We Called It: Ella Langley and Cody Johnson Own the Night at the 2026 ACM Awards

We went on record right here predicting Ella Langley for Female Artist of the Year and Cody Johnson for Male Artist of the Year. Sunday night in Las Vegas, both of those predictions came true, and then some. It was one of the most memorable nights in recent ACM Awards history, and the MGM Grand Garden Arena was the perfect stage for it.

Ella Langley: A Sweep and a Speech Nobody Will Forget

Ella Langley went five-for-seven on the night, including Song of the Year and Single of the Year for "Choosin' Texas," Female Artist of the Year, and Artist-Songwriter of the Year. The sweep was remarkable. The speech was something else entirely.

When presenter T.J. Osborne announced her as Female Artist of the Year, Langley was genuinely overwhelmed. Her voice caught and her eyes filled with tears as she struggled to find words, whispering, "I'm trying to get to say something but I can't." She did not talk about streaming numbers or radio spins. Instead she told a story about the women who had lifted her up. She revealed she had been having a difficult day ahead of the show, walked into Lainey Wilson's dressing room in tears, and Wilson wrapped her up and started praying for her. Then Miranda Lambert walked in. "Thank you to the women," Langley said to close her speech. "I would not be standing up here without the women. Thank you."7

The room was on its feet. It was the kind of moment that reminds you why live awards shows still matter.

Cody Johnson: Travelin' Soldier and a Trophy Long Overdue

We predicted Cody for Male Artist of the Year, and he took that home. What we did not fully anticipate was that he would also walk away with the night's biggest prize. Cody Johnson won Entertainer of the Year at the 2026 ACM Awards, the first time he has ever claimed the coveted title.

But before the trophy, there was the performance. When Johnson took the stage for his performance of "Travelin' Soldier," the crowd was locked in. It was the kind of performance that cuts through everything and reminds you what country music is for.

In his acceptance speech for Entertainer of the Year, Johnson said, "They say that music is the sound of emotion, and I get to use my platform to not only promote positivity in this country, and all over this world. I get to make you experience emotions through this thing that God gave me called music. It's the greatest drug that's ever been created on planet Earth." CoJo, in a nutshell.

Shania Twain: A New Host Steps Into the Spotlight

Shania Twain hosted the ACM Awards for the first time, taking over from Reba McEntire, and she did not disappoint. She walked out to "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!," arrived on the red carpet in a dramatic sparkling silver gown with black leather gloves, and delivered multiple wardrobe changes throughout the night. Fans flooded social media praising her energy and chemistry with performers. She opened by celebrating Lainey Wilson's recent surprise wedding, honored the women of country with a "make it loud for all our sheroes" moment, and reflected on winning her own first ACM Award exactly thirty years ago. Shania Twain has earned everything she has in this genre, and Sunday night she proved she can run a show too.

The Rest of the Night's Big Moments

The Red Clay Strays won Group of the Year, ending Old Dominion's eight-year stranglehold on the category, capping a performance of "Demons in Your Choir" that brought a gospel-choir energy to the MGM stage unlike anything else on the night. The band, which started as a cover band playing bars, said in their acceptance speech, "When we started playing in bars, we never thought it would go this far." That is the kind of origin story this genre was built on.

And then there are Brooks and Dunn, who keep on keeping on. The legendary duo took home Duo of the Year for an unprecedented eighteenth time. "I don't know why y'all aren't getting sick of us," Kix Brooks joked from the podium. "But we love y'all." Country music clearly loves them right back.

It was a night to remember in Las Vegas. And we had the winners right. We will take it.