See the Best Pictures from the 2026 ACM Awards: Performances and Acceptance Speeches

Country singers weren’t afraid to take risks at the 2026 ACM Awards. Kacey Musgraves‘ live performance of “Dry Spell” was among several eye-popping moments captured in pictures.

Lainey Wilson‘s show-opening performance of “Can’t Sit Still” also came with some sizzle. She kept that black leather and buckles on most of the rest of the night!

READ MORE: Here are the Winners at the 2026 ACM Awards [Full List]

Midway through the show, therehadn’t been too many shocking awards show wins, but speeches from Ella Langley and Cody Johnson were very touching.

That changed by the end, with winners announced in the Album and Entertainer of the Year categories.

This photo gallery captures all of it, plus the many different outfits worn by host Shania Twain.

2026 ACM Awards Performances:

Lainey Wilson, “Can’t Sit Still”
Miranda Lambert, “Crisco”
Anna Avery, “Narcissist”
Thomas Rhett and Jordan Davis, “Ain’t a Bad Life”
Riley Green, “Change My Mind”
Zach Top, “Honky Tonk Till It Hurts”
Tucker Wetmore, “Brunette”
Kacey Musgraves, “Dry Spell”
Ella Langley, “Be Her”
Carter Faith, “If I Had Never Lost My Mind …”
Cody Johnson, “Travelin’ Soldier”
Kane Brown, “Woman”
Dan + Shay, “Say So”
Blake Shelton, “The Gambler”

Later, Johnson brought “Travelin’ Soldier” to the ACMs stage, giving the song fresh life 23years after the Chicks made it famous. He took home a major award earlier in the night and praised his wife during an emotional acceptance speech.

These pictures are arranged chronologically, with the show’s final moments — including Entertainer of the Year — up top and pictures of Wilson’s performance at the bottom.

The 2026 ACM Awards took place live at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, airing on Amazon Prime. It was a return to Vegas after several years in Frisco, Texas.