Keith Urban gave the audience and viewers at home for the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards a sweet glimpse into his marriage to Nicole Kidman on Thursday.
The 57-year-old country star got a chance to do some guitar shredding on stage in Frisco, Texas, before he accepted the Triple Crown Award, one of the organization’s top honors.
During his acceptance speech — which was streamed on Amazon Prime Video — he revealed a cute pet name that he has for the 57-year-old Oscar winner.
‘My wife, Nicole Mary, is here tonight. I love you, babygirl,’ he said. ‘And our girls Sunday and Faith watching at home tonight, I love you both, too.’
It’s unclear if Keith’s nickname for Nicole, ‘babygirl,’ is just a term of affection for her, or if it was inspired by last year’s erotic thriller Babygirl, which she starred in with Harris Dickinson and Antonio Banderas.
She played the married CEO of a manufacturing company who, after becoming dissatisfied with her marriage, begins an affair with her decades-younger intern, which soon takes on a risky dominance and submission dynamic.
Keith Urban gave the audience and viewers at home for the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards a sweet glimpse into his marriage to Nicole Kidman on Thursday
The 57-year-old country star, who was honored with the Triple Crown Award, said in his acceptance speech: ‘My wife, Nicole Mary, is here tonight. I love you, babygirl’
It’s unclear if Keith’s nickname for Nicole, ‘babygirl,’ is just a term of affection, or if it’s inspired by last year’s erotic thriller Babygirl, about a high-powered CEO who takes a submissive role in an affair with a decades-young intern; pictured in Babygirl with Harris Dickinson
There weren’t any hints of that kinkiness in Keith’s sweet speech, in which he emphasized that his success wasn’t due to his talent and hard work alone.
‘I have a massive team that I couldn’t possibly thank by name, but I want to thank my team for working so insanely hard behind the scenes, ’cause there’s no such thing as a self-made man,’ he said. ‘I wanna thank my road band and my road family. And I wanna say a special thanks to all the fans that have been coming out to see us play. I really appreciate it.
He also singled out his label, Capitol Records, for having ‘the most amazing promo team out there,’ and he gave a shout out to country music radio stations that had played his music for years.
At the end of his speech, he teased fans by noting that he would soon be heading out on a joint tour with Blake Shelton.
Prior to his speech, his colleagues played an all-star tribute to him while he smiled and bobbed his head as Nicole danced next to him in the front row of the audience.
Megan Maroney began the number with a brief rendition of his song Stupid Boy, before guitar maestro Chris Stapleton covered Blue Ain’t Your Color.
At the end of the song, the bearded singer added, ‘We love you, Keith.’
Last up were Brothers Osborne with a version of Where The Blacktop Ends. Keith was ready to join them, as he already had his guitar set up as he rushed onto the stage for a final dueling guitar solo.
There weren’t any hints of that kinkiness in Keith’s sweet speech, in which he emphasized that his success wouldn’t have happened without his ‘team’
Prior to his speech, his colleagues played an all-star tribute to him while he smiled and bobbed his head as Nicole danced next to him in the front row of the audience
Last up were Brothers Osborne with a version of Where The Blacktop Ends. Keith was ready to join them, as he already had his guitar set up as he rushed onto the stage for a final dueling guitar solo
Keith was the first person to win the Triple Crown since Carrie Underwood took home the honor 15 years earlier
Keith was the first person to win the Triple Crown since Carrie Underwood took home the honor 15 years earlier.
Only musicians who have previously received three awards for Best New Artist; Male/Female Artist or Duo/Group; and Entertainer of the Year —all of which Keith won in the past — are eligible.
He won the new male artist honor back in 2001, and took home back-to-back male artist of the year awards in 2005 and 2006, before finally behind honored with Entertainer of the Year in 2019.
After Kidman’s 2001 divorce from Tom Cruise, she and fellow Australian Keith met each other at the 2005 G’Day LA, an event that celebrated Australians living and working in the city.
The two got engaged in May 2006, and they tied the knot the following month in Sydney.
Keith’s award may have been the most prestigious, but Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson were the biggest winners of the night.
Ella had an impressive breakout victory with awards for New Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Music Event of the Year and Visual Media of the Year.
She was riding high on the success of her collaborative single, you look like you love me, which she performed with Riley Green.
Ella Langley had an impressive breakout victory with the most awards — five — including for New Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Music Event of the Year and Visual Media of the Year
She was riding high on the success of her collaborative single, you look like you love me, which she performed with Riley Green (L)
Lainey Wilson had the second-most wins with four in several of the most prestigious categories
She had her arms full after winning Entertainer of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year — for Whirlwind — and Artist–Songwriter of the Year
Guitar maestro Chris Stapleton nabbed the Male Artist of the Year trophy
Stalwarts Brooks & Dunn (pictured) were honored with Duo of the Year
Old Dominion (pictured) took home the Group honor
Zach Top succeeded with the New Male Artist of the Year award
Lainey’s wins were for several of the most prestigious honors of the evening, including Entertainer of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year — for Whirlwind — and Artist–Songwriter of the Year.
Chris Stapleton nabbed the Male Artist of the Year trophy, while stalwarts Brooks & Dunn were honored with Duo of the Year and Old Dominion took home the Group honor.
Zach Top succeeded with the New Male Artist of the Year award, and country-rock band The Red Clay Strays won the new group honor.
While Ella Langley and her collaborator Riley Green won Single of the Year, Song of the Year — which is for songwriters, publishers and artists — went to Cody Johnson’s Dirt Cheap.
Rounding out the major awards was Songwriter of the Year, which was won by Jessie Jo Dillon.
ACM Awards 2025 WINNERS
Entertainer of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson — WINNER
Lainey Wilson was one of the night’s big winners
Female Artist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson — WINNER
Male Artist of the Year
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton — WINNER
Morgan Wallen
Chris Stapleton beat out a tough crowd to win Male Artist of the Year
Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn — WINNER
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Muscadine Bloodline
The War and Treaty
Group of the Year
Flatland Cavalry
Little Big Town
Old Dominion — WINNER
Rascal Flatts
The Red Clay Strays
New Female Artist of the Year
Kassi Ashton
Ashley Cooke
Dasha
Ella Langley — WINNER
Jessie Murph
New Male Artist of the Year
Gavin Adcock
Shaboozey
Zach Top — WINNER
Tucker Wetmore
Bailey Zimmerman
New Duo or Group of the Year
Restless Road
The Red Clay Strays — WINNER
Treaty Oak Revival
Album of the Year
Am I Okay? (I’ll Be Fine) – Megan Moroney
Beautifully Broken – Jelly Roll
Cold Beer & Country Music – Zach Top
F-1 Trillion – Post Malone
Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson — WINNER
Single of the Year
A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey
Dirt Cheap – Cody Johnson
I Had Some Help – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
White Horse – Chris Stapleton
you look like you love me – Ella Langley, Riley Green — WINNER
Song of the Year
4x4xU – Lainey Wilson
The Architect – Kacey Musgraves
Dirt Cheap – Cody Johnson — WINNER
I Had Some Help – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
you look like you love me – Ella Langley, Riley Green
Music Event of the Year
Cowboys Cry Too – Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan
I Had Some Help – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
I’m Gonna Love You – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood
we don’t fight anymore – Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton
you look like you love me – Ella Langley, Riley Green — WINNER
Visual Media of the Year
4x4xU – Lainey Wilson
Dirt Cheap – Cody Johnson
I’m Gonna Love You – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood
Think I’m In Love With You – Chris Stapleton
you look like you love me – Ella Langley, Riley Green — WINNER
Riley Green (L) and Ella Langley (center) won multiple awards for their single, you look like you love me
Artist–Songwriter of the Year
Luke Combs
ERNEST
HARDY
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson — WINNER
Songwriter of the Year
Jessi Alexander
Jessie Jo Dillon — WINNER
Ashley Gorley
Chase McGill
Josh Osborne
