Ella Langley Is Officially an ACM Award Winner

Ella Langley Named ACM Awards' New Female Artist of the Year

The spirited Riley Green duet “You Look Like You Love Me” launched Ella Langley to viral fame in 2024. A year later, the 25-year-old from Hope Hull, Alabama, nabbed a record eight nominations at the upcoming 2025 ACM Awards. Many people, including country superstar Lainey Wilson, fully expect Langley to sweep the May 8 ceremony in Frisco, Texas. And the “Weren’t For The Wind” songstress is officially one step closer to that goal, winning her first-ever ACM Award Friday (April 25.)

Watch Miranda Lambert Surprise Ella Langley With New Female Artist of the Year Award

As Ella Langley readied to perform the next song during her set at Rock the Country in Knoxville, Tennessee, she was suddenly interrupted by Miranda Lambert appearing on a giant screen behind her.

Praising her “soul sister in country music,” the “Wranglers” songstress, 41, delivered big news. “You, my friend, have won New Female Artist of the Year for the ACM Awards,” Lambert said, inciting raucous cheers from the crowd.

Watch on TikTok

“We are gonna celebrate so big in Dallas, Texas,” continued Lambert, the winningest artist in ACM history. “They ain’t even ready!”

Clearly overcome with emotion, Langley chokes out, “God bless America,” as she walks downstage. Later, a video posted to TikTok cut to the rising country star tearfully holding the first ACM trophy of her career.

“I just, like… every day of my life, I’ve just prayed about this and thought about it, and literally everything I’ve ever done was to be able to do this,” Langley said.

Thanking her team, she continued, “I’m just really grateful to have fans that are listening to the music and see that it is truth, and that I’m just a real-life human being going through life like the rest of everyone else.”

Langley beat out Kassi Ashton, Ashley Cooke, Dasha and Jessie Murph for New Female Artist of the Year.

She Received Eight Nods

While this is the first ACM Award of Ella Langley’s career, it almost certainly will not be her last. In fact, the odds of hearing her name called again during the May 8 ceremony are quite high.

Also up for Female Artist of the Year, Langley’s cheeky Riley Green duet “You Look Like You Love Me” landed nods in six categories. The chart-topping hit is up for Single of the Year, Song of the Year as an artist and songwriter, Music Event of the Year, and Visual Media of the Year as an artist and director.

Featured image by Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images