Nashville's Avery Anna named ACM's 2026 new female artist of the year
Bryan WestAvery Anna's breakout year reached a new high when the Academy of Country Music named her the new female artist of the year for 2026.
The first-time nominee was surprised with the trophy after her performance at the Lone Star Smokeout festival in Arlington, Texas, on April 26 by fellow country singer, and frequent collaborator, Sam Barber.
"I'm just so grateful for this, I'm so honored," Avery told the crowd from the stage. "Thank you guys for rallying for me, supporting me and cheering me on. I thank God every day that I get to do this and that he put this passion on my heart. I’m so grateful for people like you that show up for artists like me and embrace the things that we have to say. Thank you guys so much. This is such an honor."
The award comes amid a breakout year for the Warner Music Nashville artist, who has steadily built a loyal following with emotionally raw, diary-like songs inspired by her own journals and fan-submitted letters.
Born Avery Anna Rhoton in Flagstaff, Arizona, the singer first found an audience during the COVID-19 pandemic, posting acoustic covers and original songs from her claw-foot bathtub on TikTok. One viral video eventually caught the attention of producer David Fanning, who became her manager and helped launch her music career.
She moved to Nashville at 17, signed with Warner Music Nashville in 2022 and made her Grand Ole Opry debut later that year. Since then, Avery has carved out a lane with intimate, confessional country-pop songs like "Narcissist" and "Mr. Predictable." Then she focused on expanding her sound across country-pop projects like "Breakup Over Breakfast," her debut album in 2024. She also released several new songs in March 2026, including a few with rock and Americana influences. While she remains firmly rooted in country storytelling traditions, her work now spans across different aspects of the genre.
Anna is set to perform at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards on May 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
How to watch the ACM's
Hosted by country icon Shania Twain, the show will stream live on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT and feature performances from stars including Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson and Riley Green.
Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
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