Introduction
Fresh off their victories as ACM New Female Artist of the Year and ACM New Male Artist of the Year, the talented Ella Langley and rising star Zach Top are confirmed to take the stage at next week’s highly anticipated 60th ACM Awards on May 8th.
Langley, who leads the pack with the most nominations at this year’s ACMs, experienced a heartwarming surprise on Friday, April 25th. While performing at Rock The Country in Knoxville, Tennessee, she was presented with her ACM New Female Artist of the Year Award via a special congratulatory video from none other than the most decorated artist in ACM history, Miranda Lambert. This prestigious win comes on the heels of her debut album, “Hungover,” which features her chart-topping hit, “You Look Like You Love Me” featuring Riley Green. The single not only marked her entry into the Billboard Hot 100 but also secured her first No. 1, making her one of only two female artists to top the Billboard Country Airplay Chart in 2024. Langley’s impressive eight ACM nominations this year include New Female Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, and six nods for “You Look Like You Love Me,” recognizing her as an artist and songwriter in categories like Single of the Year, Song of the Year, Music Event of the Year, and Visual Media of the Year (as artist and director).
Overwhelmed with emotion, Langley shared, “Every day of my life, I’ve just prayed about this and thought about it, and literally everything I’ve ever done was to be able to do this. I’m so grateful for the team I have around me. I’m just really grateful to have fans that are listening to the music and see that it is truth and I’m just a real life human being going through life like the rest of everyone else, and to see the things that I go through is something that everyone else goes through.”
Zach Top also received an early celebration, being surprised with his ACM New Male Artist of the Year Award on Thursday night, April 24th, before his sold-out show in Wilmington, North Carolina. The exciting news was delivered through a special video message from the most successful duo in ACM history, Brooks & Dunn. Top is also in the running for ACM Album of the Year for his debut album, “Cold Beer & Country Music.”
Expressing his gratitude, Top said, “I couldn’t be more honored, and I can’t say a big enough thank you to my fans for loving music and loving what we do on the road and listening to the songs every day. It means the world to me, I’ve always wanted to just play and sing for a living, and I get to do that now and it’s cool to be able to get a little trophy every now and then to let us know that we’re doing good doing it. So thank you so much, this is beautiful.”
Top’s debut album has already proven to be a massive success, garnering over 3.5 million streams in its first week. His “Cold Beer & Country Music Tour” has seen sold-out performances at iconic venues like Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, New York’s Terminal 5, and Boston’s MGM Music Hall at Fenway. He is also currently supporting select dates on Alan Jackson’s “Last Call Tour” and will be joining Dierks Bentley’s “Broken Branches Tour” starting next month.
Hosted by the legendary Reba McEntire, the 60th ACM Awards will be broadcast live from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, next Wednesday, May 8th, starting at 7 p.m. CT. Fans can tune in to the excitement on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.