The Male Artist of the Year trophy was awarded to Chris Stapleton for the second year in a row at the 2025 ACM Awards.

“Wow, so many guys in this category that were so deserving and great artists and I’m happy to just be hanging out in the room still,” he remarked from the stage.

He also thanked his wife Morgane and his kids watching at home.

Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, and Morgan Wallen were also nominated in the category. These nominees were an elite group: In fact, all five of these artists are also nominated for the biggest award of the night, Entertainer of the Year.

It seems like Stapleton is the definitive ACM Male Artist of the Year of the past decade. Not only is he extending his reign in the category after winning it last year, too, but it’s the fifth time since 2015 that Stapleton has been named Male Artist of the Year.

With a consistent string of album releases all leaning into Stapleton’s vocal-focused, soulful sound, Stapleton has earned his position in country music by reliably delivering stellar performances. He has mounted his All-American Road Show for several years running, and is booked to play more stadiums with George Strait in 2025.

The 2025 ACM Awards are streaming live on Amazon Prime from Frisco, Texas’ Ford Center. Reba McEntire is hosting the show.