The Academy of Country Music Awards were choosing Ella Langley every chance they got, as the “Choosin’ Texas” charttopper won all seven trophies she was nominated for before and during Sunday night’s ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The top prize of the night, however, went to Cody Johnson, who was awarded the coveted entertainer of the year award. (Langley was not up for that particular honor.) Johnson also picked up best male vocalist earlier in the evening.
Music “is the greatest drug that has ever been introduced on the planet earth,” Johnson said in picking up his entertainer of the year trophy at the climax of the two-and-a-half-hour show. But, establishing that he does not consider himself immersed in the business, Johnson said, “When i go home, I take my phone and I turn it face down. When I go home, I am a husband, I am a father, i am a cattle rancher.”
Cody Johnson accepts the award for Male Artist of the Year at The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards held at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 17, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Rich Polk/Variety
