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Morgan Wallen Fans Say There Was “Zero Reason He Shouldn’t Have Won” After ACM Snub

Morgan Wallen performs for a packed stadium crowd in an earlier concert moment—just months before his ACM Awards shutout sparked major fan backlash in 2025.
Riley Johnson
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  • Riley Johnson covers country music’s legends, tributes, and the stories behind the songs for Country Thang Daily.
  • Her beat includes the Grand Ole Opry, Hall of Fame moments, gospel and faith in country music, and the artists who built the genre.
  • When a legend is honored, remembered, or back in the spotlight, Riley is usually the one writing it.
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The 60th ACM Awards went off in Frisco, Texas, with big performances, big speeches, and big wins.

But not for Morgan Wallen.

And his fans are not keeping quiet about it.

Despite being nominated in multiple categories, including the coveted Entertainer of the Year, Wallen walked away with exactly zero trophies. He didn’t show up, either, choosing instead to golf with Tom Brady. Which, frankly, might have been the smarter play.

Still, it didn’t sit right with fans—or even with plenty of people who aren’t card-carrying members of the Morgan Wallen fan club. According to a Whiskey Riff article by Casey Young, the mood online after the show was clear: people are tired of seeing country’s most streamed, most ticketed, and most talked-about artist get passed over.

The numbers don’t lie. Wallen’s album One Thing at a Time smashed records, dominated the charts for months, and helped keep country music at the top of mainstream culture. His stadium tour sold out across the country, and “Last Night” became the kind of crossover hit country hadn’t seen in years. You don’t have to be a Morgan Wallen diehard to see the scale of what he’s doing.

But when the night ended, Lainey Wilson once again walked away with Entertainer of the Year, and Wallen fans let their feelings fly.

Others questioned the show altogether.

It’s hard not to notice that two of the biggest acts in country music—Wallen and Combs—weren’t even in the building. That’s a message in itself. Whether it’s fatigue with the system or a quiet protest of how the votes tend to fall, fans are reading between the lines.

And let’s be honest, Wallen didn’t exactly lose sleep over it. The guy was out there throwing passes with the GOAT himself, Tom Brady, and based on the social media posts, looked pretty content doing it. Still, it’s hard to ignore that he left with no awards after arguably the biggest year any country artist has had since maybe Garth in the ’90s.

Casey Young summed it up in her Whiskey Riff article by pointing out the obvious: “Whether you like his music or not, for him to leave empty-handed, based on their own criteria, is pretty insane.”

It’s not about being a fangirl. It’s about fairness. Wallen’s numbers speak louder than any ballot box.

And here’s the wild part. Every time these shows pass him over, it only seems to make him bigger. Fans double down. His songs go harder. The stadiums fill faster. Whether love or loathing, Morgan Wallen has become the center of the conversation, just not the center of the ACMs stage.

But he still got the better tee time.

Morgan Wallen Fans Say There Was “Zero Reason He Shouldn’t Have Won” After ACM Snub

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