Ella Langley Wins Surprise ACM Award Ahead of Tonight’s Ceremony

Ella Langley has already won big at the 2026 ACM Awards.

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Ahead of the May 17 ceremony, the Academy of Country Music announced that the “Choosin’ Texas” singer has nabbed the Artist-Songwriter of the Year trophy.

Langley beat out Luke Combs, Riley Green, Megan Moroney, and Morgan Wallen in the category to win the award.

The news came amid Langley’s Dandelion Tour. The singer celebrated her win on Instagram, noting that she’s “feeling incredibly grateful” amid her recent success.

“Two sold out shows & ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year?! Thank you Estero, Savannah & the @acmawards,” she wrote. “I’m a lucky gal.”

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Langley has many more chances to win big at the ACMs. She’s tied with Lainey Wilson for the third-most nominations of the year, with seven nods.

She’s up for Song of the Year, Single of the Year, Music Event of the Year, and Female Artist of the Year. In the former two categories, Langley is nominated twice, as an artist and a songwriter in the first, and as an artist and producer in the second.

Moroney leads the pack with nine nods, while Miranda Lambert came in second with eight.

What to Know About the 61st ACM Awards

During the Shania Twain-hosted ceremony, stars including Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Lambert, Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves, and Wilson will perform.

Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena will play host to the 2026 ceremony. The show is returning to Sin City after a three-year stint in Texas. Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside is to thank for the show’s Vegas return.

“It just feels like the place for a show like this and it does kind of tie back a little bit to our West Coast roots,” Whiteside told Billboard of the Los Angeles-founded Academy. “I’ve been hearing a lot of feedback from artists and the industry. They’re just super excited.”

“It’s like, ‘Oh, we can’t wait to go back to Vegas again. We can’t wait to be at the MGM again,’” he added. “I think it’s fun for the artists to be able to hang out.”

Photo by Rich Polk/Billboard via Getty Images