The 2026 Academy of Country Music ceremonies will stream via Amazon in May from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas
Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, and Riley Green are the first performers to be announced for the Academy of Country Music Awards this spring. The gala concert, held at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena, will stream on Prime Video, Amazon’s Twitch channel, and the Amazon Music app at 8 p.m. ET on May 17.
Johnson is returning to the show after winning Song of the Year for “Dirt Cheap” in 2025. This year, he’s released a new single, “Blame Texas,” and made a featured appearance on Brandon Lake’s “When a Cowboy Prays.” Wilson will give a new song, “Can’t Sit Still,” its world-premiere performance. And Green is slated to sing his gold-certified single “Change My Mind,” which has crossed over to the pop chart.
Green will also lead a concert in Vegas the week of the ACMs. A special performance, ACM Lifting Lives Country on the Green: Riley Green & Friends, will take place at Topgolf Las Vegas on May 15. Green’s friends are yet to be announced. The show’s producers are also holding ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash, which organizers describe as a “reimagined fan-favorite outdoor concert experience,” at Mandalay Bay Beach on May 16; they haven’t yet announced performers.
Tickets for the awards show are on sale via AXS.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to return to MGM Grand for the 61st ACM Awards next May, a place that holds a lot of history and special memories for the Academy. It truly feels like a homecoming for us,” Damon Whiteside, CEO, Academy of Country Music, said previously in a statement. “There’s no better place to host an exciting, global Country Music celebration than fabulous Las Vegas!”
Penske Media Corporation owns Dick Clark Productions, which is also the parent company of Rolling Stone.
