Shania Twain to Host the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards While Preparing a New Childhood-Inspired Album

The Academy of Country Music will stage its 61st ceremony on May 17, 2026 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show will stream live on Prime Video and will be produced by Dick Clark Productions, a joint venture of Eldridge Industries and Penske Media. After two years with Reba McEntire behind the microphone, Canadian singer-songwriter Shania Twain will serve as the event’s first-time host.

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Twain’s connection to the ACM Awards spans more than three decades. In 1996 she was named Top New Female Vocalist and her album *The Woman in Me* won Album of the Year. She earned the coveted Entertainer of the Year trophy in 2000 and received the ACM Poet’s Award in 2022. Her commercial success includes the double-diamond certified *Come on Over* (1997) and a five-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with *Up!* (2002). In 2023 her *Queen of Me* tour ranked No. 4 on Billboard’s year-end Top Country Tours list, and her Las Vegas residency sold out 33 shows across 2024-2025.

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• Shania Twain – Host, Grammy-winning artist, and upcoming album author.

Shania Twain Says Forthcoming Album Is About Something She’s “Never Shared” With Fans Before

• Reba McEntire – Former ACM host of 18 shows since 1986, cited by Twain as a professional benchmark.

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• Dick Clark Productions – Producer of the ceremony, owned by Penske Media Eldridge.

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• 1996 – ACM Top New Female Vocalist; *The Woman in Me* wins Album of the Year.

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• 2000 – Wins ACM Entertainer of the Year.

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• 2022 – Receives ACM Poet’s Award.

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• 2023 – *Queen of Me* tour ranks No. 4 on Billboard Country Tours.

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• 2024-2025 – Completes sold-out Las Vegas residency.

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• May 13, 2026 – Releases new single “Dirty Rosie.”

Shania Twain looking back on childhood with new music

• May 17, 2026 – Hosts the 61st ACM Awards.

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• June-July 2026 – Scheduled shows with Harry Styles at Wembley Stadium, London.

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• *Come on Over* logged over 150 weeks on the all-genre Billboard 200 and achieved double-diamond certification (10 million U.S. units).

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• *Up!* held the Billboard 200 summit for five weeks.

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• 2023 tour placed fourth on Billboard’s year-end Top Country Tours.

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• 33 sold-out residency shows at Planet Hollywood’s PH Live (2024-2025).

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Twain described hosting as “a chance to get back with everybody” and emphasized a desire to “pay homage to a genre and fans that have been so good to me.” She contrasted her spontaneous style with Reba’s polished approach, noting she will “look my best” while keeping fashion decisions fluid until the last moment. Regarding the new album, Twain said it is “written storywise and also sonically… based on a lot of reflection on my childhood.” She added that the project reflects a period of personal peace and that she feels “settled and at peace with a lot of the challenges” of her career. Twain also confirmed plans to act in future projects while focusing on the upcoming album and summer shows with Harry Styles.

Shania Twain Says Forthcoming Album Is About Something She’s “Never Shared” With Fans Before

Sources agree that the forthcoming album is untitled and lacks a public release date. No contradictory information appears about the album’s thematic focus or the single “Dirty Rosie.” The primary gap is the absence of concrete details on the album’s title, tracklist, and launch timeline.

Shania Twain looking back on childhood with new music

• “It’s a chance for me to just get back with everybody,” — Shania Twain, host interview

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• “The album was written storywise and also sonically, musically, based on a lot of reflection on my childhood, whether it’s stories reflecting back to my youth or whether it is music that influenced me most as a child and as a teen.” — Shania Twain, album interview

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• “ Videos by American Songwriter “I’m turning 60 and I feel good and I’ve got to celebrate that.” — Shania Twain, People interview

Shania Twain Says Forthcoming Album Is About Something She’s “Never Shared” With Fans Before

After the ceremony, Twain will likely congratulate winners backstage, though she anticipates “mayhem.” She will promote the single “Dirty Rosie” on May 13, followed by the release of her untitled album later in 2026. The artist’s summer performances with Harry Styles at Wembley and potential acting roles remain on her agenda, while the ACM Awards continue to spotlight country music’s evolving landscape.

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