- Carter Faith is nominated for Album of the Year at the 2026 ACM Awards.
- This is her first ever nomination.
- Her debut album is Cherry Valley, released last October.
Carter Faith only released her debut album, Cherry Valley, six months ago. She’s a newcomer in every sense of the word in mainstream country music, so she surely wasn’t expecting to hear her name among 2026 ACM Awards nominees, which were announced Thursday (April 9).
But not only is she nominated for the first time ever, she’s nominated for one of the Academy of Country Music’s greatest honors: Album of the Year.
“Holy s—t, this is actually insane and definitely doesn’t feel real,” the “Cowboys & Dreamers” singer wrote on her social media pages after hearing the news. When the ACMs roll around next month, she’ll be up against some of the biggest names in the genre, including Morgan Wallen and his I’m the Problem project. Cherry Valley is facing steep competition; Riley Green’s Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe), Parker McCollum’s self-titled and Zach Top’s Ain’t in It for My Health are the other albums nominated in this year’s category. All country released in 2025 qualified, but nominees emerged after two rounds of voting by ACM members.
“Thank you to everyone who made this record with me — the songwriters, musicians, engineers, especially Tofer [her longtime producer, Tofer Brown],” Carter continues in her heartfelt note. “IDK I just feel like this nomination is such a testament to making the art you believe in full stop. This is my first nomination, just songs from my heart and a dream.”
Cherry Valley is the 25-year-old’s debut album on MCA Nashville, released last October. She wrote or co-wrote each one of the 15 tracks, which recapitulate her journey from North Carolina to Nashville and the things typical 20-somethings deal with, like navigating adulthood, finding love and suffering heartbreak. A brand-new song — one not on Cherry Valley — called “That’s When You Know” with Norwegian DJ Kygo drops Friday (April 10).
Carter Faith is one of a handful of resilient women who have stormed the country mainstream in the past few years (Megan Moroney, Lainey Wilson, Ella Langley) — a welcome change from what’s historically a male-dominated genre. Notably, she’s also the only woman nominated in the ACM Album of the Year category this year, though women lead the list of most-nominated stars by far.
The 2026 ACM Awards will air live from Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 17. Fans can watch via Amazon Prime, Twitch, and the Amazon Music app.
Amanda Hensel Jermstad is a skilled writer based in Austin, Texas. She spent 14 years as Editor-in-Chief of Taste of Country, where she led coverage of the artists, stories and trends shaping country music. With a career deeply rooted in the genre, Amanda has built a reputation for sharp editorial insight and authentic storytelling. Outside of work, she’s a proud mom of three.
