient of the sought-after ACM Triple Crown. A career-spanning honor reserved for artists who win New Artist of the Year, Entertainer of the Year and Male/Female or Group/Duo of the Year, Urban completed his Triple Crown in 2019. Past winners include Stapleton, Merle Haggard, Barbara Mandrell, Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood, among others.
The one-of-a-kind lineup saluted Urban’s hitmaking songbook with a medley including Moroney on 2006’s “Stupid Boy” and Stapleton singing a standout version of “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” Urban and wife Nicole Kidman watched from the front row, singing along to the words.
To finish the segment, Brothers Osborne cranked up the riffs for country-rocker “Where The Blacktop Ends,” which featured Urban on guitar. After the performance, Urban breathlessly accepted the award.
“I wanna say a special thanks to all of the fans that’ve been coming out to see us play,” Urban said. “Really appreciate it.”
60 Years Of Songs
Urban’s tribute wasn’t the only all-star medley of the night, either. In a toast to its 60th year, the show kicked off with a time-hopping run through six decades of ACM Award-winning songs. The performance began with MeEntire covering Haggard’s “Okie From Muskogee” before turning to Clint Black for a take on Glen Campbell classic “Rhinestone Cowboy.”
From there, the opening segment went to Wynonna Judd, LeAnn Rimes, Little Big Town and Dan + Shay, which closed the moment with a crowd-approving take on 2018 song “Tequila.”
Ella Langley’s Busy, Busy Night
Langley left the ACM Awards with four trophies – not bad for a first-time nominee. The small-town Alabama native earned awards for New Female Artist of the Year, Visual Media of the Year, Music Event of the Year and Single of the Year; she won Visual Media, Music Event and Single of the Year for “You Look Like You Love Me,” a throwback country duet with Riley Green that features spoken-word verses.
Alongside Green, she accepted the Single of the Year trophy moments after performing “Weren’t For The Wind,” her latest single off debut album Hungover.
“I’m still outta breath a little,” Langley said, “and I feel like I kinda have been since this song came out. … This song really changed it for me as a songwriter. It taught me to just not care so much, and write what you love.”
Lambert, Jelly Roll And More Collaborations
It wouldn’t be a country show without a few collaborations, of course. A few notable performances:
- Miranda Lambert joined McEntire and Wilson to debut a new song, “Trailblazer,” the night’s penultimate performance.
- Earlier in the show, Entertainer of the Year nominee Jelly Roll teamed with “A Bar Song” breakout Shaboozey for “Amen,” an uplifting new duet the pair also sang last month at Stagecoach Festival.
- Cody Johnson, winner of the night’s Song of the Year trophy, shared the stage with Duo of the Year recipient Brooks & Dunn for time-tested tune “Red Dirt Road.”
- And in a throwback pop music crossover, Backstreet Boys closed the show alongside Rascal Flatts with a mash-up that included “What Hurts The Most,” “Larger Than Life” and “Life Is A Highway.”
But the most memorable collaboration might’ve come early in the show, when Langley joined Lambert for a throwback rendition of the latter’s breakout single, “Kerosene.” Between swapping lines, the two stomped along in rhythm as pyrotechnics framed the stage in flames. The fiery song featured Langley in a “mama tried” tank-top, a subtle nod to Lambert’s music video for the 20-year-old song.
See a full list of 2025 ACM Awards winners here.
