Alabama native Ella Langley has earned her first Academy of Country Music (ACM) award, being named New Female Artist of the Year. The announcement came ahead of the ACM Awards ceremony on May 8, where the majority of the awards will be presented. Langley, who is originally from Hope Hull, has received a total of eight nominations this year, making her the top nominee for the prestigious country music awards.
On the same day, Zach Top was also recognized as New Male Artist of the Year.
Langley learned of her win during a performance at Rock the Country in Knoxville, Tennessee. During the concert, a video featuring country star Miranda Lambert appeared on the screen, congratulating Langley. “You are my soul sister in country music and a partner in crime,” Lambert said, before revealing the big news. “You, my friend, have won New Female Artist of the Year.”
Langley’s reaction was heartfelt: “God Bless America.”
In a backstage video, Langley shared her emotional thoughts on the win. “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,” she said. “I’m so grateful for the team I have around me. Just really grateful to have fans that are listening to the music, and see that it is true, and that I’m just a real, real-life human being going through life like the rest of everyone else.”
Langley is also nominated for ACM Female Artist of the Year and has six nominations tied to her hit song “You Look Like You Love Me,” a 2024 duet with Alabama’s Riley Green. The song is nominated for:
Single of the Year
Music Event of the Year
Song of the Year (Langley is nominated both as an artist and a songwriter)
Visual Media of the Year (Langley is nominated both as an artist and a director)
Langley’s debut album, Hungover, released in 2024, includes her breakthrough single, which has helped elevate her career. The song has also earned Green five ACM nominations this year.
The pair has already earned a 2024 CMA award for Musical Event of the Year for “You Look Like You Love Me,” and they performed the duet at the televised CMA ceremony in Nashville on November 20, 2024.
Who is Ella Langley? According to her website, she’s a country artist with a powerful voice and a no-nonsense approach to songwriting. Growing up in a musical family in Hope Hull, Alabama, Langley began her career performing at local bars and festivals. She later moved to Nashville in 2019 after studying forestry at Auburn University.
In 2023, Langley released her debut EP, Excuse the Mess, which received praise for its sharp wit and strong songwriting. Hungover, her first full-length album, came out in August 2024, preceded by the popular single “You Look Like You Love Me.” Her most recent single, “Weren’t For the Wind,” was released in January 2025 and is featured on the deluxe edition of Hungover, titled Still Hungover.
Langley also released a music video for “Weren’t For the Wind” in March, showcasing unique clothing from Unclaimed Baggage, a one-of-a-kind store in her home state of Alabama.
The ACM Awards will take place on May 8 at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Reba McEntire will host the ceremony, which will air live at 7 p.m. CT on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.
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