The 2025 Academy of Country Music Award nominations are finally here, but not everyone is celebrating. Unexpected snubs and shocking surprises have fans talking—did your favorite artist make the cut? Watch below!
Biggest Snubs & Surprises From The 2025 ACM Award Nominations
Nominees For The 60th Annual ACM Awards Have Been Announced
The nominees for the 2025 ACM Awards were announced on Thursday, March 27th.
The award show will air live from the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, on May 8th, with 16-time ACM winner Reba McEnture returning as the host for the evening.
Over 5,000 industry professionals voted for the nominees in each ACM category. However, every year, when the long list is revealed, there are always a few surprises.
While some fans are happy about the outcome, others often are shocked that their favorite artists weren’t recognized.
So, who had an unexpected moment in the spotlight, and who got overlooked this time around?
See Some Of The Biggest Snubs And Surprises Among The Nominations For The 2025 ACM Awards
SURPRISE – Ella Langley (Top Nominee)
Ella Langley has had a huge breakout year with her single “You Look Like You Love Me” featuring Riley Green.
But, for someone who has never been nominated for an ACM award before, it’s a surprise to see her as the most-nominated artist this year. She received eight nominations, including New Female Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year.
SNUB – Carly Pearce
Carly Pearce found herself without any solo nominations at the ACM Awards this year. Pearce had been nominated at the ACMs every year from 2018 to 2023, even winning awards such as Single of the Year and Female Artist of the Year.
Given that she released her fourth studio album, Hummingbird, in June 2024, it’s surprising that it wasn’t included in the running. However, she did receive a nod for Music Event of the Year alongside Chris Stapleton for their duet “we don’t fight anymore.”
SURPRISE – Zach Top
Zach Top is currently one of the fastest rising stars in country music. His debut album Cold Beer and Country Music, led to his first headlining tour, which sold out.
Additionally, his single “I Never Lie” has also been certified gold by the RIAA, so it’s understandable that Top has scored a nomination for New Male Artist.
However, what’s even more surprising is that the first-time nominee is also up for one of the biggest awards of the night: Album of The Year.
This marks the first time a debut album has been nominated in this category since 2016, when Chris Stapleton’s Traveller and Sam Hunt’s Montevallo were recognized.
SNUB – Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert holds the record as the most awarded artist in ACM history, with 35 wins. However, for the second year in a row, she did not receive any nominations.
Last year, this didn’t come as much of a shock since she hadn’t released new music before voting began. But this time, she had a fresh collection of songs from her Postcards from Texas album, which came out in September 2024.
SURPRISE – Kelsea Ballerini
Kelsea Ballerini has been recognized at the ACM Awards many times, with 13 past nominations and a win for New Female Vocalist of the Year in 2016.
This year, she’s up for Female Artist of the Year, and Music Event of the Year. But the biggest milestone is her first-ever nomination for Entertainer of the Year.
She joins Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen, and Lainey Wilson in the category.
Everyone else was also nominated last year, making Ballerini the only new contender for the night’s top honor.
SNUB – Keith Urban
Keith Urban has won multiple ACM Awards throughout his career, including Entertainer of the Year. But despite his past success, he hasn’t been nominated since 2021.
Even with the release of his twelfth studio album, High, in September 2024, he was once again left out. This is the fourth year in a row that Urban has been snubbed at the ACM Awards.
SURPRISE – Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts made their comeback this year as they celebrate their 25th anniversary. After a five-year hiatus, the group reunited for a tour and now finds themselves nominated for Group of the Year.
They have won the award seven times in the past, but the last time they were nominated for the category was nearly a decade ago in 2017.
SNUB – Zach Bryan
Zach Bryan won his first ACM Award in 2023 for New Male Artist and received three nominations last year. But, it seems that his streak has ended because he didn’t receive a single nomination this time.
It’s not as if Bryan didn’t have new music to be considered. The Great American Bar Scene was released during the voting period and even reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. That only adds to the shock of him not being nominated for at least Album of the Year.
SURPRISE – Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton has won 14 ACM Awards throughout his career, making him one of the most awarded male artists in the show’s history. So it’s no surprise that he’s up for several categories this year, including Entertainer of the Year.
However, what stands out the most is his nomination for Single of the Year with “White Horse.”
The song was released in 2023 and even won awards at last year’s ceremony. Since the ACM voting period runs from Jan 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024, we aren’t too sure how the track is still eligible for the 2025 awards.
SNUB – Beyoncé
Beyoncé made her entry into country music with her album Cowboy Carter. The album made history by spending four weeks at the top of Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. She also reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which held the top spot for an impressive 10 weeks.
While her move into the genre has created mixed reactions, she ended up winning Best Country Album at the Grammys. However, when it came to the ACM Awards, she found herself out of the race with zero nominations.
