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Lainey Wilson, Riley Green and Cody Johnson will take the stage at the 61st ACM Awards in May.
The Academy of Country Music revealed the first round of performers on Thursday (March 19), and teased “many more unforgettable performances to be revealed in the coming weeks.” The show will return to the MGM Garden Arena stage in Las Vegas, Nevada, switching locations after a three-year run at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco Texas. The ACM Awards “will feature unprecedented performances, exclusive collaborations, and unexpected moments from the biggest Country Music stars, all while celebrating the genre’s most iconic and emerging talent,” the release states.
The Academy also noted that Johnson won the ACM Song of the Year honor in 2025. Wilson is the reigning Entertainer of the Year, and Green is headlining this year’s ACM Lifting Lives Country on the Green: Riley Green & Friends event at Topgolf Las Vegas.
ACM Lifting Lives Country on the Green: Riley Green & Friends will take place on Friday, May 15. The ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash will take place at Mandalay Bay Beach on Saturday, May 16. The 61st ACM Awards will kick off at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 17.