Shania Twain hosts ACM Awards as stars arrive in Las Vegas

Shania Twain centered the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, where stars arrived at MGM Grand Garden Arena for a show built to showcase country music’s broadening reach. The ceremony was hosted by Twain and streamed live on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch at 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT and 5 p.m. PT, a digital-first rollout that the ACM has framed as the first major awards show to livestream exclusively.

The setting mattered as much as the guest list. After three years in Texas, the ACMs returned to Las Vegas, turning the MGM Grand Garden Arena into a polished stage for a genre that now sells itself through a mix of heritage, radio staples and newer crossover energy. Twain gave the night a familiar center of gravity, while arrivals including Lainey Wilson, Shaboozey and other top names signaled a country field that is no longer defined by one lane or one audience.

The top category underscored that shift. Entertainer of the Year nominees included Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Megan Moroney, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and Wilson, a slate that spans mainstream hitmakers, traditional-leaning performers and artists who have helped country travel farther into pop and streaming culture. Wilson entered the night as the reigning Entertainer of the Year, while Cody Johnson returned after winning ACM Song of the Year in 2025.

The red carpet also doubled as a preview of the show’s live performance strategy. The ACM listed performers as Avery Anna, Blake Shelton, Carter Faith, Cody Johnson, Dan + Shay, Ella Langley, Jordan Davis, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, The Red Clay Strays, Riley Green, Thomas Rhett, Tucker Wetmore and Zach Top. That lineup paired veteran names like Shelton and Twain with younger acts such as Wetmore, Anna and Langley, reinforcing the industry’s effort to market country as both tradition and current pop-culture fixture.

The awards had already begun to hand out trophies before the televised ceremony. Ella Langley was named Artist-Songwriter of the Year, Jessie Jo Dillon won Songwriter of the Year, Avery Anna was named New Female Artist of the Year and Tucker Wetmore took New Male Artist of the Year. Megan Moroney, the 2024 New Female winner, led this year’s nominations with nine, a reminder that the genre’s new commercial engine is now shared by established stars and fast-rising acts alike.