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Lainey Wilson took the stage at the end of the night to accept the Entertainer of the Year award at the 59th ACM Awards on Thursday evening (May 16), and that honor means the Bell Bottom Country hitmaker has also scored the coveted Triple Crown award.
An artist qualifies to receive the Triple Crown after winning New Female/Male Artist/Duo or Group of the Year, Female/Male Artist/Duo/Group of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year. The Academy of Country Music noted in a press release on Thursday night that Wilson “is the first woman to achieve the ACM Triple Crown Award in three years.” Miranda Lambert surprised Wilson with her New Female Artist of the Year win in 2022. Wilson won Female Artist of the Year in 2023 and in 2024, and was crowned Entertainer of the Year in 2024.
The Triple Crown achievement puts Wilson in the same company as Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Mickey Gilley, Merle Haggard, Barbara Mandrell, and Carrie Underwood.
Wilson kicked off the show at the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. She delivered a rendition of “God Blessed Texas” before her live televised performance debut of “Hang Tight Honey,” the latest track to release from her next full-length album, Whirlwind, following “Country’s Cool Again.” Whirlwind will follow Wilson’s award-winning Bell Bottom Country. It’s set to release on August 23.
“I’ve been runnin’ the roads nonstop for a few years now and I ain’t gonna lie to y’all, sometimes it can be tough being away from home that much. At the same time, remembering what ‘home’ is and the things that I get to do for the ones I love because of the work I put in, is what keeps me going and makes it all worthwhile,” Wilson said as she released “Hang Tight Honey” on Monday (May 13). “This one’s an anthem for the hard working men and women that get up every dang day and put in long hours to make a life worth living for the ones they love most.”
Other artists who took the stage during the 59th ACM Awards include Post Malone, Parker McCollum, Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan; Nate Smith and Avril Lavigne; husband-and-wife duo Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani; Jason Aldean (performing a tribute to late country star Toby Keith), Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton (with surprise guest Dua Lipa), sister duo Tigirlily Gold, and 17-time host Reba McEntire. McEntire announced during her fiery finale of the show that she’ll return to host the 60th ACM Awards in 2025.