Co-founder Parker McCollum Wins ACM Album of the Year

Parker's Self-Titled Album "Parker McCollum" Wins ACM Album of the Year.

Some records are made to chase the moment. Others are made because the artist has no choice but to get them out.

Parker's self-titled album belongs squarely in the second camp.

At the 2026 ACM Awards, Parker's fifth studio album, Parker McCollum, was named Album of the Year. A major career milestone for our cofounder, and a proud moment for everyone on the Fresh Western Team.

What makes this win extra special is not only the award, but the path it took to get there. This was not a safe record. Not an easy record. It was an honest one.

The Album He Had to Make

Before Parker McCollum became an ACM Album of the Year winner, it was a pure creative reset.

Parker had built the career most artists dream about: platinum singles, sold-out shows, nationwide tours, and a deep connection with fans across Texas and beyond. Instead of just repeating the formula, he chose the deliberate path. Scrapped earlier recordings, changed scenery, and stepped into the studio with Frank Liddell and Eric Masse to make this album in a way that pushed him far from comfort and closer to instinct.

A Self-Titled Album?

A self-titled album says something loud and clear before the first track rolls: This is me. For Parker, that meant a deep reach backward and forward at the same time. The album includes songs tied to his earliest years as a writer while also reflecting the man, husband, performer, father, and artist he has become.

That full-circle feeling is a large part of what makes this moment hit so hard. This statement of identity rolled up into an album unlike any up to this point.

And now, that bold statement has been recognized as the ACM Album of the Year.

"Killin' Me" and the World Around the Record

One of the standout moments from the album is “Killin’ Me,” a song written by Parker McCollum, Monty Criswell, and Randy Rogers.

The official music video, filmed at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth, carries the same smoky, intimate, old-soul energy that runs throughout the whole record. It also features Parker’s wife, Hallie Ray Light McCollum, making things even more personal.

Take a look below for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the "Killin' Me" video: the people, place, and atmosphere behind one of the album's defining songs:

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Featuring the Tour Hat | Black + White

Why This Means Something to Fresh Western

We're building Fresh Western around the belief that the Modern West spirit is alive and well. Not cliche or costume western, and certainly not nostalgia for nostalgia's sake. The real deal, every damn time.

That's why this album is so much more than the award. Parker made a record that honors where he comes from without standing still. It's deeply rooted, but not stuck in the past. Honest and traditional in spirit, while driving things forward.

We're proud to have Parker as a co-founder. Proud to see this great album recognized. Proud to ride alongside an artist who still chooses the real road, even when it's the path less traveled and of more resistance.