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Shania Twain made her mark as the host of the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards by paying homage to the women who came before her.
The singer, 60, helmed the 61st ACM Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 17.
“Thank you Las Vegas. Thank you Lainey [Wilson] and congratulations on your wedding last Sunday. Like Lainey, I cannot sit still either because I tell you I am so full of energy and excitement that I am hosing the concert of the year for the first time ever.”
She added, “Tonight the ACM awards are choosing Vegas, and I sure do love this town and nothing makes me happier than being with these amazing stars sitting right here in the front.”
Twain then paid homage to a slew of country music greats, including women who hosted the annual event before her: Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire.
Twain made her ACM Awards hosting debut this year, taking over the role from McEntire.
Shania Twain speaks onstage during the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards Getty Images
“I’m thrilled to be hosting the 61st ACM Awards in Las Vegas, a place that feels like home,” Twain said in an April press release. “It’s such an honor to be part of this incredible night celebrating country music’s biggest stars, especially with so many talented women leading nominations this year. I can’t wait to welcome all of the fans and artists out for this unforgettable night.”
ACM CEO Damon Whiteside added at the time, “We are honored to welcome global music superstar Shania Twain as our host this year. We couldn’t imagine a more perfect icon to follow our previous iconic hosts Dolly, Garth [Brooks] and Reba, blending one of the most important nights in country music with the excitement of Las Vegas. Shania has an impressive history on the ACM Awards stage including her win of the coveted ACM Entertainer of the Year trophy and receiving the ACM Poet’s Award honoring her prolific songwriting career.”
Throughout her career, Twain has won five ACM Awards and received 14 nominations. Her past accolades include Top New Female Vocalist and Album of the Year for The Woman in Me in 1996, the Double Diamond Award for The Woman in Me and Come on Over in 1999, Entertainer of the Year in 2000 and the Poet’s Award in 2022.
Days before her ACMs hosting gig, Twain opened up about what she was looking forward to at the awards show.
“It’s a chance for me to just get back with everybody,” she told Billboard in an interview published on Tuesday, May 12. “It’s one of the rare moments when I get the chance to see everybody and catch up with a lot of the newer artists. A lot of them I have not met yet, and I’m excited to just be among the whole experience of the ACMs.”
After hosting the People’s Choice Country Awards in 2024, Twain brought her previous experience to her ACM Awards role.
“I like to put my own personality into things because I’m a terrible reader. If I rely entirely on the teleprompter, I’m definitely going to stumble and get lost,” she explained. “I just really like having fun and going with the flow, getting into the excitement that I’ll be sharing with the artists who are performing and up for awards.”
Twain also revealed how McEntire, 71 — who has hosted the ACM Awards 18 times over the years — inspired her approach to overseeing the ceremony.
“When it comes to Reba, she’s flawless,” she said. “I’m definitely more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of person, very spontaneous, which makes it a different style and character to hosting something. But Reba is everything. She’s funny, she’s a great actress, which makes her really good at getting the flow of speaking and cadence. She’s just a pro.”
