Parker McCollum wins Album of the Year at the 2026 ACM Awards in Las Vegas

Parker McCollum capped a memorable evening at the 2026 ACM Awards by taking home Album of the Year — his third ACM Award overall — but earlier in the night, the Pretty Heart singer was feeling anything but certain of his place in the room.

A night of reflection

"I just look around the room and nights like this and wonder how the hell they let me in here," McCollum, 33, told PEOPLE. "But the best of the best are performing and nominated tonight. Literally the best singers, songwriters, performers and entertainers of country music. They're here tonight, and they're doing the thing, so to get to be a small part of it makes you feel like you belong."

The brother who started it all

McCollum was quick to credit his older brother Tyler McCollum — himself a singer and songwriter — as the driving force behind his early passion for the craft.

"I loved music, naturally, and really took to melodies and country songs that I fell in love with as a kid, but he was really the one who introduced me to songwriters and songwriting.

"I just don't know if I would have ever really done this. I probably would have at some point, but not at the age that I did if it wasn't for him," he said. "I got those gears in my brain working at such a young age, and I owe literally every bit of that to him."

The What Kinda Man singer recalled a pivotal moment when Tyler returned home from university and asked what he had been writing. A teenage Parker played Permanent Headphones — a track that now appears on his award-winning self-titled album. Tyler told his younger brother he had the talent to be the next George Strait.

"He was lying, of course, but it was enough for me to believe it at 15, 16 years old. He hung the moon to me, so if he thinks that, he's got to be right," McCollum said.

A family occasion

McCollum attended the ceremony with his wife, Hallie Ray Light McCollum, who is expecting their second son later this summer. The couple are already parents to son Major, 21 months.

A growing trophy cabinet

Sunday's Album of the Year win adds to a growing collection of ACM honours for McCollum, who previously won New Male Artist of the Year in 2022 and Visual Media of the Year in 2024.

The 2026 ACM Awards streamed live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and are available to watch back on Prime Video.