Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin kept their ACM Awards 2026 appearance intimate—watching from the same table as Ella Langley during the Sunday, May 17 ceremony at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas—while Lambert’s co-written and produced “Choosin’ Texas
Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin didn’t step onto the red carpet ahead of the Sunday, May 17, 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas—but they still managed to turn the broadcast into a close-up kind of moment.
During the Prime Video airing, the couple were spotted looking “loved-up” at the same table as breakout star Ella Langley.. When Langley’s hit song “Choosin’ Texas. ” which Lambert cowrote and produced. took home Single of the Year. McLoughlin. 34. sprang to his feet and started clapping as Lambert. 43. watched on—an on-camera celebration tied directly to Lambert’s latest win streak.
Lambert’s night didn’t stop at the table. She and McLoughlin also posed for photos inside the arena with fellow nominee Lainey Wilson and her new husband, Devlin “Duck” Hodges. For Lambert, the win carried extra weight: Single of the Year marked her 20th career ACM win.
She arrived at the ceremony with eight ACM Awards nominations. including Female Artist of the Year. Song of the Year. Music Event of the Year and Visual Media of the Year for “A Song to Sing” with Chris Stapleton. plus Music Event of the Year for “Trailblazer” with Reba McEntire and Lainey Wilson.. Lambert also took the stage to perform her new single, “Crisco,” wearing an all-denim outfit and a white cowboy hat.
The night’s chemistry had a backstory of its own. even if the couple has kept things relatively private since tying the knot in January 2019.. In a September 2024 Us Weekly cover story. Lambert described what she’s learned about making their relationship work—and she credited McLoughlin with challenging her in positive ways. saying he “calls me out. and I love that.. I need that.” She also argued that surrounding herself with yes-people isn’t healthy for artists or celebrities. adding that a group of people who are “honest” is “a lot healthier in the long run.”
In that same September 2024 interview, Lambert talked about the day-to-day effort behind the romance.. She said “communication is everything. ” adding that love doesn’t always cut it. that couples have to talk about “s***. ” compromise. and listen when something important needs to be said.. She also described her downtime as low-key: “We’re pretty chill. ” she told Us. with patio hang vibes. making drinks. and listening to music—sometimes even treating it like a date night.. Lambert said McLoughlin especially loves “happy hour music. ” naming Matchbox Twenty and Goo Goo Dolls. and she noted they sit and listen for hours even if their tastes differ.
Five years into the marriage. Lambert looked back at the speed of her decision to marry McLoughlin after just three months together. telling Us. “I kind of went for it; no risk. no reward.” She said she felt the “worst that could happen” had already happened for her. and that if it ended “it ends.” She added that if you don’t put your heart out there. you may never get the “big love” people sing and write about. saying. “Pain is pain. but it passes.”
The couples’ public chemistry at the 61st ACM Awards—clapping when “Choosin’ Texas” won. posing together for photos with Wilson and Devlin “Duck” Hodges—fits the pattern Lambert laid out months earlier: she consistently tied relationship success to communication. compromise. and honesty. and she described their off-work life as relaxed. music-centered time built to keep the connection going.
Miranda Lambert Brendan McLoughlin ACM Awards 2026 MGM Grand Garden Arena Ella Langley “Choosin’ Texas” Single of the Year “Crisco” Lainey Wilson Devlin “Duck” Hodges