ACM Awards 2025: Best and worst dressed include Nicole Kidman, Kelsea Ballerini and Lainey Wilson

Reba McEntire was the host for the ACM Awards 2025, known in full as the Academy of Country Music Awards. Amongst the best dressed stars at the event included Kelsea Ballerini who was nominated for entertainer of the year, female artist of the year and music event of the year.

Kelsea Ballerini wowed in a sequined nude dress with a black triangle bra top and told CountryNow that "I wanted to find a carpet outfit that felt kinda timeless and classic, so that I could always look back at these photos and this night and feel good about it."

When it comes to other best dressed stars, I was also a fan of Megan Moroney’s yellow one-shoulder Cult Gaia dress. She was inspired by Kate Hudson’s character Andie Anderson’s yellow dress that she wore in the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

Lainey Wilson was a big winner on the night and took home the awards for entertainer of the year prize, she also won as album of the year for ‘Whirlwind,’ and also received awards for female vocalist of the year, and artist-songwriter of the year.

Despite her success, I was not a fan of Lainey Wilson’s red carpet look. Yes I know it's the Academy of Country Music Awards, so a country outfit was of course appropriate, and whilst I had no issue wearing her signature bell-bottoms, I did not like the cut-outs in her jacket.

I also was not a fan of Nicole Kidman’s all-black outfit. I just didn’t like the look of her black trousers underneath a black skirt that she paired with a high neckline sleeveless (also black) leather top.

Take a look at NationalWorld’s pick of the best and worst dressed stars at the ACM Awards 2025