From Reba McEntire to Carrie Underwood and beyond, country music has a great tradition of hosts who bring it when it comes to fashion on the big awards shows. 

And when Shania Twain leads the 61st ACMs on Sunday, you can bet her glam will be on par with her predecessors. 

"I think by now, everyone who knows me, whether it's a fan or [someone] that works around me, they know I'm gonna be very, very involved in this because it's part of my joy," she says. "It's part of my pleasure."

The Canadian country/pop superstar seems to be hinting her approach will be more about quality than quantity. 

"I don't plan on making it hectic. I want to enjoy this night. I will not do a crazy amount," she reveals. "The talk will not be about how many changes I have. I wanna make each one count."

When you're in Sin City hosting one of country music's biggest nights, Shania believes it's the only option.

"I do love glamour, so I will definitely aim towards being glamorous because it's an opportunity to dress up. Listen, I love a great pajama day, too. You know, I love a bad hair day," she adds. "But when you're hosting the ACMs and you're in Las Vegas, you go for it."

Tune in for all the fashion and fun as Shania kicks off the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards live from MGM Grand Garden Arena Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band played their last Nashville concert Wednesday at the Grand Ole Opry House, with a set that included "Mr. Bojangles" and "Fishin' in the Dark," and closed with a rendition of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken/The Weight" featuring Alison Brown, Suzy Bogguss, Jerry Douglas and Kathleen Edwards. The last leg of their ALL THE GOOD TIMES: The Farewell Tour kicks off June 5 in Dodge City, Kansas. 

The Top Shelf Country Cruise has donated a quarter million dollars to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital from proceeds from its inaugural voyage. The 2027 run kicks off March 7 with Riley Green, Chris Young, Jackson Dean and more. 

Trace Adkins will debut his new song, "American Made," on A Capitol Fourth: 250th Weekend Celebration, which airs Friday, July 3, on public television.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The music of Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, The Charlie Daniels Band and Rosanne Cash is officially becoming part of American history, as their work joins the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.

Reba's Rumor Has It album is one of only 25 recordings chosen this year, alongside Rosanne's 1993 album, The Wheel, The CDB's "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and Vince's "Go Rest High on That Mountain." 

“I’ve been writing songs for over 50 years, and if you asked me straight up what’s the one song you’d want to be remembered for, I would pick this one, hands down. Wouldn’t even be close,” Vince says. “In my era of success, it was probably the least charting record I’ve ever had, but what this song has gone on to do for other people is what makes it special to me."

Ray Charles' pivotal Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music from 1962 is also part of country's 2026 contributions, alongside country alum Taylor Swift's 1989 album.

Other cultural juggernauts like José Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad," Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Chaka Kahn's "I Feel for You" and Gladys Knight and the Pips' "Midnight Train to Georgia" also enter the collection. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Lainey Wilson and Devlin "Duck" Hodges were married Sunday, May 10, at Ruskin Cave in Dickson, Tennessee, the couple revealed in an extensive spread via Vogue. 

"Pretty inseparable since" being set up on a blind date in 2021, the former NFL quarterback surprised Lainey with a proposal at George Jones' estate in February 2025. 

The two discovered their wedding venue by chance. 

“Duck and I were driving backroads in Tennessee and saw a billboard for The Ruskin Cave,” the CMA and ACM entertainer of the year tells Vogue. 

On her wedding day, Lainey arrived by horse-drawn carriage, wearing a custom Oscar de la Renta gown emblazoned with tiny Japanese cherry blossoms representing "living in the moment."

“I have never seen Duck smile as big as he did then,” she recalls. “It made me feel giddy about turning the page into this next chapter of marriage. We were both anxious to say ‘I do!’”

Married on a cobblestone ledge by a waterfall, the two kept their big day true to their roots.

"We wanted it to be special and beautiful, but really welcoming and comfortable,” Lainey says. “Being from Louisiana, I wanted to bring in a little bit of Cajun flair, so naturally we hired a 12-piece jazz band called Rebirth and had a Cajun meal from the chefs at my bar, Bell Bottoms Up.”

After cocktail hour, it was time for the reception in the cave, complete with a prayer from Lainey's mom.

“Our family and friends know how to have a good time, and the dance floor was packed all night," Lainey says. "To close out a perfect evening, Duck and I followed the band through a send-off line of sparklers and cheering loved ones, climbed into an old white Ford truck, and drove off!” 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

It's sure to be a celebration that's even bigger than "Bottle Rockets" with Scotty McCreery and Hootie & the Blowfish: Darius Rucker's booked to play Fireworks on the Fairway at Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa this Fourth of July.

Given Darius' fondness for golf, chances are also pretty good you might see him on the course.

The Dallas-area celebration kicks off at 6 p.m. CT that Saturday and goes until 10 p.m. CT, and will include a drone and fireworks show, carnival games, face painters, food and beverages, in addition to the concert by Darius.

Tickets go on sale Friday. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

American Idol crowned a new winner this week, and it's understandable if the 2011 winner is feeling a little sentimental. But Scotty McCreery's also doing something about it, releasing a "retrospective album" titled 15 on July 17. 

"Fifteen years goes by like a flash," Scotty wrote on his socials. "Some days it feels like yesterday when I did my initial American Idol audition in Milwaukee, while other days it feels like it happened a hundred years ago."

"I’ve lived a lot of life, traveled millions of miles, and followed my dreams," he continues, "all thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my family, my team, and all the fans who have supported me through these 15 years."

In addition to his hits, 15 offers four new tracks, including the song Scotty auditioned for Idol with, "Your Man," in a new duet version with its original artist, Josh Turner. The new take drops Thursday at midnight.

Conway Twitty's signature "Hello Darlin'" is also on the album, along with Scotty's cover of Kris Kristofferson's "Why Me, Lord?" and "Been a Good Run," which is likely a new song. 

Here's the complete track listing for Scotty McCreery's 15:
"See You Tonight"
"Five More Minutes"
"This Is It"
"In Between"
"You Time"
"Damn Strait"
"Cab in a Solo"
"It Matters to Her"
"Bottle Rockets" (featuring Hootie & the Blowfish)
"Your Man" (featuring Josh Turner)
"Hello Darlin'"
"Been a Good Run"
"Why Me, Lord?"

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Thirteen years into their career, Dan + Shay are still feeling Young.

That's the title of their sixth studio album, set to arrive Aug. 21. 

“Young is by far our most personal album yet, and we are beyond excited for our fans to hear it,” Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney say in the news release announcing the record. “Every song is inspired by a true story, and gives a real-time snapshot of exactly where we are in our lives.”

Dan co-produced the project, which features the top-30 lead single, "Say So." The duo of the year nominees will perform the hit on Sunday's 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, which stream live from Las Vegas on Prime Video. 

Look for the title track of the album to drop Thursday at midnight. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Music City relocates to Sin City for the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards this weekend.

While it's about trophies and performances for some, for Rascal Flatts' Joe Don Rooney, his mind immediately goes somewhere else — like the drive-thru.

"First off, they have In-N-Out Burger," he says. "Just recently, I think one opened up somewhere north of Nashville, but I've yet to go to it. But In-N-Out Burger is so dang good. And anytime we get out that way out West, we always try to hit that."

In addition to potentially picking up a Double-Double, Joe Don has dreams on par with lots of other duffers and part-time pros. 

"The golf is just amazing in Vegas," he adds. "And the ACMs used to have a golf event every year, and we used to take advantage of that for sure, because it was so much fun to play and meet new people, and of course, get to play with some other fellow artists."

"[We've] got a picture somewhere, [of] me and Gary [LeVox] and Kix Brooks and Blake Shelton," he continues. "And Blake has his blue jeans on, and they're rolled up to his knees, almost like knickers that you'd wear playing golf. And I thought that was amazing. Like the guy just wears blue jeans everywhere."

Rascal Flatts go into the 61st ACMs with their 14th nomination for group of the year. 

Tune in to see who wins starting Sunday at 8 p.m. ET  live from MGM Grand Garden Arena on Prime Video.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ashley McBryde, Keith Urban, Lauren Alaina, Shaboozey, The War And Treaty, TJ Osborne and Michael Bublé are set to present at Sunday's 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, along with sports stars Andrew Whitworth, Carl Edwards, Corey LaJoie and Ryan Fitzpatrick. You can stream the show starting at 8 p.m. ET via Prime Video. 

Lauren Alaina's new album, Stages, comes out Aug. 28 and features her top-25 hit "All My Exes" with Chase Matthew. 

Zach John King will launch a headlining tour this fall named after his first top-25 hit, "Get to Drinkin'." It kicks off Oct. 1 in Indianapolis and wraps Nov. 6 in Lexington, Kentucky. Presales start Thursday, before tickets become available to the public on Friday. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Shania Twain's seventh album, Little Miss Twain, hearkens back to her beginnings as "an eight-year-old singing late night at the bar" and is set to arrive July 24. 

“A lot of Little Miss Twain is reflective of my teens, my roots as well as the energy of the rock and R&B I loved so much, but still with that Western twang,” she says. “Where I’m from you don’t go anywhere on a horse — you go on a snowmobile. I was dreaming about the Western lifestyle and I was living in a very different world than where I ended up.”

The record's first single, "Dirty Rosie," is out now, ahead of her Sunday gig hosting the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. 

Shania will preview the album with a 12-night stand at London's Wembley Stadium with Harry Styles. She'll cap that with a July 7 show at Thomond Park Stadium in Limerick City, Ireland. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Lainey Wilson will be spending America's 250th birthday with the Boston Pops.

The CMA and ACM entertainer of the year is set to sing with the respected orchestra for the first time as part of the 2026 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, alongside Chance The Rapper and Trombone Shorty.

The Saturday, July 4, event will take place at the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade.

If you can make it to Boston, the show is free, and if you can't, you can stream the entire evening via the CNN app and CNN.com. 

It runs from 7 until 9:30 p.m. ET and will include a revolutionary-themed drone show during the "1812 Overture," as well as a choreographed fireworks show.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

As CMA Fest 2026 approaches, the Country Music Association is revealing what's in store for Fan Fair X inside Music City Center. 

From Thursday, June 4, through Sunday, June 7, the Nashville venue will be open from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., giving fans one of their best chances to get closer to the stars they love.

Russell Dickerson will be Thursday's Artist of the Day, while Carly Pearce will do the honors on the CMA Close Up Stage on Friday. Shaboozey and Ashley McBryde take over on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Thursday will also bring Sound & Story: An Artist Exchange featuring Melissa Etheridge and Gretchen Wilson, with Legends & Friends with Clint Black following on Friday. 

Saturday boasts both 40 Years of Randy Travis: Exploring the Icon's Legacy and Impact and The Last Take: Behind "On My Way to Heaven" with Tanya Tucker and Dennis Quaid.

Sunday features Up Close with Brandon Lake, the Christian/country crossover artist. 

Both single-day tickets and four-day passes are on sale now. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The track list for Cody Johnson's Banks of the Trinity is out now, giving fans a preview of what they can look forward to when the album arrives June 26. 

The 16-track collection includes a collaboration written especially for the CMA male vocalist of the year and Luke Combs titled "Shoot the Bull." Brothers Osborne pop up on "Fool Proof," which comes out Friday. 

Cody wrote the album closer himself, "Yippy Ty Oh Hey Hey," and had a hand in the creation of "Time Bomb." 

"Bible for a Boy" is dedicated to his son Jaycee Johnson, who was born Oct. 21. 

You can check out the preview tracks, "Hello Lonesome" and "I Want You," now. 

Here's the complete track listing for Cody Johnson's Banks of the Trinity:

"Horseback"
"Hello Lonesome"
"Fool Proof" (featuring Brothers Osborne)
"Take Me Back (Leave Me There)"
"Banks of the Trinity"
"I Want You"
"I Have" 
"Bible for a Boy" (For Jaycee)
"Kissing a Married Woman"
"Every Man" 
"Motel Miss You"
"Shoot the Bull" (featuring Luke Combs)
"Cricket on a Hook"
"Time Bomb"
"Thank Somebody Country"
"Yippy Ty Oh Hey Hey"

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Country Music Association is extending its partnership with Disney for six more years, meaning annual specials like CMA Awards, CMA Fest and CMA Country Christmas will air on ABC through 2032. 

The new contract adds an important new aspect, with the 2026 CMA Awards set to stream live on Disney+ for the first time ever. 

“For two decades, Disney has been CMA’s partner in celebrating excellence in country music and bringing its artists and storytelling to audiences around the world,” CMA CEO Sarah Trahern says in a news release. "Extending our collaboration with Disney and expanding the show to livestream on Disney+ marks an exciting next step for CMA, allowing us to reach new audiences while continuing our role in elevating and shaping the genre."

"As I prepare to retire at the end of the year," she continues, "ensuring CMA is strongly positioned for the future has remained one of my highest priorities, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together. As we approach The 60th Annual CMA Awards this fall and a new chapter for CMA Fest in the new stadium in 2027, I’m excited for what’s ahead for both CMA and country music.”

The 60th CMAs will air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 18, as construction on the new home for the Tennessee Titans continues. 

The first CMA Awards were held in 1967, and the show has gone on to become the longest-running yearly music awards ceremony on broadcast TV.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Leave it to Chris Stapleton to wax philosophical about country music awards shows. 

Of course, he does know a thing or two about the topic, since he's the most-nominated male artist at Sunday's 61st ACMs, with a chance to take home six more trophies. 

"These things are fantastic things to win, but when you get nominated or invited to these kinda parties, in my estimation, you've already won and you've already gotten to be far beyond [what] anybody who's a musician could ever dream of getting to do," he reflects.

"As far as thinkin’ about goin’ into somethin’," he adds, "I'm always genuinely surprised to win anything and I'm always grateful for it."

So where does Stapleton keep his impressive trophy collection? 

"Some of 'em, we put 'em out on the road in the VIP section for the fans to see," he answers. "That's who they belong to. ... I don't feel like they really belong to me. I don't have ‘em in my house or anything like that. I don't sit around making a shrine to myself or anything."

"We try to make sure that the fans get to see ‘em and enjoy ‘em as much as possible. Some of ‘em are in the Country Music Hall of Fame and places where they can be enjoyed by the people that got me to where I could earn them."

Stapleton's one of the rare ACM Triple Crown winners, having picked up new male, male and entertainer to earn the honor.

He could add his sixth male artist honor on Sunday, along with potential trophies for "A Song to Sing" with Miranda Lambert. 

The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards stream live from Las Vegas Sunday on Prime Video.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Tickets for the Luke Bryan & Friends concert Sept. 24 at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena go on sale Friday. Billed as a "one-of-a-kind show," it'll celebrate his new Signs album, which drops Sept. 18. 

Chris Cagle's adding 17 new dates to his Play It Loud 25th Anniversary Tour, starting with his May 23 show at Paragon Casino in Marksville, Louisiana. 

Lee Ann Womack will duet with Parker McCollum on his latest hit, "Killin' Me," at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. You can watch the show live Sunday on Prime Video starting at 8 p.m. ET. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ashley Cooke will launch the baby blues world tour this fall, with an itinerary set to take her both across the U.S. and across the pond. 

The 28-date trek kicks off Sept. 17 in Cleveland, Ohio, and will pass through Washington, D.C., New York City and Los Angeles before wrapping Feb. 25 at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium. 

In January, the "your place" hitmaker will play half a dozen dates in the United Kingdom and Ireland. 

Timmy McKeever, McCoy Moore, Just Jayne, Aniston Pate and Hannah McFarland will join her at different times on the run, named after a track on her self-titled sophomore album that arrives Aug. 14.

Tickets for Ashley's baby blues world tour go on sale Friday. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

A mom of three who auditioned for American Idol with a song about postpartum depression and motherhood was named the show's newest champion on Monday night.

Hannah Harper, of Willow Springs, Missouri, won the season after overcoming runner-up Jordan McCullough and third-place finisher Keyla Richardson.

"I can't believe this is real life," Harper said in a special message for ABC's Good Morning America after her victory.

The 25-year-old, who started singing at age 9, got an early lead in the competition with the song she wrote about motherhood, "String Cheese," which quickly went viral.

"Some days I wanna cry, run away and hide, But I'd worry about their еvery need. And when I'm ovеrwhelmеd and touched out, thеy come climbin' up on the couch, sayin', 'Mama, can you open my string cheese?'" the song's lyrics read.

Idol season 4 winner and current judge Carrie Underwood said she saw some of her own experience in Harper's journey.

"I told Hannah Harper that she reminded me of me and she's got her own style going on, I didn't mean it in a vocal way at all, but just in that you're living your normal life and now you're on stage," Carrie said earlier on GMA.

During the season finale, Harper thanked her husband for taking care of their three sons while she competed on the show. She also performed Lee Ann Womack's signature song, "I Hope You Dance," with the 2001 CMA female vocalist of the year. 

Tune in to see Harper live on GMA on Wednesday on ABC.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

For the fifth week in a row, Luke Combs is still waking up the Billboard Country Airplay chart by keeping "Sleepless in a Hotel Room" at #1.

While that's plenty impressive, it's just par for the course for a Luke Combs hit. It's his third-longest stay atop the tally so far, matching the performance of 2023's "Fast Car," 2021's "Better Together" and 2019's "Even Though I'm Leaving."

"Forever After All" made it six weeks in 2021, while Luke's all-time record-holder so far is "Beautiful Crazy," which reigned for seven weeks in 2019. 

Over on the comparable Mediabase chart, "Sleepless" is enjoying its second week of all-nighters. 

In all, that means Luke has spent 42 weeks at #1 as a soloist, matching Keith Urban's record.

If you wonder where that puts them in history, the Aussie and the North Carolinian are at 13th place overall when it comes to their time at the top. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

It's official: NBC confirms Riley Green will join The Voice when it premieres in September. 

"I guess y’all can start calling me coach… see ya this fall," the "Change My Mind" hitmaker teased. 

Fellow coach Kelly Clarkson left Riley a voicemail welcoming him to the show, going on to jump-start the rivalry that's sure to ensue between their teams.

The two join longtime coach Adam Levine, who'll return alongside a fourth celeb to be revealed soon.

Riley's no stranger to The Voice, having performed "Don't Mind If I Do" with Ella Langley during the season 26 finale and "Jesus Saves" during the season 28 wrap.

Of course, he's no stranger to TV either, having recently made his acting debut on Marshals on CBS. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.