Country music is heading back to the bright lights of Las Vegas this weekend as the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards returns to the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday night. With major stars, first-time nominees, live performances and plenty of buzz around this year’s categories, the ACMs are shaping up to be one of the biggest nights on the country calendar.

This year’s ceremony will be hosted by Shania Twain, marking the first time the country icon has taken on hosting duties for the event. The show will stream live globally on Prime Video, continuing the ACM’s recent push to make the awards feel bigger and more accessible to fans around the world.

There is already plenty of conversation surrounding the nominees heading into the weekend. Megan Moroney leads the way with nine nominations, while Miranda Lambert follows closely behind with eight. Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson continue their huge momentum with seven nominations each, highlighting another massive year for female artists in country music.

The performance lineup also feels stacked from top to bottom. Fans can expect appearances from Cody Johnson, Riley Green, Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton, Zach Top, Dan + Shay and The Red Clay Strays among many others across the night.

Away from the awards themselves, Las Vegas has effectively turned into country music central for the weekend, with fan events and live shows taking place across the city in the lead-up to Sunday night. The ACM’s return to Vegas has brought a real sense of occasion back to the event, blending the glamour of the Strip with the energy of country music’s current boom.

For UK country fans, the 2026 ACM Awards feel especially exciting. Many of the artists dominating this year’s nominations and performances have built huge followings across Britain through touring, festivals and streaming success over the past year. Whether it is arena favourites, breakout newcomers or traditional country rising back into the spotlight, this weekend’s ACM Awards feels like a snapshot of just how broad and popular the genre has become right now.