“This is Las Vegas. Bring it on!” said Shania Twain, an air of glitter humming around her with every word. The legendary performer was talking about the revolving door of outfit changes that she was readying to dive into over the next two days. “Every outfit I’m picking out, I’m thinking, ‘Now it’s gotta be a notch higher. We need drama here—the good kind!’”

The gig demanding said dramatics? Twain’s first time hosting the 61st annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which has just traded its three-year run in Frisco, Texas for the bright lights of Sin City. Nearly the entire country music industry flocked from Nashville to the neon valley for a weekend of fetes blending honky tonks with a heady dose of Vegas éclat—all building toward Sunday evening’s ACM Awards themselves.

Things kicked off on Friday morning with an intimate brunch—the third annual I’m Just Me: A Charley Pride Celebration of Inclusion at Luchini Italian Restaurant in the MGM Grand. There, country stars gathered to honor the late singer, guitarist, and baseball player’s trailblazing legacy as the first Black artist to score a number-one country record. This year’s honorees included Beverly Keel, the Compton Cowboys, James Marsh, Joseph Hudak, Mōriah, and Stephanie Davenport, with musical performances woven throughout the brunch.

“I’m excited to be honored, but also to recognize the artists who came before me,” Mexican-American singer-songwriter Mōriah told Vogue. “Charley Pride paved the way for artists like myself to bring our culture, our stories, and our experiences into country music.” The brunch was a welcome reminder of all the ways that the face of country music has changed over the past century—and a celebration of the voices ushering in a more inclusive future for the genre.

The festivities continued at Next Wave, a beach party in the middle of the desert—which sounds like a fever dream but was, in fact, very real. ACM staged an entire sunset-soaked festival hosted by emerging stars Dasha and Ashley Cooke, with a closing performance by Keith Urban. The entire esplanade at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino was strewn with beach blankets and cowboy boots; their occupants ditching them to go dosey-doe in the ankle-deep water surrounding the stage. Fits of wind did little to stop people from dancing and performers from rocking out—although the gusts did send a few blowouts flying. “It was like I was in a 2000s rom-com,” laughed Dasha. “It was giving Belieber hair. It was not very cute.”

By the end of the night, fire cauldrons blazed bright and glow-in-the-dark beach balls abounded all around the resort. (You know it’s a good party when Tucker Wetmore signs someone’s shoe with their wife’s eyeliner and Keith Urban leaps straight into the pool—all in the same hour.)

On the carpet the following afternoon, it felt less like an awards show and more like one giant family reunion—just with blue velvet drapes, flashbulbs, and photographers barking “Look here!” Guests buzzed about the news of the day, from who’d lost the most at the casino the night before (Hudson Westbrook, per Ashley Cooke) to who’d sweep the boards later that night (Ella Langley, per everybody). It was an endless panoply of snakeskin boots and bolo ties, teased hair and sequins, all battling the dense Vegas heat. Luckily, a very dapper Tyler Cameron was stationed mid-carpet with a truckload of Mountain Valley waters to keep guests cool. (It’s easy to remember to hydrate when a veritable tall glass of water himself is reminding you to.)

With each conversation, it became clear that the country music set was very busy in both life and love. “That’s my husband,” beamed a newly married Lainey Wilson, popping a hip and curving a thumb toward Devlin Hodges with her emblematic Southern humor. The pair tied the knot a mere week ago, having little time to bask in newlywed bliss before launching back into their busy schedules. “It’s our honeymoon in Vegas!” As to whether Hodges was excited to see Wilson perform? “Oh, always,” he gushed. “He’s my biggest cheerleader,” she added.

“Last year was such a high octane year for me, so now I’m working on things quietly for the first time ever, because I like to talk,” laughed Kelsea Ballerini, “I’m minding my own business.” And doing it in style, evidently—sporting a gilded Roberto Cavalli number from the Spring Summer 2026 collection, as well as a bouncy blowout. Elsewhere on the carpet, vintage Ralph Lauren had a strong showing: Stella Lefty wore a 1999 look from the label, while Carter Faith chose one from 2013. “I’m like the new girl here,” Faith said, “so it’s all very cool to me. I’m gonna be sitting there freaking out that all of these people are around me. I just have stars in my eyes, I guess.”

Contributing writer at Vogue.com. Covering parties all over town in the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle spaces. ... Read More