Miranda Lambert brought country and disco to the 2026 ACM Awards stage with a performance of her brand-new single, “Crisco.”
Live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena and backed by an eight-piece string ensemble and her live touring band, Lambert delivered a captivating performance of the anthemic track as she leaned into its groove and rhythm. Lambert, who is the most decorated artist in ACM Awards history, performed on a set featuring a massive “Crisco” logo, a wall of silver fringe, and glittering disco balls, including a rhinestone saddle, that sparkled throughout the performance. The staging also paid tribute to her Texas roots, with the fringe periodically revealing a Texas-style honky tonk backdrop for added flair.
“Baby, we’ve been cookin’ with Crisco/ Ain’t we mixin’ country and disco/ Stir it around, give it a spin/ And it’s a rhinestone world we’re livin’ in/ We’re talkin’ southern nights, We could be like islands in the stream, that’s right/ Gettin’ in that rhythm with the radio/ And away we go, Cookin’ with that Crisco,” Lambert sang on the track’s infectious chorus.
For the performance, Lambert wore a look from LA ROXX, paired with jewelry by Mud Lowery. She completed the outfit with boots from Idyllwind and a hat by Standard Hat Works, tying together a stage-ready ensemble that matched the bold, retro-inspired energy of the performance.
Co-written by Miranda Lambert alongside Aaron Raitiere, Jesse Frasure, and Chill Fellacheck, “Crisco” marks the 2022 ACM Entertainer of the Year’s first release on her new labelhome of MCA. The disco-tinged country banger mentioned several iconic songs throughout the lyrics, including Starland Vocal Band’s “Afternoon Delight,” Glen Campbell’s “Southern Nights” and Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s “Islands in the Stream,” as well as outright name-checking Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn and the Seventies.
“We wanted something that feels familiar but also fresh, which is really hard to do. We leaned into all the things I grew up loving about country music – Glen Campbell, Kenny and Dolly; very ’70s and ’80s,” Lambert said of “Crisco” in a statement. “It’s a fun mix of all these sides of country music that I’ve never fully explored before, even down to using strings in a bigger way. I almost can’t believe I’ve made this many records without really going there, but it was magical to hear how much strings can transform a song.”
Miranda Lambert earned eight nominations at this year’s ceremony, marking her highest total in a single year since 2016 and her 20th time appearing at the show. Among the most-nominated artists of the night, Lambert’s nods include Female Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (Artist and Songwriter) for “A Song To Sing,” Song of the Year (Songwriter) for “Choosin’ Texas,” Single of the Year (Producer) for “Choosin’ Texas,” Music Event of the Year for both “A Song To Sing” and “Trailblazer,” and Visual Media of the Year for “A Song To Sing” with Chris Stapleton.
With these nods, Lambert scored her 17th nomination for Female Artist of the Year, her ninth Song of the Year nomination and her 16th total nomination in the Song of the Year category when combining both artist and songwriter credits.
“Going to Vegas, nominated with old friends, new friends and on my own, as an artist, but also a producer and writer, that makes me feel like we’re just getting started,” the 42-year-old Texas native added. “With ‘Crisco,’ it’s gonna be a great time seeing where it’s all gonna go.”
The 2026 ACM Awards also featured performances from Blake Shelton, Cody Johnson, Dan + Shay, Ella Langley, Jordan Davis, Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, Lee Ann Womack, Little Big Town, 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 of Brothers Osborne and more.
Female artists led this year’s nominations, with Megan Moroney earning nine nods, followed by 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.
