Academy of Country Music Awards explained
The Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards, were first held in 1966, honoring the industry's accomplishments during the previous year. It was the first country music awards program held by a major organization. The academy's signature "hat" trophy was first created in 1968. The awards were first televised in 1972 on ABC. In 1979, the academy joined with Dick Clark Productions to produce the show. Dick Clark and Al Schwartz served as producers while Gene Weed served as director. Under their guidance, the show moved to NBC in 1979, then to CBS in 1998, and Amazon Prime Video in 2022.
The academy adopted a sleeker, modern version of the "hat" trophy in 2003, which is now made by the New York City firm Society Awards. In 2004, the organization implemented online awards voting for its professional members, becoming the first televised awards show to do so. Entertainer of the Year was a fan-voted award for eight years, until 2016, when the ACM announced its decision to abandon Internet-voting for it and the three new-artist categories.
The 58th ACM Awards were presented at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas on May 11, 2023.
Voting process
Voting members of the Academy of Country Music (ACM) elect the nominees. In 2016, after an eight-year experiment intended to improve consumer engagement, the ACM announced its decision to abandon fan-voting for Entertainer of the Year and its three new-artist categories, thanks to the cost of participation and several rifts that had developed among artists. The program was controversial from the start and included the web ballot stuffing encouragement infamous among awards of the same type presented in other ceremonies. Kenny Chesney, after winning the first fan vote for entertainer in 2008, criticized the process backstage, complaining that instead of acknowledging artists' hard work, the vote had devolved into a marketing contest that rewarded people for "seeing how hard you can push people's buttons on the Internet." The winner, for example, of entertainer will now be voted on by the same people who select the male or female vocalist winner.[1]
Awards
The most prestigious awards are for "Artist of the Decade" and "Entertainer of the Year." There are a number of other awards to recognize male and female vocalists, albums, videos, songs, and musicians. The awards are typically presented in April or May and recognize achievement for the previous year.
Major awards
See main article: List of Academy of Country Music Awards ceremonies.
| Year | | | | | | | New Female Artist of the Year |
|---|
| 2024 | Lainey Wilson | Chris Stapleton | | Jordan Davis, Chase McGill, Greylan James, Josh Osborne – "Next Thing You Know" | Higher — Chris Stapleton | Nate Smith | Megan Moroney |
| 2023 | Chris Stapleton | Morgan Wallen | Cole Swindell, Ashley Gorley, Jesse Frasure, Thomas Rhett, Mark D. Sanders, Tim Nichols – "She Had Me at Heads Carolina" | Bell Bottom Country — Lainey Wilson | Zach Bryan | Hailey Whitters |
| 2022 | Miranda Lambert | Chris Stapleton | Carly Pearce | Jason Nix, Jonathan Singleton, Lainey Wilson – "Things a Man Oughta Know" | — Morgan Wallen | Parker McCollum | Lainey Wilson |
| | | | Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz – "The Bones" | | | Gabby Barrett |
| Thomas Rhett (tie)
Carrie Underwood (tie) | | | | | Tenille Townes |
| | | | Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers – "Tequila" | | | Ashley McBryde |
| | | | Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall – "Tin Man" | | | Lauren Alaina |
| | Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett, Joe Spargur – "Die a Happy Man" | | | Maren Morris |
| | Barry Bales, Ronnie Bowman, Chris Stapleton – "Nobody to Blame" | | | Kelsea Ballerini |
| 2015 | | | Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby, Nicolle Galyon – "Automatic" | | rowspan="7" | rowspan="7" |
| 2014 | | Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Jimmy Yeary – "I Drive Your Truck" | Same Trailer Different Park — Kacey Musgraves |
| 2013 | | Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton – "Over You" | Chief — Eric Church |
| 2012 | | | Lee Brice, Liz Rose – "Crazy Girl" | Four the Record — Miranda Lambert |
| 2011 | | Tom Douglas, Allen Shamblin – "The House That Built Me" | Need You Now — Lady Antebellum |
| 2010 | | Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott – "Need You Now" | Revolution — Miranda Lambert |
| 2009 | | Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller, James Otto – "In Color" | Fearless — Taylor Swift |
| 2008 | | Jennifer Nettles – "Stay" | | | Taylor Swift |
| 2007 | Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon, Jamey Johnson – "Give It Away" | | | Miranda Lambert |
| 2006 | | | Craig Wiseman, Ronnie Dunn – "Believe" | | | Carrie Underwood |
| 2005 | | Craig Wiseman, Tim Nichols – "Live Like You Were Dying" | | rowspan="2" | rowspan="2" |
| 2004 | | | | Doug Johnson, Kim Williams – "Three Wooden Crosses" | Shock'n Y'all — Toby Keith |
| 2003 | | Phillip Brian White, David Vincent Williams – "I'm Movin' On" | | | Kellie Coffey |
| 2002 | | | Alan Jackson – "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" | O Brother, Where Art Thou? — Various Artists | | Carolyn Dawn Johnson |
| 2001 | | | | Mark D. Sanders, Tia Sillers – "I Hope You Dance" | | | Jamie O'Neal |
| 2000 | | | Marv Green, Aimee Mayo – "Amazed" | | | Jessica Andrews |
| 1999 | | Steve Wariner, Billy Kirsch – "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" | | | Jo Dee Messina |
| 1998 | | | Stephony Smith – "It's Your Love" | | | Lee Ann Womack |
| 1997 | | | Bill Mack – "Blue" | | | LeAnn Rimes |
| 1996 | | Dickey Lee, Karen Staley, Danny Mayo – "The Keeper of the Stars" | | | Shania Twain |
| 1995 | | | Gary Baker, Frank J. Myers – "I Swear" | | | Chely Wright |
| 1994 | | | | Victoria Shaw, Chuck Cannon – "I Love the Way You Love Me" | | | Faith Hill |
| 1993 | | Vince Gill, John Barlow Jarvis – "I Still Believe in You" | | | Michelle Wright |
| 1992 | | | Billy Dean, Richard Leigh – "Somewhere in My Broken Heart" | | | Trisha Yearwood |
| 1991 | Tony Arata – "The Dance" | | | Shelby Lynne |
| 1990 | | | | Jon Vezner, Don Henry – "Where've You Been" | | | Mary Chapin Carpenter |
| 1989 | | | | Charles Gene Nelson, Paul Nelson – "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" | | | Suzy Bogguss |
| | | Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz – "Forever and Ever, Amen" | | | K.T. Oslin |
| 1987 | Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz – "On the Other Hand" | | | Holly Dunn |
| 1986 | | | Fred Parris, Mike Reid, Troy Seals – "Lost in the Fifties Tonight" | | | Judy Rodman |
| 1985 | Harlan Howard, Brent Maher, Sonny Throckmorton – "Why Not Me" | | | Nicolette Larson |
| 1984 | | | Larry Henley, Jeff Silbar – "Wind Beneath My Wings" | | | Gus Hardin |
| 1983 | | | Merle Haggard – "Are the Good Times Really Over (I Wish a Buck Was Still Silver)" | | | Karen Brooks |
| 1982 | | | Felice Bryant, Boudleaux Bryant, Larry Collins, Sandy Pinkard – "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" | | | Juice Newton |
| | | | Bobby Braddock, Curly Putman – "He Stopped Loving Her Today" | Urban Cowboy — Various Artists | | Terri Gibbs |
| | | | Sonny Throckmorton, Curly Putman – "It's a Cheating Situation" | | | Lacy J. Dalton |
| | | | Randy Goodrum – "You Needed Me" | | | Cristy Lane |
| | | Roger Bowling, Hal Bynum – "Lucille" | | | Debby Boone |
| 1977 | | | Baker Knight – "Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time" | | | Billie Jo Spears |
| | | | Larry Weiss – "Rhinestone Cowboy" | | | Crystal Gayle |
| | | Don Wayne – "Country Bumpkin" | | | Linda Ronstadt |
| | | Kenny O'Dell – "Behind Closed Doors" | | | Olivia Newton-John |
| | | Donna Fargo – "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA" | | | Tanya Tucker |
| | | | Freddie Hart – "Easy Loving" | | | Barbara Mandrell |
| | | | Kris Kristofferson – "For the Good Times" | | | Sammi Smith |
| 1970 | rowspan="5" | | Merle Haggard, Eddie Buriss – "Okie from Muskogee" | | | Donna Fargo |
| 1969 | | | Jimmy Webb – "Wichita Lineman" | | | Cheryl Poole |
| 1968 | | Dale Noe – "It's Such a Pretty World Today" | | Jerry Inman | Bobbie Gentry |
| | | Fern Foley, Charles "Fuzzy" Owen, Johnny Paycheck – "Apartment No. 9" | rowspan="2" | | Cathie Taylor |
| 1966 | | | | | Kay Adams | |
Special awards
Artist of the Decade
Triple-Crown Award
The Triple-Crown Award is an elite honor that has been presented to only seven country acts in the history of the Academy of Country Music Awards. The honor distinguishes the achievement of an artist, duo or group upon receiving the New Artist (or New Male Vocalist, New Female Vocalist, New Solo Vocalist, New Vocal Duo, New Vocal Group or New Vocal Duo or Group), and Male/Female Vocalist (or Vocal Duo, Vocal Group, Vocal Duo or Group) and Entertainer of the Year awards.[3] Among the later recipients, Carrie Underwood received it at the ACM Awards,[4] while Jason Aldean and Miranda Lambert received their awards at the Annual ACM Honors.[5] The following list shows the artists that have won the award and the first year winning each of the categories required. Two artists: The Chicks and Keith Urban have reached the milestones needed to receive the award, but they have not yet been awarded.
Top New Male Vocalist: 1998
Top Male Vocalist: 2003
Entertainer of the Year: 2005
Top New Male Vocalist: 1966
Top Male Vocalist: 1967
Entertainer of the Year: 1971
Top New Male Vocalist: 1975
Top Male Vocalist: 1977
Entertainer of the Year: 1977
Top New Female Vocalist: 1972
Top Female Vocalist: 1979
Entertainer of the Year: 1981
- Brooks & Dunn (presented 2005)
Top New Vocal Duet or Group: 1992
Top Vocal Duet: 1992
Entertainer of the Year: 1996
Top New Female Vocalist: 2006
Top Female Vocalist: 2007
Entertainer of the Year: 2009
Top New Male Vocalist: 2006
Top Male Vocalist: 2013
Entertainer of the Year: 2016
Top New Female Vocalist: 2007
Top Female Vocalist: 2010
Entertainer of the Year: 2022
Top New Male Vocalist: 2015
Top Male Vocalist: 2015
Entertainer of the Year: 2023
Top New Female Vocalist: 2022
Top Female Vocalist: 2023
Entertainer of the Year: 2024
Venues
The Academy of Country Music Awards were originally held at various locations in Greater Los Angeles through 2002. In 2003, the ceremony moved to Las Vegas, first at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay through 2005 and later at the MGM Grand Garden Arena at the MGM Grand from 2006 to 2014. In 2015, the ceremony was held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in 2015 to celebrate its 50th anniversary.[6] The ceremony broke the Guinness record that year for Most Attended Awards Show, with 70,252 attending.[7]
The ceremony returned to the MGM Grand Garden Arena for 2016, then moved to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for 2017.[8] In 2018 and 2019, the show was again broadcast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.[9] In 2020 and 2021, the in-person ceremony in Las Vegas was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the two ceremonies were held at various sites in Nashville, with the primary venues being the Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium, and the Bluebird Café.[10] [11] The ACM confirmed a return to Las Vegas for 2022, with the ceremony held at Allegiant Stadium.[12]
In 2023, the ceremony moved to Texas, having been hosted by the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.[13]
Broadcasting
The ACM Awards were previously broadcast by ABC from 1972 to 1978, NBC from 1979 to 1997, and CBS from 1998 to 2021. In June 2021, it was reported that CBS would not renew its contract to air the ceremony, citing declining viewership and demands from Dick Clark Productions for a higher rights fee. CBS' parent company ViacomCBS decided to prioritize its own CMT Music Awards (produced by its cable network CMT) as a competitor, announcing later that month that it would move to CBS and be held in April beginning 2022.[14]
After reports that the ACMs were being shopped to other networks such as NBC, it was announced on August 19, 2021, that the media rights to the ceremony had been acquired by Amazon Prime Video, making it one of the first major awards ceremonies on U.S. television to move exclusively to a streaming platform.[15] [16] The ceremony is streamed via Prime Video, and simulcast on Amazon Live, Amazon Music, and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.[17] In November 2023, Amazon renewed its rights through the 60th ceremony in 2025.
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Inside the ACM Awards' Decision to Abandon Fan Voting: Bickering Artists, Crafty Fans & 6-Figure Label Campaigns . Billboard . March 2, 2016 . March 2, 2016 . Roland, Tom.
- News: Winners database . ACM Country . March 2, 2018.
- News: Carrie Underwood Scheduled to Perform on the 48th Annual ACM Awards . CBS.
- News: ACM Winners' Circle . August 18, 2010 . CBS . March 2, 2018.
- News: Performers Announced for the 10th Annual ACM Honors, Jason Aldean To Accept Prestigious ACM Triple Crown Award . August 10, 2016 . ACM Country . March 2, 2018.
- News: AT&T Stadium Gets Dressed Up for Record-Breaking ACM Awards . Ciesco . Tim . April 9, 2015 . NBCDFW . March 2, 2018.
- Web site: Miranda Lambert and Brad Paisley honored as world records tumble at Academy of Country Music Awards. guinnessworldrecords.com. Lynch. Kevin. April 20, 2015. April 21, 2015.
- Web site: Academy of Country Music Reveals Plans for "The Week Vegas Goes Country" 2017 Including 5th Annual ACM Party For A Cause Festivities. acmcountry.com. January 27, 2017. February 17, 2017.
- Web site: See Reba's Reaction to the Absence of Female ACM Entertainer of the Year Nominees. soundslikenashville.com. February 21, 2019. March 12, 2019.
- Web site: ACM Awards Will Broadcast From Nashville For the First Time . 2020-04-27 . billboard.com . 2020-04-28.
- Web site: Willman. Chris. 2021-04-14. ACM Awards Chief Previews Show: More Locations, More Live Audiences, ‘More Fun,’ Same Strict COVID Protocols. live. 2021-05-21. Variety. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20210414170744/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/acm-awards-preview-nashville-country-music-1234951002/ . 2021-04-14 .
- Web site: Evans. Greg. 2021-11-18. Academy of Country Music Awards Sets Date, Venue For 2022. live. 2021-11-18. Deadline. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20211118170316/https://deadline.com/2021/11/academy-of-country-music-awards-2022-date-allegiant-stadium-amazon-prime-video-1234876783/ . 2021-11-18 .
- Web site: Nicholson . Jessica . 2024-07-16 . ACM Awards Returning to Texas in 2025 . 2024-08-21 . Billboard . en-US.
- Web site: June 16, 2021 . CBS Balks at Airing 2022 Academy of Country Music Awards Over $22 Million Asking Price, Declining Ratings . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210614235938/https://www.thewrap.com/cbs-acm-country-music-awards-22-million-price-declining-ratings/ . 2021-06-14 . 2021-08-19 . TheWrap.
- Web site: Andreeva. Nellie. 2021-08-19. Academy Of Country Music Awards To Stream On Amazon Prime Video In Milestone For Award Shows. 2021-08-19. Deadline. en-US.
- Web site: Willman. Chris. 2021-08-19. Academy of Country Music Awards Will Bypass Networks, Stream Exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in 2022. 2021-08-19. Variety.
- Web site: Nicholson . Jessica . 2023-11-02 . ACM Awards Re-Up With Prime Video in Multiyear Deal . 2024-08-21 . Billboard . en-US.
