Lainey Wilson Kicks Off ACM Awards as a Married Woman—and She's Still Got That Electric Energy

There’s something undeniably magnetic about watching an artist perform at a major awards show right after a major life milestone. Lainey Wilson brought that exact energy to the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards, opening the ceremony with a scorching rendition of her new track Can’t Sit Still—and doing it all as a newly married woman.

Wilson, the reigning Entertainer of the Year, delivered the boisterous country-rock number with the kind of kinetic force that demands attention. Backed by dancers in matching all-white outfits and cowboy hats, she commanded the stage while strobe effects cut through the darkness at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. If parts of the performance evoked the arena-filling confidence of her predecessor—tonight’s host, Shania Twain—well, that’s no accident. Wilson’s clearly learned a thing or two from watching how the legends do it.

What made the moment even sweeter: she’d tied the knot just days before. Wilson married her longtime partner, former NFL quarterback Devlin“Duck”Hodges, at a ceremony in Tennessee last Sunday. This ACM performance was her first time taking the stage as a married woman, and honestly, the glow was visible from the back row.

The timing’s particularly rich given Wilson’s trajectory. She’s not an overnight success story—her Netflix documentary, Lainey Wilson: Keepin’Country Cool (which landed on the platform in April), chronicles her 14-year journey to the kind of fame that felt instant only to those who weren’t paying attention. The film, directed by Amy Scott (who helmed Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately? and Sheryl), is a love letter to persistence, family, and the grind that nobody sees. Can’t Sit Still feels like the natural soundtrack to that narrative—restless, hungry, and utterly refusing to slow down even as life throws incredible moments at you.

Women dominated this year’s ACM nominations in a big way. Megan Moroney landed her first Entertainer of the Year nomination and led all artists with nine nods. Miranda Lambert scored eight, while Ella Langley and Wilson each had seven. For context, the closest male nominee was Chris Stapleton with six. That shift in the room speaks volumes about where country music is heading.

Wilson’s been on an undeniable roll. She headlined Stagecoach in April on the second night—her first time as the main event, though she’d performed there before in 2023. Her fourth studio album, Bell Bottom Country, won Best Country Album at the Grammy Awards, plus Album of the Year at both the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards and the 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards. That kind of triple-crown recognition doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when an artist refuses to sit still, to compromise, or to play it safe.

Which, naturally, makes for perfect timing with a new single that bears her name as its title.