12 Snubs & Surprises From The 2026 ACM Award Nominations
on Apr 09, 2026
2026 ACM Award Nominations Announced
On Thursday (April 9), the 2026 ACM Award nominations were revealed. The ACM started by sharing the nominees for Entertainer of the Year and Song of the Year on TODAY early in the morning.
The remaining nominees were then announced on the ACM’s social media accounts shortly afterward. Once the full list was released, it was revealed that Megan Moroney leads the pack with the most nominations this year!
RELATED: THREE MAJOR NAMES ADDED TO ACM PERFORMANCE LINEUP
Women dominated the nominations, with Moroney earning nine, followed by Miranda Lambert with eight, and Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley with seven nods each.
As to be expected, the list of ACM Award nominations contained its fair share of snubs and surprises. The shocking omissions and unexpected inclusions certainly have fans talking!
Breaking Down The Snubs & Surprises From The 2026 ACM Award Nominations
Snub – Ella Langley
Hear us out…we know that Ella Langley earned seven nominations, so she definitely received a lot of love from the ACM this year!
However, considering how huge 2025 was for her, it seems safe to say she was snubbed since she wasn’t nominated for the ACM’s top honor, Entertainer of the Year.
Surprise – Megan Moroney’s Many Nominations
Megan Moroney is one of country music’s brightest stars, so it isn’t surprising that she earned a lot of ACM nominations. But the fact that she received NINE is what made jaws drop!
Plus, this was Moroney’s first time being nominated for Entertainer of the Year, which was a major surprise on its own.
Snub – Kane Brown
This is the second year in a row that Kane Brown hasn’t been nominated for any ACM Awards. His last nod came in 2024, when he was nominated for Entertainer of the Year.
Fans expected to see Brown’s name among the list of this year’s nominees, considering the success of his album The High Road and the long-term popularity of his single “Miles On It.”
Surprise – Reba McEntire Earns A Nomination
Country music queen and former ACM Awards host Reba McEntire surprised us by earning a nomination this year!
She, Miranda Lambert, and Lainey Wilson earned a nod for Music Event of the Year for their “Trailblazer” collaboration. This nomination brings things full circle, as they debuted the song at last year’s ACM Awards.
This is McEntire’s first ACM Award nomination in five years… since 2021. That’s the year that “Be a Light” was nominated for Music Event of the Year.
Snub – Blake Shelton
Blake Shelton had a huge year in 2025, so it came as a shock that his name didn’t appear in the list of ACM Award nominations.
His smash single, “Texas,” came out at the end of 2024 and had great momentum throughout 2025. He scored another hit with “Stay Country or Die Trying” (which went to #1 on the Country Airplay chart).
Additionally, Shelton released a new album, For Recreational Use Only, in May 2025.
Surprise – No New Duo/Group Category
The list of ACM Award nominations is a little shorter this year…and that’s because one of the categories was removed!
No one was nominated for the New Duo or Group of the Year Award. That category usually tends to be on the smaller side, nominee-wise. For example, only three artists were nominated for the award in 2025.
Apparently, there weren’t enough qualifying artists this year. The category has disappeared in the past for that reason.
Snub – Eric Church
Eric Church received his last ACM Award nomination in 2024. But he was honored with the prestigious “Icon Award” at the 2025 ACM Honors (which are separate from the ACM Awards).
Following that honor and the acclaim surrounding his 2025 album Evangeline vs. the Machine, many expected that Church would receive a few ACM nominations this year, but he didn’t earn any.
Surprise – Cater Faith Earns Album Of The Year Nomination
Carter Faith released her debut studio album, Cherry Valley, in 2025. The project was well-received, and has since been nominated for Album of the Year at the 2026 ACM Awards.
As a fairly fresh face in country music, fans were surprised to see Faith’s name mentioned alongside Zach Top, Riley Green, Morgan Wallen, and Parker McCollum.
Even more surprising, it’s the only nomination Faith earned this year. She didn’t even receive a nod in the New Female Artist of the Year category!
Snub – Russell Dickerson
Russell Dickerson was on a roll in 2025 thanks to his smash single “Happen to Me.” The song was a #1 country hit in the U.S., Canada, and the UK, and was a viral sensation on social media.
The song’s popularity led Dickerson to earn an iHeartRadio Music Award nomination earlier in 2026. However, neither he nor “Happen to Me” was nominated for an ACM Award this year.
Surprise – Thelma & James Earn Nomination For Duo Of The Year
Because there are far fewer country duos and groups than solo artists, fans are used to seeing the same names in Duo and Group-centered award categories. So it came as a pleasant surprise when a new artist earned a nod for Duo of the Year this year!
Thelma & James is a duo formed by married singers MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge. They just signed to Big Loud Records in 2025 and made their Grand Ole Opry debut in September!
Snub – Morgan Wallen
The ACM Award nominations revealed that Morgan Wallen received multiple nods. He’s up for Album of the Year, Artist-Songwriter of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year.
However, many fans would argue that Wallen should have received nods in some of the other categories for the singles he released in 2025. Those include the #1 hits “I Got Better,” “Just In Case,” “I’m the Problem,” “20 Cigarettes,” and “What I Want” with Tate McRae.
Wallen was also excluded from the Male Artist of the Year category for 2026.
Surprise – Country Ladies Lead
As mentioned previously, the women of country music lead the nominations at this year’s ACM Awards, which comes as a welcome surprise!
Megan Moroney, Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, and Lainey Wilson are the four most-nominated artists, with a combined 31 nominations between them.
Lambert, who is the most-decorated artist in ACM history, earned her highest number of nominations since 2016 (with eight).
Watch the 2026 ACM Awards on at 8 PM ET on Sunday, May 17, to see who wins! The show is free to stream on Amazon Prime Video or the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.
