DELVING INTO THE WIDE-OPEN ACM NOMS

It was only a matter of time, as the Academy of Country Music has been tilting towards a more wide-open, more diverse way of approaching the genre for the last several years. With the 2025 ACM Awards nominations, they have delivered a new generation of stars, icons and stories that suggest a bright future for many.

With 2024 breakout Ella Langley drawing eight nominations, including major categories Female, Single, Song (artist and writer) and Music Event (artist and director), as well as New Female and Visual Media, she continues the trend of the breakout female. But her brash, honky-tonk-forward kind of country aligns her more with roughneck traditionalists Cody Johnson and Riley Green, who shares her Single, Song, Music Event and Visual Media nods for the bar-ready “you look like you love me.”

That boot-scrapping, blue-collar kind of country that has always been the benchmark of the Academy has truly come back into its own with this year’s nominees. Johnson not only delivers Entertainer and Male among his seven nods, he continues driving a more values-oriented brand of country with Song, Single and Visual Media nominations for “Dirt Cheap,” from his Country Music Association Album of the Year-winning Leather.

Johnson also expands his reach with a fiery duet with vocal powerhouse Carrie Underwood. Their “I’m Gonna Love You” added two nominations to his total, with Music Event and a second Visual Media.

Lainey Wilson, cited for the most nominations in different categories, saw her hard-working woman country bring in six nominations. The reigning Entertainer of the Year—and newest Triple Crown winner—is again nominated for Entertainer, as well being up for her fourth consecutive Female. Whirlwind sees a nomination in Album, while “4x4xU" grabs Song and Visual Media nominations, driving her first recognition in the Artist/Writer category.

Aside from Langley, the other big surprise is hard-leaning breakout Zach Top, who takes an expected New Male, but also picks up a nomination in the coveted—and highly competitive—Album of the Year category with Cold Beer & Country Music. Like Langley, his music-forward, country-driven sound broke through at streaming, but resonated with traditional fans listening to the radio.

This week’s SNL musical guest Morgan Wallen, who ushered in this new wave of social media-driven domination, shares most nominated male designation. Not only is the CMA’s reigning Entertainer of the Year in this category for the third time, as well as Male, he is up for Artist-Songwriter. His “I Had Some Help” collaboration with Post Malone swept the creative categories of Song (artist and writer), Single and Visual Media.

“Help,” the euphoric summer anthem, not only brought Post Malone emphatically into the country fold , it helped the Texas hip-hop/pop/rock/soul hybrid earn an Album nod for F-1 Trillion.

Like Jelly Roll, who shares the Album category with his Beautifully Broken, and Shaboozey, with New Male and Single for the record-splattering “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” these cross-into-country stars came into the genre looking to embrace country at its core instead of merely infusing their aesthetics on the genre.

The ubiquitous Jelly takes home Entertainer, Male and Album nods, three of the biggest categories.

It is both ironic and thrilling that Chris Stapleton, who will end up being this generation’s Willie Nelson, is now the old guard nominee. A bluegrass veteran and hit songwriter for George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Darius Rucker and Luke Bryan, the soulful country powerhouse is nominated for Entertainer, Male, Single for “White Horse” (artist and writer), Visual Media “Think I’m in Love With You” and Musical Event for “we don’t fight anymore” with Carly Pearce.

That same old-guard cloak on a fairly new artist is becoming a reality for Luke Combs, a myriad CMA and ACM winner, who picks up Entertainer, Male and Artist-Writer. Should he win Entertainer this year, he joins Lainey Wilson in the Triple Crown Award club.

At a time when women still struggle at radio, and to an extent streaming, 2018 Female Vocalist and Album winner Kacey Musgraves receives three nominations for Female and Song (Artist and Writer) for “The Architect.”

Last year’s leading woman nominee and New Female winner Megan Moroney earns her Female and Album of the Year nomination for Am I Okay? The recent Rolling Stone cover girl is receiving her second nomination in both categories.

And shoring up the girl power, Kelsea Ballerini earns her first Entertainer of the Year nomination. She is also nominated for Female and Vocal Event for “Cowboys Cry, Too,” her collab with Noah Kahan.

Some true old-guarders—Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne—made it to this year’s nominations. Flatland Cavalry, Red Clay Strays, Gavin Adcock, Tucker Wetmore, Bailey Zimmerman, Jessie Murph, Dasha and Muscadine Bloodline are among the wave of emerging hard progressive country artists nominated.

At a time when the coasts are taking an interest in the genre, country is doubling down on its roots, its rowdiness and a sensibility that falls somewhere between Yellowstone and Stagecoach.

For a full list of ACM nominees, peep our coverage here.