2026 ACM Awards: Exclusive Photos From the Boot Barn Portrait Studio
From Lainey Wilson to new artist of the year honorees Avery Anna and Tucker Wetmore, country stars struck a pose.
Black News 
The 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards celebrated some of the genre’s biggest and brightest stars Sunday (May 17) at the MGM Grande Garden Arena in Las Vegas. They first arrived on the red carpet to show off their finery, but many — including Lainey Wilson, Avery Anna, Tucker Wetmore, Zach Top and Ashley McBryde — also swung by the Boot Barn portrait studio to strike a pose, and Billboard has an exclusive look at some of the best snaps below.
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Going into the 61st annual ceremony, women led the way in nominations, with Megan Moroney and her nine nods at the front of the pack, followed by Miranda Lambert with eight and Wilson and Ella Langley boasting seven. The evening went on to be dominated by the ladies. The show — helmed by first-time host Shania Twain — kicked off with Wilson performing her new song, “Can’t Sit Still.”
The big winner of the night was “Be Her” singer Langley, who dominated with seven wins, including song of the year and single of the year for her hit “Choosin’ Texas,” as well as female artist of the year. Cody Johnson also had a big night, taking home male artist of the year as well as a surprise win in the entertainer of the year category, beating out superstars Wilson, Morgan Wallen, Jelly Roll, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton and Moroney.
In addition to Wilson kicking off the show with her set, the 2026 ACM Awards also featured performances from Avery Anna, Langley, Dan + Shay, Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Zach Top and more.
If you missed the ceremony Sunday night, the show is available to stream on Prime Video.
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.
