The ACM Awards Are Almost Here – See Your Favorite Artists’ Rehearsal Photos

By Miranda Raye

on May 07, 2025

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Cody Johnson and Kelsea Ballerini in rehearsal for the 60th ACM Awards
Cody Johnson and Kelsea Ballerini arrived in Texas on Tuesday, May 6, to rehearse for the upcoming ACM Awards on Thursday, May 8. (Photo Credits: Rich Polk / Penske Media via Getty Images and ACM - Academy of Country Music / Facebook)

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The 60th ACM Awards Will Be Held On Thursday, May 8

Country music’s biggest stars have arrived in Texas to start rehearsing for the upcoming ACM Awards.

This year’s ACM Awards will be held on Thursday, May 8, at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Country music legend Reba McEntire will host the ceremony. She’s quite experienced in the role, having hosted 17 times before.

Reba McEntire in a promotional image for the 60th ACM Awards
Reba McEntire is hosting the 60th annual ACM Awards on May 8. (Photo Credit: Academy of Country Music)

With this being the ACM Awards‘ 60th anniversary, the ACM has promised a:

“…star-powered experience [that] will feature unprecedented performances, exclusive collaborations, and unexpected moments from the biggest country music stars of the past, present, and future, all while celebrating the genre’s most iconic and emerging talent.”

RELATED: EVERYTHING COUNTRY FANS NEED TO KNOW BEFORE THE 60TH ACM AWARDS

Performers include a mix of modern stars and beloved icons such as Blake Shelton, Lainey Wilson, Zach Top, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, and Jelly Roll.

McEntire will join Clint Black, LeAnn Rimes, Sugarland, Dan + Shay, and Wynonna Judd for a 12-minute “Songs of the Decades” opening performance. Their medley will feature ACM “Song of the Year” winners from the past six decades.

The performers of the "Songs of the Decades" opening number at the 60th ACM Awards.
Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Wynonna Judd, Dan + Shay, Clint Black, and Sugarland will open the 60th ACM Awards with a special collaborative performance. (Photo Credit: Academy of Country Music)

ACM Offers Sneak Peeks Into The Performers’ Rehearsals

Country stars started to arrive in Texas for ACM Awards rehearsals on Tuesday (May 6). The ACM shared photos and videos from rehearsals, offering sneak peeks at what the artists have in store.

For starters, the ACM posted an image of New Male Artist of the Year winner Zach Top “fine-tuning” his performance in rehearsal.

Then, the ACM posted some images of New Female Artist of the Year winner Ella Langley upon her arrival in Texas. Langley and Riley Green also already won the Visual Media of the Year award for “you look like you love me.”

After that, the ACM posted a clip of Jelly Roll onstage for his rehearsal. The clip shows the Entertainer of the Year nominee rocking out onstage.

Following that, the ACM shared a clip of Entertainer of the Year nominee and Voice coach Kelsea Ballerini. The ACM said they were “freaking out” over her arrival.

Then, the ACM got fans hyped for the collaboration between Brooks & Dunn and Cody Johnson. They shared a brief video of the singers walking together backstage during rehearsals.

Later, the ACM posted several photos of two-time nominee Megan Moroney onstage for her rehearsal. They captioned the pictures, “She’s here. She’s rehearsing. She’s ready…“

We too, are ready for the ACM Awards! Tune in to the ceremony on Thursday, May 8, at 8 PM Eastern time on Prime Video.

In the meantime, watch the video below for a behind-the-scenes look at host Reba McEntire’s promotional photo shoot for this year’s ceremony.

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About the Author

Miranda Raye

Hello, I'm Miranda, a lifelong country music fan! There are old home videos of me in my baby swing, swinging along to Dolly Parton and Ricky Van Shelton’s “Rockin’ Years.” Being able to unite my passions for storytelling, researching, and music into my work has been a dream come true.

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