Cherry Valley Forever, the deluxe version of Carter Faith's ACM-nominated debut album, will be out July 24, adding five new tracks, including "Ain't Over Me Yet," which is out now.
American Idol winner Hannah Harper will make her Grand Ole Opry debut June 2 during a show with Carrie Underwood and ACM new female artist of the year Avery Anna.
"Wish You Well" hitmaker Vincent Mason duets with Stella Lefty on "Something to Lose" from her debut EP, Is This Heaven?
Brian Kelley & Tyler Hubbard at the 2025 CMA Awards (John Shearer/Getty Images for CMA)
The fences seem to be mostly mended along the Florida Georgia Line, and now there's talk of returning to the road in 2027.
Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley hadn't played a show together since August 2022 when they reconnected at the CMA Awards in November. By March, they were back together to play "You Make It Easy" at Country Radio Seminar to honor Jason Aldean.
Now, an official FGL reunion could be on the horizon.
"We have been toying around and flirting with the idea of playing a handful of shows next year," Tyler told Entertainment Tonight at the ACMs. "That gets us both excited, but right now we're trying to be patient with it, trying to enjoy this kind of like honeymoon phase.”
After the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, Tyler revealed he and his wife, Hayley Hubbard, were headed to Florida to visit Brian and his wife, Brittney Kelley.
Ella Langley performs at The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena May 17, 2026 in Las Vegas. (Rich Polk/Dick Clark Productions)
It seems like week after week, people keep on "Choosin'" to listen to Ella Langley.
The Alabama singer's "Choosin' Texas" is now #1 for a 10th week on the Billboard Hot 100. Out of the 67 years the chart has existed, only 4% of #1 hits ever stay on top that long.
It's even rarer for country songs to accomplish this, although in recent years it has become more common: Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" was #1 for 19 weeks and Morgan Wallen's "Last Night" spent 16 weeks on top.
Ella is also at #2 with her song "Be Her," which she performed at the ACM Awards on Sunday night. She also won seven trophies, the most by any artist in a single year.
On the Country Airplay chart, "Be Her" is #4, while "Choosin' Texas" has slipped to fifth position.
That's a wrap for George Strait's 2026 shows, after playing his fourth concert Saturday at Moody Center in Austin.
To honor the country legend, the venue named its new backstage lounge The Troubadour after his 2008 album and its top-10 hit of the same name.
Serving honky-tonk vibes, the new room features a vintage jukebox loaded with Strait's catalog, as well as a bronze plaque with his boot prints embedded in the floor.
“I’ve played a lot of places over the years," he says, "and to have a space like this honoring the music, the memories, and the fans—it means a lot to me. Thank you, Moody Center and Messina [Touring Group], for such a thoughtful dedication.”
King George played two nights with Willie Nelson when Moody Center opened in 2022.
More than 60,000 people turned out for George's sold-out four-night run.
Now, this is what you call timing: Cody Johnson sits at #1 on Billboard Country Airplay with "The Fall," on the heels of winning his first entertainer of the year trophy at Sunday's 61st Academy of Country Music Awards.
It's Cody's 15th entry on the chart, dating back to 2016's "With You I Am." It's also his third #1, following 2024's "The Painter" and "'Til You Can't," which stayed at the top for two weeks in 2022.
"The Fall" also makes the list of songs that have taken at least 55 weeks to rise to the top of the chart.
Justin Moore's "Time's Tickin'" from 2026 currently holds the all-time record with its 67-week journey. Travis Denning's "After a Few" and Michael Ray's "Whiskey and Rain" were the previous kings of the slow burn, having both taken 65 weeks to make it to the top.
In addition to snagging entertainer and male vocalist honors at the ACMs, Cody performed his version of "Travelin' Soldier" ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
Dan + Shay are hitting the road this fall for the first time since 2024.
The Young Tour sets out Sept. 11 from Noblesville, Indiana, and wraps Nov. 7 in Mountain View, California. The 26-date itinerary focuses on the U.S., with a single Canadian date Oct. 1 in Toronto.
In an interesting twist, only Tyler Hubbard will open that show, while Canadian Josh Ross will open the previous one by himself Sept. 26 in Uncasville, Connecticut. Josh and Tyler will both be on the rest of the dates.
The trek is named for the pair's new album, Young, which comes out Aug. 21.
Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney delivered the debut performance of their hit "Say So" during Sunday's ACM Awards in Las Vegas.
Presales for The Young Tour start Tuesday, before tickets become available to the public on Friday.
Dan + Shay haven't been on tour since 2024's Heartbreak on the Map run.
Ella Langley poses in the winner's walk during the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for ACM)
Lainey Wilson kicked off the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday night with her newest solo effort, "Can't Sit Still," a title that turned out to be a bit ironic, as the awards show darling did indeed spend the rest of the night in her seat. She was uncharacteristically shut out of the winners circle for perhaps the first time in her career.
The newlywed abdicated her entertainer title to first-time winner Cody Johnson, who also grabbed the male artist trophy, after clinching the CMA equivalent in November. Cody dedicated his entertainer win to fellow nominee Luke Combs, recalling how Combs has missed the birth of his youngest son, Chet Wiley Combs, while the two were on tour together in Australia.
The staying power of Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" proved undeniable once again, with the smash winning both song and single of the year and propelling Ella to succeed Lainey as female artist. She was also named artist-songwriter and picked up another trophy with Riley Green for music event of the year for "Don't Mind If I Do."
In fact, Ella won every category in which she was nominated.
Shania Twain led ACM's big show for the first time, keeping her fashion cred in check with four changes, ranging from an elegant gold gown at the start to a tuxedo-esque black and white number at the end.
As usual, the show delivered plenty of music, approaching 20 performances in the two-and-a-half-hour show.
Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town debuted their newest tracks, while Riley Green, Tucker Wetmore, Ella Langley, Kane Brown, Dan + Shay and Parker McCollum all sang their current hits, with Parker reframing "Killin' Me" as a duet with Lee Ann Womack.
Group winners The Red Clay Strays did the title track of their new album, Demons in Your Choir. Thomas Rhett and Jordan Davis teamed up for their #1, "Ain't a Bad Life," while Cody Johnson revived his cover of "Travelin' Soldier," which he released in November.
Kacey Musgraves delivered "Dry Spell" from her new album, while Blake Shelton played "The Gambler" to close the show as a tribute to its composer, Don Schlitz, who died in April.
The title track of Chris Janson's latest album, Wild Horses, will be featured in Sunday's episode of Marshals on CBS and Paramount+.
"Traitor (Roles Reversed)," previously available only as the bonus track from the Target edition of Megan Moroney's third album, Cloud 9, has now made its way to streaming services.
Keith Urban's cover of Robbie Dupree's 1980 hit, "Steal Away," is available now. It's the latest preview of the Aussie superstar's yacht rock covers album, Flow State, due June 12. He'll present the album of the year trophy at Sunday's 61st ACM Awards in Vegas.
Luke Bryan is midway through the three-night kickoff of his 2026 Farm Tour in Clovis, California, but he's already looking ahead to three more dates in the fall.
"‘Bout time we told y’all in the Midwest when we’re comin to town," he posted on his socials Friday afternoon. "#FarmTour2026 is heading back to Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana this September. Tickets go on sale 5/21 at 9am EST. Nut House, y’all get first access on 5/19 at 9am EST."
Luke will play 1846 Farms in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 17, followed by Miller Family Farm in Millersport, Ohio, on Sept. 18. On Sept. 19, he's due in Brookston, Indiana, at Prairie Views Farms.
Luke wraps up the first leg of the 2026 Farm Tour Saturday in Elk Grove, California. He kicks off his Word on the Street Tour May 29 in Gilford, New Hampshire.
Kelsea Ballerini is seen in Midtown on April 15, 2026 in New York City. (TheStewartofNY/GC Images)
Kelsea Ballerini's Legends fan club will now make its home in her new app.
The "Love Me Like You Mean It" hitmaker announced the Kelsea Ballerini app Friday in a video message posted to her socials.
"I really love seeing what you guys are saying, whether it's about shows or what to wear to shows or what your favorite lyric is or what you think is about to drop and when and what merch you want, what merch you like," she said. "And so we wanted to curate this really fun, safe atmosphere for all of us to just kinda kiki together whenever we want."
"And it's gonna be where I show you things first, where I announce things first," she added. "There's gonna a forum where we can all talk. I will be lurking. It's gonna be a really safe, fun spot to move into this next chapter and season of music together. See you there."
If you're not a Legend, you can become one by downloading the app, creating an account and buying a membership.
The group, of course, is named after "Legends," Kelsea's #1 from 2018.
What could be more appropriate for a performance in Las Vegas than "know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em"?
Well, Blake Shelton's done his version of a Kenny Rogers classic, and it could very well be what he's performing during Sunday's Academy of Country Music Awards.
"I recorded a cover of 'The Gambler' to honor the great Don Schlitz," Blake wrote on his socials Friday. "It’s out now only on @amazonmusic."
"Check it out and be sure to tune into the @acmawards this Sunday!" he added.
Noted songwriter Schlitz passed away April 16 in Nashville after a sudden illness at the age of 73. The Country Music Hall of Famer also wrote classics like Randy Travis' "On the Other Hand" and "Forever and Ever, Amen," as well as "When You Say Nothing at All," recorded by Keith Whitley and Alison Krauss.
Of course, it would also make sense if Blake sang his current hit, "Let Him In Anyway."
Tune in Sunday at 8 p.m. ET to find out which song he chooses when the 61st ACMs stream live on Prime Video from MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Miranda Lambert's new tune, "Crisco," expands on the sound of her previous duet with Chris Stapleton, "A Song to Sing," with a new groove described as Urban Cowboy meets Saturday Night Fever.
“We wanted something that feels familiar but also fresh, which is really hard to do,” Miranda says. “We leaned into all the things I grew up loving about country music – Glen Campbell, Kenny and Dolly; very ’70s and ’80s."
"It’s a fun mix of all these sides of country music that I’ve never fully explored before," she adds, "even down to using strings in a bigger way. I almost can’t believe I’ve made this many records without really going there, but it was magical to hear how much strings can transform a song."
Miranda will perform "Crisco" for the first time during Sunday's 61st Academy of Country Music Awards on Prime Video.
Already the winningest artist in ACM history, Miranda goes into the night with nominations for female artist, song for "A Song to Sing," song and single for co-writing and co-producing Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas," and music event for both "A Song to Sing" with Stapleton, and "Trailblazer" with Reba McEntire and Lainey Wilson.
Little Big Town will deliver the debut performance of their new song, "Hey There Sunshine," on Sunday's 61st Academy of Country Music Awards on Prime Video.
Their first new music in two years, "Hey There Sunshine," follows 2024's The Christmas Record and 2022's Mr. Sun, and was co-produced by the band's Karen Fairchild.
The cut "captures the ... moment when healing begins" after a "season of emotional heaviness," according to the news release announcing the track.
“Songs are truly the most profound gifts," Karen says. "We’re honored this one found its way to us. It’s a reminder of all the beauty around us and that it’s never too late to find it.”
You can check out the "Hey There Sunshine" music video on YouTube now, as the band promises there's more from them coming soon.
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.
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.
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.
Lainey Wilson & Devlin "Duck" Hodges (Disney/Michael Le Brecht)
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!”
Darius Rucker (Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Stagecoach)
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.
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?"
