Since the inaugural Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony was held in 1966, featured a slate of awe-inspiring performances and pivotal artist career moments. This year, Reba McEntire will host the awards for a 17th time, when it streams live on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday night (May 16).
Each year, artists vie for the recognition of their creative peers in this industry-voted awards show, hoping they are called to the winners circle — a moment that acknowledges and honors their creativity and years of hard work put in on the road, in the studio and often in the writing room. Of course, as much as the awards themselves commemorate the artists’ best songs and albums over the past year, the awards show stage itself is also a prime opportunity to look toward the future, as many artists use their performance time in front of the viewing audience to debut new music. Other times, they are paying homage to those who have come before them, as the ACMs have often been a moment to honor legendary country performers.
The Academy of Country Music was founded in Southern California in 1964 as a regional trade organization. Since then, the organization has heralded and advocated for the growth of country music, both domestically and abroad. The ACM is now headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee and has a membership of over 5,000 globally. The organization also has the philanthropic arm ACM Lifting Lives, which aids those in need, and focuses on health initiatives. Additionally, the ACM advocates for underrepresented groups in country music, with programs including ACM LEVel Up, a professional development and enrichment curriculum for rising leaders, and OnRamp, a guaranteed income program for Black members of the Nashville music community, in partnership with the Black Music Action Coalition.
Here, we look back at a few of the top moments from the Academy of Country Music Awards over the years.
In 1976, Lynn made history as the first woman to win the ACM’s entertainer of the year. She also won three additional ACM trophies that year: top female vocalist of the year, as well as top vocal group (for her work with Conway Twitty) and album of the year (with Twitty, for their album Feelins‘.)
In 2023, the ACMs were spearheaded by two iconic country artists, as Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton joined forces to co-host the ceremony. The ceremony marked Brooks’ first time ever hosting any awards show, while Parton had previously hosted the ACM Awards on several occasions, including in 2022, when she co-hosted with Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett, and a solo ACM hosting role in 2000.
At the 2013 ACM Awards, Tim McGraw joined forces with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban for a performance of “Highway Don’t Care,” with Swift joining McGraw on vocals and Urban performing on guitar.
In 1974, multi-talented artist-writer Roy Clark made history by becoming the first artist to win the ACM’s entertainer of the year trophy a second time (following his first win in 1973). The respected guitarist, fiddler and banjo player — who died in 2018 — was also known for his work on the television series Hee Haw. Clark was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009.
During the 2021 ACM Awards, Carrie Underwood stunned the audience with a medley of classic hymns, which she had included on her album My Savior, released earlier that year. The medley included “Amazing Grace” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” when she was joined by gospel music great CeCe Winans to finish the song and then perform “The Old Rugged Cross,” with both lifting their powerful voices heavenward. Underwood finished with a rafters-ringing rendition of “How Great Thou Art.”
At the 2017 ACM Awards, Florida Georgia Line was riding high on their recent hits “H.O.L.Y.” and “May We All” (the latter a collab with Tim McGraw). They followed by releasing the ballad “God, Your Mama and Me,” a collaboration with pop supergroup Backstreet Boys. For their ACM Awards performance, FGL welcomed Backstreet Boys to join them for the romantic ballad, before getting the audience into a frenzy with their performance of BSB’s ’90s classic “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”
During the 2010 ACM Awards, John Fogerty was joined by a slew of country artists — Carrie Underwood, Charlie Daniels, Miranda Lambert and Brad Paisley — to perform the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic “Travelin’ Band.”
The War and Treaty made ACM Awards history in 2023, when they earned their first-ever ACM Awards nomination in the duo of the year category. The ACM noted in its announcement of the nominees that the duo’s nomination made them “the first Black duo to receive a nomination in the category.”
Reba McEntire has had numerous incredible ACM Awards moments from witty hosting moments to illustrious awards wins over the years. During the 1995 ceremony, McEntire was named entertainer of the year, besting fellow country powerhouses Garth Brooks, Alabama, Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn.
In 2018, McEntire’s boldness was again on display when she took to the ACM Awards stage. For her performance with Kelly Clarkson of McEntire’s ’90s hit Linda Davis duet “Does He Love You,” McEntire re-wore her famous revealing “red dress” with the flared sleeves, which she originally wore during the 1993 CMA Awards.
In 2007, a talented teenager named Taylor Swift captured viewers of the ACM Awards ceremony with her talent and confidence during a performance of her debut single, “Tim McGraw.” The timing of the ACM performance was opportune, with McGraw seated in the audience. During the song, Swift walked from the stage and right up to McGraw, reached out her hand and said, “Hi, I’m Taylor” — and in the process, also introduced herself to the wider music audience watching at home, marking one of her earliest steps towards becoming one of the biggest names in music worldwide.