Miranda Lambert Hits 20 ACM Wins as Husband Brendan McLoughlin’s Celebration Steals the Show

Miranda Lambert skipped the carpet but still owned the night at the 2026 ACM Awards — onstage in denim, racking up hardware through a song she helped make, and sitting side by side with her husband Brendan McLoughlin looking very much in sync.

How it went down in Vegas

The show hit the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 17, and streamed on Prime Video. Lambert and McLoughlin didn't bother with the red carpet; they slid straight inside and landed at breakout star Ella Langley's table on the broadcast.

When Langley's "Choosin' Texas" won Single of the Year, McLoughlin, 34, instantly popped up and started clapping. It wasn't just team spirit — Lambert, 43, co-wrote and produced the track, so that win counted as her 20th career ACM trophy. Not a small milestone. The couple also posed for photos inside with Lainey Wilson and Wilson's new husband, Devlin "Duck" Hodges.

Lambert performed her new single, "Crisco," mid-show — all denim everything, topped with a white cowboy hat. If you were looking for subtlety, this was not the place.

The work and the wins (and the near-wins)

• Lambert came in with eight ACM nominations this year.
• Female Artist of the Year: nominated.
• "A Song to Sing" with Chris Stapleton: nominated for Song of the Year, Music Event of the Year, and Visual Media of the Year.
• "Trailblazer" with Reba McEntire and Lainey Wilson: nominated for Music Event of the Year.
• Single of the Year went to Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" — which Lambert co-wrote and produced — giving Lambert her 20th ACM overall.
• Performance: the live debut of "Crisco" in an all-denim look with a white cowboy hat.

Offstage: the part we don't usually see

Lambert and McLoughlin have kept things relatively low-profile since they got married in January 2019. Back in a September 2024 profile, she pulled the curtain back a bit on how they actually make it work. The theme was simple: it's not just about chemistry; it's about doing the unglamorous stuff well.

"I guess the thing I've learned the most is just that communication is everything. Love doesn't always cut it. You've got to talk about s***. And you have to compromise sometimes and be willing to listen to each other when you have something important to say. Love is hard some days, but the reward is so worth it."

She also said McLoughlin doesn't sugarcoat things for her — and she prefers it that way. Surrounding yourself with people who only say yes, especially when you're an artist, isn't healthy. Honest feedback gets you farther and keeps you sane. Hard to argue with that.

Their version of a night in

When they're not working, they're homebodies: patio hangs, make a couple drinks, and run music for hours. He's big on what he calls "happy hour music" — Matchbox Twenty and Goo Goo Dolls — while her playlist goes elsewhere. They meet in the middle and, as she put it, it kind of feels like living on a permanent date. Not the worst setup.

Fast start, calculated risk

If you forgot: they married three months after they met. Lambert says she went for it with a "no risk, no reward" mindset. Her take was basically, she'd already survived the worst things love can throw at you, so why not bet on something good? If it didn't last, it didn't last — pain passes. On nights like the ACMs, you can see why the gamble made sense.