ACM noms led by women

Women lead the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards nominations, with Megan Moroney at nine and Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, and Lainey Wilson close behind. (billboard.com) The Academy of Country Music announced the nominees on April 9 for its 61st awards show. Moroney has nine nods, Lambert has eight, and Langley and Wilson have seven each; Chris Stapleton is the top male nominee with six. (acmcountry.com) Moroney’s nominations include entertainer of the year, female artist of the year, and album of the year for *Am I Okay?*. Lambert is up for entertainer of the year and female artist of the year, while Langley and Wilson both landed in the top categories as well. (billboard.com) The top field is unusually female-heavy for a major country awards ballot. Billboard reported that the four most-nominated artists are all women, and the Academy said it is the second straight year that a female solo artist has led the nominations. (billboard.com) The entertainer of the year lineup includes Moroney, Lambert, Wilson, Jelly Roll, Luke Combs, and Chris Stapleton. That category is the Academy’s broadest prize, covering touring, recordings, and overall commercial impact across the eligibility period. (acmcountry.com) Ella Langley’s seven nominations keep her in the awards conversation after she led the 2025 ACM nominations with eight. Lainey Wilson, who has been one of country music’s biggest awards performers in the past two years, again appears across artist, album, and song categories. (billboard.com) The ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It will stream live on Prime Video and Amazon Music, after recent ACM ceremonies were staged in Frisco, Texas. (acmcountry.com) Lambert’s eight nominations add to one of the deepest records in Academy of Country Music history. Variety reported that her new total extends her standing as the most-awarded artist in Academy history, while Moroney’s nine nods mark the biggest nominations haul of her career so far. (variety.com) The nominations set up a May show centered on four women who now occupy the top of the ballot at the same time. The winners will decide whether that advantage turns into trophies on May 17 in Las Vegas. (acmcountry.com)