Studio Recording & Industry Awards Winners for 2026 ACM Awards Announced: Full List
The winners will be celebrated at the 19th ACM Honors in Nashville on Aug. 19.
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Dann Huff will receive the 2026 ACM Award for producer of the year, while Justin Niebank will take home the award for audio engineer of the year. The ACM Awards were presented on May 17 in Las Vegas, but the winners of the Studio Recording Awards and Industry Awards were only announced on Tuesday (June 30). The winners of these awards, as well as previously announced Special Award recipients, will receive their trophies at the 19th Academy of Country Music Honors on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at The Pinnacle in Nashville.
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This will be Huff’s sixth producer of the year award after previously winning guitar player of the year. This will be Niebank’s 10th win as audio engineer of the year. Huff was also a winner at the televised ACM Awards ceremony this year. He won for producing the music event of the year winner, “Don’t Mind If I Do” by Riley Green featuring Ella Langley. Huff was also nominated for album of the year for producing Riley’s Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe).
Among the winners of the Studio Recording Awards, first-time category winners include Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar player of the year), who earns his fourth ACM Studio Recording Award overall after previously winning three awards for specialty player of the year. Stuart Duncan earns his second specialty instrument(s) player of the year honor in addition to his eight wins as fiddle player of the year, Rob McNelley wins electric guitar player of the year for the second time after previously earning three awards for guitar player of the year, Gordon Mote claims his fourth piano/keyboards player of the year award, while Jimmie Lee Sloas, Fred Eltringham, and Jerry Roe earn their sixth, second, and second wins, respectively, in their categories.
Among the winners of the Industry Awards, first-time winners include The Pinnacle, at which the ACM Honors will be held (club of the year) and Cheyenne Frontier Days (fair/rodeo of the year). Returning winners include Choctaw Grand Theater, earning its second casino of the year — theater honor; Stagecoach, winning festival of the year for the second time; Red Rocks Amphitheatre, earning its fourth outdoor venue of the year award in addition to two wins in other categories; Bridgestone Arena, claiming arena of the year award for the third time alongside four in other categories; Mohegan Sun Arena, earning its third casino of the year — arena award alongside six ACM Industry Awards in other categories; Adam Weiser, earning his second promoter of the year award; Ed Warm, taking home his second Don Romeo talent buyer of the year award in addition to five ACM Industry Awards in other categories; and the Ryman Auditorium, earning its third theater of the year award alongside six ACM Industry Awards in other categories.
The ACM Studio Recording Awards recognize artists, musicians, producers and engineers that have played a role in a commercially released single or album that not only achieves a top 20 chart position during the eligibility period but is recognized “for elevating and capturing the essence of the creator’s artistic vision and performance,” according to the ACM. Nominees are selected by a professional panel of judges approved by ACM officers before being voted on by ACM members within the artist-entertainer/musician-bandleader-instrumentalist categories and the producer-engineer-studio manager categories.
The ACM Industry Awards recognizes venues, talent buyers and promoters who have demonstrated support and commitment to country music through buying and promoting a fixed number of country music concerts and driving interest in ticket sales. Nominees are selected by a professional panel of judges approved by the ACM officers before being voted on by ACM members classified in the artist/musician/producer/engineer, venue, manager, talent agent, talent buyer/promoter categories.
Previously announced Special Award recipients include Bill Anderson, Brett James, C2C: Country to Country, The Carter Family, Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves, Leslie Fram, Mike Curb, Scott Zolke and the Paramount+ TV series Landman.
Public on-sale tickets for ACM Honors are available today now through AXS.
Below is a complete list of the winners of the Industry Awards and Studio Recording Awards from the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards:
Studio Recording Award Nominees
Producer of the Year
Will Bundy
Carson Chamberlain
WINNER: Dann Huff
Chris LaCorte
Ben West
Audio Engineer of the Year
Dave Clauss
Jim Cooley
Eric Masse
Buckley Miller
WINNER: Justin Niebank
Bass Player of the Year
Eli Beaird
Tony Lucido
Steve Mackey
Mike Rinne
WINNER: Jimmie Lee Sloas
Drummer of the Year
CO-WINNER: Fred Eltringham
Evan Hutchings
Chris McHugh
Nir Z
CO-WINNER: Jerry Roe
Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year
Kris Donegan
Todd Lombardo
Devin Malone
WINNER: Bryan Sutton
Ilya Toshinskiy
Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year
Dave Cohen
David Dorn
Charlie Judge
Billy Justineau
WINNER: Gordon Mote
Specialty Instrument Player of the Year
Eleonore Denig
WINNER: Stuart Duncan
Mike Johnson
Scotty Sanders
Justin Schipper
Electric Guitar Player of the Year
Kris Donegan
Nathan Keeterle
WINNER: Rob McNelley
Sol Philcox-Littlefield
Derek Wells
Industry Award Nominees
Casino of the Year – Theater
WINNER: Choctaw Grand Theater – Durant, OK
Golden Nugget Lake Charles – Lake Charles, LA
Hard Rock Live (in Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood) – Davie, FL
Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV
The Venue at Thunder Valley at Thunder Valley Casino – Lincoln, CA
Casino of the Year – Arena
BECU Live at Northern Quest Casino – Airway Heights, WA
Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena – Atlantic City, NJ
WINNER: Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, CT
Soaring Eagle – Mount Pleasant, MI
Stir Concert Cove – Council Bluffs, IA
Festival of the Year
C2C: Country to Country Festival – London, England
CMC Rocks – Ipswich, Queensland
WINNER: Stagecoach – Indio, CA
Tortuga Music Festival – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Two Step Inn – Georgetown, TX
Fair/Rodeo of the Year
Calgary Stampede – Calgary, Alberta
California Mid-State Fair – Paso Robles, CA
WINNER: Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, WY
Florida Strawberry Festival – Plant City, FL
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo – San Antonio, TX
Club of the Year
Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, TX
Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville, TN
Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK
Joe’s Live – Rosemont, IL
WINNER: The Pinnacle – Nashville, TN
Theater of the Year
Blue Gate Theatre – Shipshewana, IN
Grand Ole Opry House – Nashville, TN
State Theatre – Portland, ME
The Franklin Theatre – Franklin, TN
WINNER: Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
Outdoor Venue of the Year
CMAC – Canandaigua, NY
Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre – Denver, CO
Floores Country Store – Helotes, TX
The Orion Amphitheater – Huntsville, AL
WINNER: Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
Walmart AMP (Arkansas Music Pavilion) – Rogers, AR
Arena of the Year
BOK Center – Tulsa, OK
WINNER: Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
Dickies Arena – Ft. Worth, TX
Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, OK
T-Mobile Center – Kansas City, MO
Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
Andrew Fortin – Neste Live!
Susan Heymann – Frontier Touring
Stacy Vee – Goldenvoice
WINNER: Ed Warm – Joe’s Concerts
Del Williams – Danny Wimmer Presents
Promoter of the Year
Patrick McDill – Live Nation
Brian O’Connell – Live Nation
Bob Roux – Live Nation
Rich Schaefer – AEG Presents
WINNER: Adam Weiser – AEG Presents
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
