Snubs & Surprises at the 2025 ACM Awards

Even before the ACM Awards got underway Thursday (May 8), winners had been announced in six categories. And in one of those categories, the voters delivered a big surprise. Country traditionalist Zach Top took the award for new male artist of the year, beating Shaboozey, whose “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” had spent 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and seven weeks atop Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

Shaboozey’s loss was our first sign that surprises were in store, and indeed there were more once the telecast began.

Who expected Morgan Wallen, Post Malone and Kelsea Ballerini to be completely shut out, despite going into the show with a total of 16 nominations between them?

To be sure, some things went about as expected on the show. Brooks & Dunn won their record-extending 17th award as duo of the year; Old Dominion, their record-setting eighth award as group of the year; Chris Stapleton, his record-tying fifth award as male artist of the year; and Lainey Wilson, her third consecutive award as female artist of the year.

Ella Langley won five awards: single of the year, music event of the year, new female artist of the year and visual media of the year (winning two awards in the latter category, as both artist and director). Wilson won four awards: entertainer of the year, female artist of the year, album of the year and artist-songwriter of the year. Riley Green, Langley’s duet partner on “You Look Like You Love Me,” won three awards. Will Bundy, their producer, won two.

Here’s a look at some of the most notable snubs and surprises on the 2025 ACM Awards.