There are hit songwriters… and then there’s Jessie Jo Dillon.
The powerhouse pen behind some of country music’s biggest songs just made Academy of Country Music Awards history after becoming the first songwriter ever to win ACM Songwriter of the Year three years in a row — and honestly, if anyone was going to pull off the three-peat, it was her.
Even more iconic? She’s also only the third woman to ever receive the honor.
From penning chart-toppers for Megan Moroney, Morgan Wallen, Russell Dickerson, Kelsea Ballerini, and more to shaping the sound of modern country music one lyric at a time, Dillon’s winning streak has been impossible to ignore — and this year may be her biggest yet.
Celeb Secrets Country caught up with the newly crowned ACM winner on the red carpet on Sunday (April 17) in Las Vegas, where she was still soaking in the surreal moment of attending the show with a trophy already under her belt.
“I mean, it feels like a homecoming, honestly,” Dillon shared with us. “I’m glad we’re back in Vegas. I feel like it’s just so many good memories here throughout the years.”
And yes — the celebration started before she even stepped onto the carpet.
According to Big Machine Music, Dillon found out about her historic win through a FaceTime call from none other than Moroney herself, who excitedly told her: “We have to celebrate because for the third year in a row, you are the ACM Songwriter of the Year!”
At the time, Dillon was in a recording session at Nashville’s legendary RCA Studio A with rising country star Carter Faith — whose debut album Cherry Valley also earned an ACM nomination this year.
“I’m beside myself to have won this coveted award once, let alone three times,” Dillon said in a statement. “I’m honored to be recognized by this community that I love so dearly. Thank you all, especially my publishers, and long live country music!”
Of course, one of Dillon’s most talked-about collaborations lately has been her work on Moroney’s Cloud 9, where she co-wrote nine tracks for the project — including fan favorites like “Beautiful Things” and “Medicine.”
When we asked about her favorite memory from making the album, Dillon lit up instantly.
“Oh my gosh, so many,” she said. “There was this one weekend that we were on the road — Luke and I with her — and I think we wrote ‘Wait on the Rain,’ ‘Who Hurt You,’ and maybe ‘Cloud 9’ all in the same weekend. It was crazy… like 36 hours. It was like we fell in a portal.”
She added, “Meg’s the best. There’s no one I love working with more than her.”
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As if her ACM milestone wasn’t enough, Dillon’s resume keeps getting longer. This year alone, she earned recognition at the CMA Triple Play Awards for writing three No. 1 songs in a single calendar year: Wallen’s “Lies, Lies, Lies,” Dickerson’s “Happen To Me,” and Moroney’s “Am I Okay?” — the latter also scoring an ACM Song of the Year nomination. She also co-wrote “Lighter” by Carin León and Jelly Roll, which was selected as an official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Basically? If your favorite country song has been stuck in your head lately, there’s a very good chance Dillon had something to do with it.
And while she’s already worked with nearly everyone in Nashville, there’s still one upcoming project she’s especially excited about.
“I have written with this person, but Brooks & Dunn are working on a new record,” she teased. “I got to write some with Ronnie, and I think he might record some of it, so I’m excited about that.”
For more coverage from the 2026 ACM Awards, click here.
