Ella Langley is a seven-time ACM Award winner. Cody Johnson named Entertainer of the Year

The Academy of Country Music Awards chose Ella Langley at every opportunity, as the “Choosin’ Texas” chart-topper won all seven trophies she was nominated for before and during the ceremony Sunday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

But the night’s top award went to Cody Johnson, who won the coveted Entertainer of the Year award. (Langley was not selected for that special honor.) Johnson also selected Best Male Vocalist earlier in the evening.

Johnson picked up the Entertainer of the Year trophy at the climax of the two-and-a-half-hour show, saying music was “the greatest drug ever introduced to the planet.” But Johnson made it clear that he doesn’t consider himself immersed in business: “When I go home, I pick up my phone and turn it face down. When I come home, I’m a husband, a father, a rancher.”

Langley’s awards include Female Artist of the Year, Artist/Songwriter of the Year, both Single of the Year and Song of the Year for “Choosin’ Texas,” and Musical Event of the Year for her appearance on Riley Green’s “Don’t Mind If I Do.”

Although she had already been on the podium many times, Langley was at first tearful and speechless when she received the final award of the night, Female Vocalist. “I’m trying to say something, but I can’t,” she admitted. “Women in this category, women in this life…I was having a weird day,” she said, before adding that Rainie Wilson “wrapped up around me and started praying for me,” before adding that she got the extra encouragement she needed when “all of a sudden Miranda Lambert showed up in a little pink hat.” Lambert was on stage with Langley as co-writer of “Choosin’ Texas,” which remains the No. 1 song on the Hot 100.

(Wilson won in five categories, but she won seven awards because she was recognized as both singer and co-writer in the single and song categories. ACM is unique in doubling down on honors for those who played multiple roles in the nominated work.)

Parker McCallum was the surprise winner of the critically acclaimed album of the year award, beating out Zack Top, Morgan Wallen, Riley Greene and Carter Faith.

“I was starting to think people weren’t going to let me up here,” McCollum joked as he took the stage.

Other winners presented during the Prime Video webcast included Red Clay Strays for Group of the Year and Brooks & Dunn for Duo of the Year.

Winners announced in the days leading up to the ceremony included Avery Anna as New Female Vocalist of the Year, Tucker Wetmore as New Male Vocalist of the Year, Jesse Jo Dillon as Songwriter of the Year, and Stephen Wilson Jr.’s “Cuckoo” as Visual Media of the Year.

Shania Twain was ACM’s first host, returning to the show’s longtime home in Las Vegas to celebrate its 61st anniversary after three years in Texas.

The show featured 17 performances, opening with a choreographed rendition of last year’s Entertainer of the Year winner Laney Wilson’s current single “Can’t Sit Still,” accompanied by 10 identical female dancers in all white and cowboy hats. (Wilson was probably taking a break from his honeymoon after getting married last weekend.) The show ended with Blake Shelton performing the Kenny Rogers hit “The Gambler,” in honor of respected songwriter Don Schlitz, who passed away last month.

Kacey Musgraves provided one of the night’s performance highlights with a randy rendition of her recent single “Dry Spell,” which began with her sitting in a washing machine mentioned in the lyrics and moved into a supermarket set intended to recall her music video. Wearing flashy denim shorts, Musgraves pushes a cart around the market, checking out suggestive food while singing about thwarted sexual desire.

At the other end of the serious spectrum, Dan and Shay performed their new anti-suicide ballad “Say So.” Following a tearful introduction speech by Lauren Alaina, she broke down in tears as she talked about how the death of their mutual friend and industry executive Ben Vaughn inspired them to create the song. Alaina spoke on behalf of ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the academy, and its efforts to support mental health.

McCallum’s performance of her latest song, “Killin’ Me,” was particularly well-received, in part because she enlisted esteemed singer Lee Ann Womack as her vocal partner.

Unsurprisingly, Langley’s turn as a performer was one of the most anticipated of the night. She chose to perform her song “Be Her,” which currently sits at No. 2 on the Hot 100, rather than “Texas,” which is currently a No. 1 hit. In contrast to the light country-R&B flavor of the recorded version, Langley played a more serious-sounding, stripped-down version, sitting on a stool and playing acoustic guitar alongside two fellow strummers.

Lambert had more than just to accompany Langley on stage for their mutual victory. She introduced her new song “Crisco,” which calls itself a disco-country style.

Other performers included Green, Top, Kane Brown, Wetmore, Anna, Red Clay Strays, Little Big Town, and Faith, along with Thomas Rhett and Jordan Davis as duet partners.

Langley seemed unbeatable in every category, and it seemed almost certain that she would have won Album of the Year if Dandelion hadn’t been released on time. Langley is already a favorite to win the award in 2027. She wasn’t nominated for Entertainer of the Year, which is usually given to veteran arena-headlining artists, but Langley, fresh off her second major-label album, will soon embark on her first arena tour, so she could be in the running again next year.