Really couldn’t find anybody else to nominate, eh? The nominations for the 61st Annual ACM Awards were announced this morning, with Megan Moroney leading the pack with nine nominations, followed by Miranda Lambert with eight and Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson racking up seven each. Now, I have a lot of problems with the nominations (no Eric Church? Seriously?) but right now I want to talk about one – well technically two – categories in particular: New Artist of the Year. This year’s nominees for New Female Artist of the Year include Avery Anna, McKenzie Carpenter, Dasha, Caroline Jones and Emily Ann Roberts, while the New Male Artist of the Year nominees are Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason, Shaboozey, Hudson Westbrook and Tucker Wetmore. Now, if some of those nominees sound familiar, it’s because between the two categories, FOUR of those artists were up for the same award last year. Dasha was nominated for New Female Artist of the Year last year, an award that ultimately went to Ella Langley, while Gavin Adcock, Shaboozey and Tucker Wetmore were all nominated for New Male Artist of the Year in 2025 when Zach Top took home the award. What are we even doing here? First of all, in what world is Shaboozey or Dasha a “New Artist?” I know it’s a different show with different criteria, but Shaboozey was first nominated for New Artist of the Year at the CMA Awards back in 2024 – the same year he was nominated for “Single of the Year” after dominating the charts with “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” And Dasha released her biggest single to date, “Austin,” all the way back in November 2023. Sorry, but I just don’t see how we’re calling artists who had their first hit during the Biden administration “new artists.” It also seems counterintuitive to nominate someone for “New” Artist of the Year two years in a row: If they were new last year, then aren’t they…not new a year later? Of course it all comes down to the criteria for the awards. According to the ACMs, the award is: “Presented to an individual artist, group or duo who gains initial fame or significantly greater recognition during the promotion of a debut or sophomore album within the eligibility period.” But that’s not all: “An artist may be a nominee two times in a three-year period. Once an artist releases the lead single from a third studio album, they will no longer be eligible in this category.  If an artist is a winner in the New Female Artist /New Male Artist/New Duo or Group (or any respective previously named) category their first year on a ballot, they will not be eligible in any New Artist categories again.  Any artist who has previously won the award for Entertainer, Female Artist, Male Artist, Duo or Group of the Year (or any respective previously named category) is ineligible for a New Artist nomination.” So you’re telling me there are NO other new artists who fit those criteria? What about Stephen Wilson Jr., who has absolutely blown up over the past year? What about guys like Braxton Keith, Wyatt Flores or Kashus Culpepper? Or how about Willow Avalon, Carter Faith, Belle Frantz or Gabriella Rose? The criteria for New Artist of the Year is already the most restrictive, meaning that artists have a narrow window to be recognized. Why not recognize some new names instead of including FOUR of the same nominees as last year, some of whom are objectively not really new artists in the first place? Doesn’t make sense…but then again there’s a lot about this year’s nominations that doesn’t make sense to me. The 61st Annual ACM Awards will stream live on Amazon Prime from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 17 at 8 PM eastern/7 PM central. ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR Luke Combs Jelly Roll Cody Johnson Megan Moroney Chris Stapleton Morgan Wallen Lainey Wilson FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR Kelsea Ballerini Miranda Lambert Ella Langley Megan Moroney Lainey Wilson MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR Luke Combs Riley Green Cody Johnson Chris Stapleton Zach Top GROUP OF THE YEAR 49 Winchester Flatland Cavalry Old Dominion Rascal Flatts The Red Clay Strays DUO OF THE YEAR Brooks & Dunn Brothers Osborne Dan + Shay Muscadine Bloodline Thelma & James NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR Avery Anna Mackenzie Carpenter Dasha Caroline Jones Emily Ann Roberts NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR Gavin Adcock Vincent Mason Shaboozey Hudson Westbrook Tucker Wetmore ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)] Ain’t In It For My Health – Zach Top Producer: Carson Chamberlain Record Company-Label: Leo33 Cherry Valley – Carter Faith Producer: Tofer Brown Record Company-Label: Gatsby Records / MCA Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe) – Riley Green Producer: Dann Huff, Michael Knox Record Company-Label: Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment I’m The Problem – Morgan Wallen Producers: Joey Moi, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Durrett Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records Parker McCollum – Parker McCollum Producers: Frank Liddell, Eric Masse Record Company-Label: MCA SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)] A Song To Sing – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton Songwriters: Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure Publishers: I Wrote These Songs; Pink Dog Publishing; Songs for the Munch Music; Songs of Influence; Sony/ATV Tree Publishing; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp Am I Okay? – Megan Moroney Songwriters: Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, Jessie Jo Dillon Publishers: Big Ass Pile of Dimes Music; Big Music Machine Choosin’ Texas – Ella Langley Songwriters: Ella Langley, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor Publishers: Bada Bing & Bada Langley Publishing; Little Louder Songs; Sony Music Publishing I Never Lie – Zach Top Songwriters: Zach Top, Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols Publishers: Music and Magazine Publishing; Rio Bravo Music Inc; Sony/ATV Tree Publishing; Too Broke to Quit Music; Zach Top Music Somewhere Over Laredo – Lainey Wilson Songwriters: Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Andy Albert, Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg Publishers: Concord Sounds; Dtown Boogie Music; Emi Feist Catalog Inc; Songs Of Riser House; Songs Of Wild Cat Well Music; Sony/ATV Countryside; Story Farmer; Tacklebox Music Publishing SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)] 6 Months Later – Megan Moroney Producers: Kristian Bush Record Company-Label: Sony Music Nashville / Columbia Records Choosin’ Texas – Ella Langley Producers: Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Ben West Record Company-Label: SAWGOD / Columbia Records I Never Lie – Zach Top Producers: Carson Chamberlain Record Company-Label: Leo33 Somewhere Over Laredo – Lainey Wilson Producers: Jay Joyce Record Company-Label: BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville / Broken Bow Records The Fall – Cody Johnson Producers: Trent Willmon Record Company-Label: CoJo Music / Warner Records Nashville MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)] A Song To Sing – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton Producers: Dave Cobb Record Company-Label: Republic Records Amen – Shaboozey & Jelly Roll Producers: Danny Majic, Nevin Sastry, Sean Cook Record Company-Label: Empire Don’t Mind If I Do – Riley Green feat. Ella Langley Producers: Dann Huff, Michael Knox Record Company-Label: Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment Trailblazer – Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson Producers: Tony Brown, Reba McEntire Record Company-Label: MCA You Had To Be There – Megan Moroney & Kenny Chesney Producers: Kristian Bush Record Company-Label: Sony Music Nashville / Columbia RecordsThe post The ACM “New Artist” Of The Year Categories Continue To Be A Joke With 4 Of The Same Nominees As Last Year first appeared on Whiskey Riff.