Kory Grow
Contact Kory Grow on X View all posts by Kory Grow March 19, 2026
Riley Green, Lainey Wilson, and Cody Johnson will all perform at the 2026 ACM Awards. Jason Kempin/Getty Images, 2; Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, and Riley Green are the first performers to be announced for the Academy of Country Music Awards this spring. The gala concert, held at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena, will stream on Prime Video, Amazon’s Twitch channel, and the Amazon Music app at 8 p.m. ET on May 17.
Johnson is returning to the show after winning Song of the Year for “Dirt Cheap” in 2025. This year, he’s released a new single, “Blame Texas,” and made a featured appearance on Brandon Lake’s “When a Cowboy Prays.” Wilson will give a new song, “Can’t Sit Still,” its world-premiere performance. And Green is slated to sing his gold-certified single “Change My Mind,” which has crossed over to the pop chart.
Green will also lead a concert in Vegas the week of the ACMs. A special performance, ACM Lifting Lives Country on the Green: Riley Green & Friends, will take place at Topgolf Las Vegas on May 15. Green’s friends are yet to be announced. The show’s producers are also holding ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash, which organizers describe as a “reimagined fan-favorite outdoor concert experience,” at Mandalay Bay Beach on May 16; they haven’t yet announced performers.
Tickets for the awards show are on sale via AXS.
