10:41pm PDT, May 8, 2025
No. 20: Ella Langley
Ella Langley’s high energy couldn’t make up for her thin vocals during her performance of her 2024 single “weren’t for the wind.”
No. 19: Clint Black
Clint Black’s cover of Larry Weiss’ 1974 song “Rhinestone Cowboy” (which Glen Campbell popularized) in the opening medley was nice but ultimately forgettable.
No. 18: Little Big Town
Little Big Town performed their 2014 single “Girl Crush” as part of the opening medley. And it was totally fine!
No. 16: Zach Top
Zach Top delivered a lovely but route rendition of his 2024 single “Use Me.”
No. 15: Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire — who pulled double duty as the evening’s host — kicked off the 2025 ACM Awards with a lovely though basic rendition of Merle Haggard’s 1969 hit “Okie From Muskogee.” Her later performance wasn’t particularly memorable either — more on that next!
No. 12: Jelly Roll and Shaboozey
We love Jelly Roll, but his live vocals leave a lot to be desired – as evidenced by his rendition of his 2024 single “Heart of Stone” during the 2025 ACM Awards. Fortunately, that was just the first half of his set: He got an able assist from Shaboozey and a group of singing backup dancers on a well-executed performance of their 2024 collaboration “Amen.”
No. 11: Rascal Flatts and Backstreet Boys
Rascal Flatts and Backstreet Boys closed out the 2025 ACM Awards with a medley of some of their biggest hits: “What Hurts the Most,” “I Dare You,” “Larger Than Life” and “Life Is a Highway.” Their vocals weren’t always perfect, but we couldn’t help getting pumped with that much star-power on one stage!
No. 10: Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Judd’s powerful vocals were on full display when she performed The Judds’ 1984 hit “Why Not Me” as part of the opening medley.
No. 9: Lainey Wilson
Thank goodness for Lainey Wilson, who captured our attention with her high-energy rendition of her 2024 single “Whirlwind,” dancing her away across an increasingly smoke-filled stage.
No. 8: Cody Johnson with Brooks & Dunn
Cody Johnson’s performance — a rendition of his 2023 single “The Fall” — was shaping up to be lovely but forgettable until Brooks & Dunn joined him on stage for a team-up of their 2003 hit “Red Dirt Road.”
No. 7: Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson had the crowd in tears when he performed his 2003 single “Remember When” before accepting the inaugural Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2025 ACM Awards.
No. 6: Kelsea Ballerini
Kelsea Ballerini knocked it out of the park with her performance of her 2024 single “Baggage” clad in a sparkly silver jumpsuit while perched atop a set piece comprised of piled gold suitcase. Pyrotechnics capped off her high-energy number. Well done!
No. 4: Chris Stapleton with Morgane Stapleton
Chris Stapleton’s performance of his 2023 single “It Takes A Woman” proved that you don’t need pyrotechnics or fancy staging when your voice sounds this good – especially not when your wife, Morgane Stapleton, has an equally impressive voice and is available for backup!
No. 3: Dan + Shay
Dan + Shay shut down the opening medley with their rendition of their 2018 hit “Tequila.” Our jaws dropped when Shay Mooney held the final note (for a very, VERY long time), sparking thunderous applause from the audience.
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