Cody Johnson Dedicates First ACM Entertainer of the Year Win To Luke Combs

Cody Johnson had one of the biggest moments of the night at the 2026 ACM Awards. At the very end of Sunday’s star-studded show, he took home the coveted Entertainer of the Year title. While celebrating the milestone win, he surprised the crowd by dedicating the win to fellow nominee Luke Combs.

The night marked Johnson’s third time being nominated in the category and his first win. He was up against Combs, Megan Moroney, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton, Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen. While he could have used his acceptance speech to thank so many people, he chose to call attention to one particular artist who he has personally watched “devote his entire life to country music.”

Johnson was a supporting act for Combs on his 2023 world tour. During that time the artists jetted off to Australia for a string of shows and while there, Combs unfortunately missed his wife, Nicole, giving birth to their second son, Beau. The next night, he got on stage and delivered a powerhouse show. Seeing that level of dedication left a lasting impact on Johnson, which is why he chose to dedicate his first-ever Entertainer of the Year win to his fellow country star.

“Tonight I want to dedicate this to somebody that you guys probably didn’t expect me to dedicate this to…I was there the night in Australia when his wife gave birth to one of their sons. And I watched the anguish and I watched the defeat on his face for not being there because he was across the world playing music in a sold-out arena,” Johnson recalled. “And the next night right after it, I watched him get on stage and absolutely murder the stage and go on stage and play country music and preach the message of country music to a bunch of Australians across the world.”

He added, “So tonight I want to dedicate my first Entertainer of the Year award to my buddy Luke Combs. I love you brother. Thank you.”

Prior to this surprise dedication, viewers saw the Texas native become overwhelmed with emotion when he first heard his name called for the coveted trophy. As Johnson collected himself at the mic in front of a crowd filled with fans and fellow artists, he joked that he had prepared a speech, but had already covered most of what he wanted to say earlier in the night while accepting Male Artist of the Year.

“I literally have no idea what I’m going to say,” Johnson stated honestly.

It turned out that not knowing what to say may have resulted in something even better, because it came directly from the heart. He went on to recall the days of his mom catching him as a child with a microphone duct taped to the side of the bunk bed in his room and a guitar with no strings, singing the Rick Trevino song, “Learning As You Go.”

His reason for sharing this glimpse into his life was to prove that all he ever wanted was to be performing in front of a crowd and now he is doing that on a greater scale than he ever dreamed of. And Johnson has not taken his platform for granted. He prides himself on promoting positivity through his words and music all over the world.

“I get to use my platform to not only promote positivity in this country and all over the world. I get to use it to make you experience emotions that I feel, whether we’re crying, whether we’re laughing, whether we’re happy or sad, I get to convey that through this thing that God gave me called music,” Johnson shared. “It’s the greatest drug that has ever been introduced on planet earth.”

While he has garnered so much success leading up to this moment, Johnson wanted to make it clear that at the end of the day, when he goes home, that artist hat comes off so that he is completely unplugged and present for his family.

“I just want y’all to know that when I go home, I take my phone and I turn it face down. When I go home, I am a husband. I am a father. I’m a cattle rancher. So listen, all you fans out here in the top bowl, I turn you guys off and as soon as I step on the jet, as soon as I step on the bus, all I look forward to is seeing you because I can’t wait to see you on that stage so we can experience those motions together,” he added.

The moving speech ended with his heartfelt dedication to Luke Combs.

This was certainly a night to remember for Johnson. On top of winning both Male of the Year and Entertainer of the Year, he took the stage to perform a stirring and patriotic rendition of “Travelin’ Soldier.” Johnson was also up for wins in the categories of Single of the Year and Visual Media of the Year, both for “The Fall.”

He is set to return to the road with a weekend of shows on May 29 in Grand Rapids, MI and May 30 in Rosemont, IL, followed by a trip to Nashville to perform at Nissan stadium for CMA Fest on June 5.

2026 ACM Awards Performance Lineup

The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards also featured performances by Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Dan + Shay, Ella Langley, Jordan Davis, Blake Shelton, Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Riley Green, The Red Clay Strays, Thomas Rhett, Tucker Wetmore, and Zach Top.

Other highlights include collaborations between Thomas Rhett and Jordan Davis, Parker McCollum and Lee Ann Womack and a special closing performance of Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” by Blake Shelton as a tribute to the late Nashville songwriter, Don Schlitz, who passed away on April 16, 2026.

Ashley McBryde, Keith Urban, Lauren Alaina, Michael Bublé, Shaboozey, The War And Treaty, and TJ Osborne were among the night’s many presenters.

Shania Twain hosted the nearly 2.5-hour event, which streamed live to a global audience in over 240 countries and territories exclusively on Prime Video. The show returned to Las Vegas and aired from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

A complete list of winners can be found HERE.