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 and finally to CBS, where it remains today.
In 2003, the awards show left Los Angeles and moved to Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Events Center through 2005. The Academy also 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 show was moved to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas from 2006 through 2014 before relocating to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in 2015 to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The 2015 show broke the Guinness record for Most Attended Awards Show, with 70,252 The show returned to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2016 then moved to the new T-Mobile Arena in 2017. In 2018, the ACM Awards returned to the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It was announced on February 20, 2019, that the show would be held again at the MGM Grand Garden Area with the return of Reba McEntire as the hostess for her 16th time.
Country music icon Reba McEntire has returned to hosting the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards for the 16th time Sunday night. Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban lead in the top categories with nominations for both male artist of the year and entertainer of the year.
McEntire also shared some details about her hosting gig, which she promised would be politics-free.
“We’ve got to keep it light. We’ve got to keep it fun. No politics. This is fun. This is entertainment. We are in the entertainment business, and that’s what we’re going to be doing,” she said.
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Dierks Bentley
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett — WINNER
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
DUO OF THE YEAR
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay — WINNER
Florida Georgia Line
LoCash
Maddie & Tae
GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady Antebellum
Lanco
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion — WINNER
SONG OF THE YEAR
“Break Up In The End,” Cole Swindell
Songwriters: Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill and Jon Nite
“Broken Halos,” Chris Stapleton
Songwriters: Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton
“Meant To Be,” Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
Songwriters: David Garcia, Tyler Hubbard, Joshua Miller, Bebe Rexha
“Space Cowboy,” Kacey Musgraves
Songwriters: Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves
“Tequila,” Dan + Shay
Songwriters: Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers — WINNER
“Yours,” Russell Dickerson
Songwriters: Casey Brown / Russell Dickerson / Parker Welling
NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Danielle Bradbery
Lindsay Ell
Ashley McBryde — WINNER
Carly Pearce
NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jimmie Allen
Luke Combs — WINNER
Jordan Davis
Michael Ray
Mitchell Tenpenny
NEW VOCAL DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
High Valley
LANCO — WINNER
Runaway June
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
“Dan + Shay,” Dan + Shay
“Desperate Man,” Eric Church
“From A Room Vol. 2,” Chris Stapleton
“Golden Hour,” Kacey Musgraves — WINNER
“The Mountain,” Dierks Bentley
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
“Down to the Honky Tonk,” Jake Owen
“Heaven,” Kane Brown
“Meant To Be,” Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
“Most People Are Good,” Luke Bryan
“Tequila,” Dan + Shay — WINNER
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
“Babe,” Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift
“Burn Out,” Midland
“Burning Man,” Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
“Drunk Girl,” Chris Janson — WINNER
“Shoot Me Straight,” Brothers Osborne
“Tequila,” Dan + Shay
MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR
“Burning Man,” Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
“Drowns the Whiskey,” Jason Aldean featuring Miranda Lambert
“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” David Lee Murphy featuring Kenny Chesney
“Keeping Score,” Dan + Shay featuring Kelly Clarkson
“Meant To Be,” Bebe Rexha Featuring Florida Georgia Line
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Ross Copperman
Ashley Gorley
Shane McAnally — WINNER
Chase McGill
Josh Osborne
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
Artists of the decade
- 2010s: Jason Aldean (presented 2019)
- 2000s: George Strait (presented 2009)
- 1990s: Garth Brooks (presented 1999)
- 1980s: Alabama (presented 1989)
- 1970s: Loretta Lynn (presented 1979)
- 1960s: Marty Robbins (presented 1969)
Triple-Crown Award
The Triple-Crown Award is an elite honor that has been presented to only eight country artists 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.[8] Among the later recipients, Carrie Underwood received it at the ACM Awards,[9] while Jason Aldean at the Annual ACM Honors.[10] The following list shows the seven artists that have won the award and the first year winning each of the categories required.
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