Ella Langley received her first Academy of Country Music Award, for new female artist of the year, on Friday afternoon (April 25). While onstage for her set at Rock the Country in Knoxville, Tennessee, Langley received the news via a congratulatory video from Miranda Lambert, the winningest artist in ACM history.
It was hardly a surprise because Langley was the most-nominated artist for the upcoming 60th ACM Awards, with eight nods. None of the other nominees for new female artist of the year – Kassi Ashton, Ashley Cooke, Dasha and Jessie Murph – had more than that one nomination.
“I’m here to tell you how proud I am of you for being the top nominated artist for the Academy of Country Music Awards this year,” Lambert said in the video. “You are my friend, first and foremost, a fellow dog rescue advocate, you are a co-writer, you are my soul sister in country music and a partner in crime. We are gonna celebrate so big in Dallas, Texas! They ain’t even ready!”
Lambert won in that same category in 2007 – one year after Carrie Underwood took the prize, and one year before Taylor Swift did. (A pretty good run, there.)
This was the second nomination in the new female artist of the year category for both Ashton and Cooke, which means they cannot be nominated in the category again. Dasha and Murph can be, due to the generous policy at both the ACM and CMA Awards whereby new artists can be nominated twice in the category.
Langley, 25, is also nominated for female artist of the year and in four categories for “you look like you love me,” her breakthrough hit featuring Riley Green. The sexy duet is nominated for single of the year, song of the year, music event of the year and visual media of the year. Langley is nominated as both artist and songwriter in the song of the year category and as both artist and director in visual media of the year.
“you look like you love me” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, No. 7 on Hot Country Songs and No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. Langley co-wrote all of the songs on her debut album, hungover, which reached No. 11 on Top Country Albums and No. 49 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
Zach Top was presented with the award for new male artist of the year on Thursday. The ACM has yet to present the award for new duo or group of the year. The nominees are Restless Road, The Red Clay Strays and Treaty Oak Revival.
Langley will be celebrated for her win at the 60th ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire. The show will stream live for a global audience on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. A limited number of tickets are available for purchase on SeatGeek.
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
