Lainey Wilson stole the spotlight at the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards, taking home two major honors: Female Artist of the Year and the coveted Entertainer of the Year award.

“I’ve been chasing this dream in Nashville for 13 years,” Wilson shared in her heartfelt acceptance speech. “Everyone in this category has supported and believed in me, and I love y’all for that.”

Her win places her among a select group of women who have earned the top prize. Miranda Lambert was the last female recipient in 2022, while Carrie Underwood shared the honor with Thomas Rhett in 2020, marking the first tie and the first female win since Taylor Swift in 2012.

Lainey Wilson Breaks Barriers with ACM Triple Crown Award

Wilson opened the 59th ACM Awards with an electrifying performance, blending a cover of Little Texas’ “God Blessed Texas” with her latest single, “Hang Tight Honey.” Later in the evening, Clay Walker and Randy Travis presented Jordan Davis with Song of the Year for his hit, “Next Thing You Know.”

“Thank you to the fans for embracing this song,” Davis said during his speech. “This moment is surreal—it’s why I fell in love with songwriting in the first place.”

Wilson’s collaboration with Jelly Roll on “Save Me” also earned Music Event of the Year.

“This song truly saved my life,” Jelly Roll said emotionally. “I thought my story would end in jail or worse, but instead, I’m here as an ACM winner.”

The event, held at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, was hosted by Reba McEntire.

One of the night’s standout moments was Jason Aldean’s heartfelt tribute to the late Toby Keith. Aldean delivered an acoustic rendition of Keith’s classic, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” as the crowd sang along and Keith’s family looked on. Keith, a 14-time ACM winner, passed away in February at age 62 after battling stomach cancer.

Chris Stapleton was another big winner, taking home Album and Male Artist of the Year. “Being in this category with so many talented artists is an honor in itself,” he said during his speech.

Stapleton also performed his new song, “Think I’m in Love with You,” joined by pop sensation Dua Lipa. Post Malone surprised the audience with the debut of his track “Never Love You Again,” seamlessly transitioning into his hit collaboration with Morgan Wallen, “I Had Some Help.”

McEntire joined Malone for a duet of “Ramblin’ Man” in tribute to the late Dickey Betts, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, who passed away last month at 80.

Luke Combs, the night’s most-nominated artist, won Single of the Year for his rendition of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” This follows Chapman’s historic win at last year’s CMAs, where she became the first Black songwriter to win Song of the Year.

Dan and Shay were named Duo of the Year, while Old Dominion earned Group of the Year honors.

The performances were a highlight of the evening. Jelly Roll energized the crowd with “Liar,” followed by Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan’s mashup of “Mountain with a View” and “Stick Season.” Tigirlily Gold delivered “I Tried A Ring On,” while Cody Johnson performed his Texas-inspired track, “Dirt Cheap.” Miranda Lambert debuted her latest single, “Wranglers,” and Kane Brown delivered a stirring rendition of “Georgia On My Mind.”

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani charmed the audience with “Purple Irises,” while Parker McCollum performed “Burn It Down.” New Male Artist of the Year winner Nate Smith teamed up with Avril Lavigne for their collaboration, “Bulletproof.” McEntire closed the show with her latest release, “I Can’t.”

The ACM Awards were streamed live on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, making the event accessible to fans worldwide.