Did Morgan Wallen skip the 2025 ACM Awards? Country star's nominations explored amid absence
Singer Morgan Wallen was absent from the 2025 Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards. According to People Magazine's May 8 report, despite receiving multiple nominations, including the top Entertainer of the Year award, the 31-year-old Last Night singer did not attend the May 8 award event. Additionally, he did not explain his absence.
However, right before the ceremony started, the country music artist shared a picture of himself with American football quarterback Tom Brady, throwing a football on a golf course.
He further uploaded the photo on his Instagram Stories on the same day and wrote in the caption:
"Had a little mustard on it."
Notably, this wasn't the first time Wallen has missed an award ceremony. He has recently been absent from several music awards, including the 2025 Grammy Awards.
Morgan Wallen had missed out on lots of award ceremonies previously, amidst his recent misdemeanor
Morgan Wallen did not attend the ACMs held on May 8, 2025. Shortly before the award ceremony, Wallen shared a picture of himself throwing a football around at a Northern Ireland golf course on his Instagram account.
Nonetheless, at the end of the night, he didn't win in any of the seven categories for which he was nominated, including Male Artist of the Year, Music Event of the Year, Song of the Year, Artist-Songwriter of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, and Single of the Year.
Country singer, songwriter, and guitarist Chris Stapleton won the Male Artist of the Year.
Morgan Wallen has skipped several recent award shows, despite getting many nominations. He didn’t attend the 2025 Grammy Awards in February, where he was a first-time nominee but lost both of his categories for the duet I Had Some Help with Post Malone.
He also missed the 2024 CMAs in November, even though he won Entertainer of the Year and had the most nominations. Jeff Bridges accepted the award on his behalf. With six nominations, the native of Sneedville, Tennessee, was the most nominated artist at the 2024 CMAs on November 20. Bridges said to the audience:
“Morgan couldn't make it tonight, so I'm going to accept this award on his behalf.. Alright, let's hear it for Morgan!"
Meanwhile, the award ceremony came five months after Morgan Wallen entered a guilty plea to misdemeanour charges for throwing a chair from the sixth-floor roof of a pub in Nashville in early 2024.
As per ABC News' December 13 report, Morgan Wallen appeared in Nashville's Davidson County Circuit Court on Thursday, and his lawyer, Worrick Robinson IV, said in a statement that he:
"Entered a conditional plea pursuant to Tennessee's Diversion Statute that does not result in a conviction."
The statement further continued:
"The plea agreement with the Office of the District Attorney requires Mr. Wallen to spend 7 days at a DUI Education Center, be on probation for 2 years — one year for each of the misdemeanor charges for reckless endangerment — pay a $350 fine and court fees... Upon the successful completion of his probation, the charges will be eligible for dismissal and expungement."
Regarding his plans for ACMs night, Morgan Wallen has not made any formal statements.
