Kacey Musgraves brought “Dry Spell” to life at the 2026 ACM Awards, delivering her first-ever performance on the ACM stage in a standout moment viewers won’t soon forget.
The genre-bending superstar launched her performance sitting atop a washing machine in front of a wood-paneled wall, wearing a white tank top, denim shorts embellished with silver sparkles, and a thick silver belt with a statement buckle paired with heels.
“It’s been a real long/ three-hundred and thirty-five days/ and the last time/ it wasn’t good anyway/ i’m so lonely, lonely with a capital ‘H’/ If you know what I mean/ i’ve been sitting on the washing machine,” Musgraves sang.
As Kacey Musgraves reached the chorus of the track, she jumped down from the washing machine and moved into a set that resembled her “Dry Spell” music video, a grocery store called “Country Mart” filled with playful sexual innuendos. Joined by her touring band, situated throughout the makeshift store, Musgraves wandered the stage pushing a grocery cart as she continued singing.
Ain’t nobody’s tool up in my shed/ ain’t nobody’s boots under my bed/ ain’t nobody’s truck up in my drive/ for a late-night call, for a real good time/ ain’t no new notches on my belt/ and I’m tired of keeping my hands to myself/ 911, it’s officially a cry for help/ y’all, I’m going through a dry spell, yep,” she sang on the track’s catchy chorus.
Her performance concluded with her joking, “yup, it’s hard out there y’all.”
“Dry Spell” appears on Musgraves’ sixth studio album, Middle of Nowhere, which arrived on May 1, 2026 via Lost Highway Records. Produced by Kacey alongside longtime collaborators Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, Middle of Nowhere features 13 tracks, including duets with Billy Strings, Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson and Gregory Alan Isakov.
“The bulk of this record was made during the longest single period of my life,” Musgraves shared in a statement. “I found that for the first time, it actually felt incredible being alone and existing in a space not defined by anyone else. I became fascinated with the concept of liminal space, both geographical and emotional. We don’t linger in these transitional, empty spaces long enough and rush to define where or whatever is next. I became so at ease with being in the ‘middle of nowhere’ in many senses and sitting in the un-comfort of the undefined. Middle of nowhere is a place as much as it is a state of mind. I had a lot of time for creative ambling and leaning into my roots in different ways; horses, humor, writing with my early collaborators again, and living out my very simple, inspired life between Texas, Tennessee, and Mexico.”
The 2026 ACM Awards also featured performances from Blake Shelton, Cody Johnson, Dan + Shay, Ella Langley, Jordan Davis, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, Lee Ann Womack, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum, Riley Green, The Red Clay Strays, Thomas Rhett, Zach Top and more, as well as ACM New Female Artist of the Year Avery Anna and ACM New Male Artist of the Year Tucker Wetmore.
The 61st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards also included a star-studded list of presenters, including Andrew Whitworth, Ashley McBryde, Carl Edwards, Corey LaJoie, Keith Urban, Lauren Alaina, Michael Bublé, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Shaboozey, The War And Treaty, T.J. Osborne and more.
Female artists led this year’s nominations, with Megan Moroney earning nine nods, followed by Miranda Lambert with eight, and both Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson tied with seven. Chris Stapleton, Zach Top, and Cody Johnson also entered the night as top nominees.
The 2026 ACM Awards brought country music’s biggest night back to Las Vegas in a star-studded celebration hosted by legendary songwriter and best-selling female country artist Shania Twain, marking her first time leading the show. The broadcast streamed live exclusively on Prime Video across more than 240 countries and territories and aired Sunday, May 17, 2026, from the iconic MGM Grand Garden Arena. The show was also available to stream via the Amazon Music app and Amazon Music channel on Twitch.
For country music fans that missed the live broadcast, the full show will also be available to stream on Prime Video the following day (May 18) at 8/7c.
