Music played and the people sang when Avery Anna took the stage for her performance at the 2026 ACM Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday (May 17).

The new female artist of the year winner — who claimed the crown over Mackenzie Carpenter, Dasha, Caroline Jones and Emily Ann Roberts — kicked off her rockin’ set with a cover of Cher’s 1966 Billboard Hot 100 No. 2 hit “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down),” which was also previously covered by Nancy Sinatra later that same year.

From there, with guitars blazing, the rising country music star went into her track “Blood Runs Thicker” off EP Forgive, Forget, which arrived earlier in the year. “Blood runs much thicker than water/ I am my father’s daughter,” she sang with power and edge during the chorus. “But you’re such a toxic talker/ So what do you do when you’re torn between the two, no?”

Dressed in a strapless black leather corset with matching pants, Avery Anna gave a rock n’ roll edge to her set not only with her choice of song and outfit, but also with her actions on stage. At one point, her blonde hair whipping around, she grabbed a pair of drumsticks and banged away on the drums as her drummer played along with her.

The 61st annual Academy of Country Music Awards were hosted by first-time host Shania Twain at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and aired live on Prime Video. Megan Moroney led the night in nominations, boasting an impressive nine nods.

The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.

Still-rising country hitmaker Riley Green took the stage at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday night (May 17) to perform his latest hit, the bad-decisions ballad “Change My Mind.”

Wearing a typical black Stetson and muscle-baring denim shirt, Green delivered a smoldering performance of the hit song. The singer-songwriter took things to the next level on the bridge, as he walked out from the set he’d been playing in front of with his backing band — designed to look like the interior of a wood cabin — and approached a microphone on a side stage surrounded by the audience, where his no-doubt swooning fans could better appreciate the song’s slow-burning heat.

Green is nominated for four awards at the 2026 ceremonies: album of the year (for Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe)), male artist of the year, music event of the year (for “Don’t Mind If I Do” with Ella Langley) and artist-songwriter of the year (which he lost before the broadcast to his duet partner Langley). He’s a four-time career winner at the awards, including a win for top new male vocalist in 2020, and two awards for his and Langley’s first duet “You Look Like You Love Me” in 2024: single of the year and visual media of the year.

“Change My Mind” currently ranks at No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated May 16), having spent 14 weeks on the chart and previously peaked at No. 27. The song already marks Green’s fourth top 40 hit on the chart, following the two aforementioned Langley collabs, and his own solo “Worst Way,” a No. 20 hit in summer 2025.

The 2026 ACM Awards kicked off Sunday (May 17) night in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with a bang – albeit one you could have seen coming a country mile away.

The evening’s first award, the prestigious song of the year Academy of Country Music Award, went to “Choosin’ Texas,” the nine-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 from Ella Langley that’s taken America by storm.

The song of the year ACM Award goes to songwriter(s), publisher(s) and artist(s), so Langley won alongside cowriters Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert and Joybeth Taylor, with Bada Bing & Bada Langley Publishing, Little Louder Songs and Sony Music Publishing winning for publishing.

“If you’ve ever met me you know I am not at a loss for words often,” Langley said while holding the trophy. “All I gotta say is, thank you God for putting me in a room with these three people here,” she said, pointing to her cowriters on stage. Thanking her fans, she admitted, “I don’t know why you latched onto this song,” but said she was grateful for the support.

Langley revealed the songwriting quartet have a group messaging chat named “Choosin’” where they “sent stats to” each other about the smash. Based on the song’s ongoing success, it doesn’t seem like that chat will go silent any time soon. “I never would have imagined to even dream for it,” Langley said of its runaway success.

The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.

Country-style glitz and glam descended upon Las Vegas for the 61^st annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday (May 17) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Stars such as Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson – who are both scheduled to perform, with the latter kicking off the show airing on Prime Video – arrived on the ACMs’ red carpet in their finest, with the “Be Her” singer stunning in a white sweetheart-necklined gown, and Wilson  red hot in a strapless red-fringe floor-length number.

Host Shania Twain dazzled in a silver sequined number that appeared to feature a fierce, black-sequined cat at the bottom, paired with black leather gloves that went up to nearly her shoulders.

Shaboozey looked sleek with a black cowboy hat, stylish sunglasses, a white collared shirt and long black leather coat, while Tucket Wetmore, the new male artist of the year, was stylish in a cornflower blue suit with black piping and matching shirt. (Avery Anna was previously announced as the new female artist of the year.)

Going into the ceremony, women led in nominations, with Megan Moroney in the lead with nine nods, eight for Miranda Lambert and seven each for Langley and Wilson. Up for entertainer of the year are Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Moroney, Chris Stpleton, Morgan Wallen and Wilson. This is the fourth year in a row Wallen has been nominated in the category, but he has yet to win.

The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.