State Champ Radio ACM Awards
Post Malone will perform on the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards on May 16, along with several other pop artists: Noah Kahan (who will perform with Kelsea Ballerini, an album of the year and female artist of the year nominee), Avril Lavigne (who will perform with Nate Smith, a new male artist of the year nominee) and Gwen Stefani (who will perform with her husband and frequent collaborator Blake Shelton, a six-time ACM Award winner). The latter couple are expected to perform their current single, “Purple Irises.”
Ed Sheeran teamed with Luke Combs to perform “Life Goes On” on last year’s ACM Awards, but this year’s lineup will be studded with more pop names than usual.
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Parker McCollum, the 2022 new male artist of the year winner, has also been added to the bill for this year’s show, which will be held at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on May 16.
Previously announced performers are Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson, as well as Reba McEntire, who is hosting the show. McEntire will perform new music.
More performers are expected to be announced. The top nominees who have not yet been announced as performers are Luke Combs, Megan Moroney, Morgan Wallen, Jordan Davis and Zach Bryan. Many fans no doubt hope that Wallen joins Post Malone to perform their upcoming collab “I Had Some Help.”
ACM
Courtesy Photo
Bobby Bones will be featured throughout the show with the artist interview segment “Backstage With Bobby Bones,” which was introduced on last year’s show. Bones is a five-time ACM Awards winner for national on-air personality of the year.
The show will stream live globally on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The ACM stresses that a Prime membership will not be required to watch live. They note: “Everyone is invited to the Party of the Year.”
This is McEntire’s 17th time hosting or co-hosting the ACMs. She first co-hosted the show in 1986. McEntire is closing in on the all-time record for most times hosting or co-hosting a major awards show. That record has long been held by Bob Hope, who hosted or co-hosted the Academy Awards 19 times between 1940-78. (Both hosting stints span 38 years, so if McEntire hosts the ACM Awards again, she’ll surpass Hope’s span of years as host or co-host.)
The 2023 ACM Awards, hosted by Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, garnered more than 7.7 million viewers on Prime Video plus additional viewership across Amazon Music, the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, and Amazon Live, making it one of the year’s most-watched awards shows.
This marks the ACM Awards’ third year streaming on Prime Video; its second in a row coming from Ford Center at The Star. The venue opened in 2016 and serves as the practice facility for the Dallas Cowboys. Last year’s ACM Awards were the first awards show to take place there.
The 59th ACM Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the ACM, and Barry Adelman serves as executive producer for DCP. John Saade serves as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
Kapoor was one of three executive producers of the Grammy Awards on Feb. 4, along with Ben Winston and Jesse Collins. He also served as executive producer and showrunner of the Oscars on March 10. Menton was a co-executive producer of the Grammys.
Kapoor won a Primetime Emmy in 2022 as an executive producer of Adele: One Night Only, which was voted outstanding variety special (pre-recorded). Menton has received two Primetime Emmy nods for work alongside Kapoor on a pair of Grammy telecasts in 2021 and 2022. Adelman has received 18 Primetime Emmy nods for his work on the Golden Globe Awards and So You Think You Can Dance, though he has yet to win.
A limited number of tickets to the 59th ACM Awards are available for purchase on SeatGeek.
Fans can also tune into the official ACM Red Carpet on Prime Video, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, and Amazon Live, starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. The full rebroadcast will be available directly following the stream on Prime Video and available the next day for free on Amazon Freevee and the Amazon Music app.
Fans can also enjoy a week of pre-ACM livestream shows hosted by Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson of the Country Heat Weekly podcast and courtesy of Amazon Music. Broadcasting live on the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, the festivities will kick off on Tuesday, May 14 at 9 p.m. ET with “Live from the ACM Awards: ACM New Artist Winners Celebration from Tostitos Championship Plaza at The Star,” which will include the presentation of the awards for ACM new male artist, new female artist, and new duo or group of the year.
On Wednesday, May 15 at 9 p.m. ET, fans will be able to stream “Live from the ACM Awards: Backstage with Kelly & Amber.” On Thursday, May 16, fans can tune into the official ACM Red Carpet on Prime Video and the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch starting at 7 p.m. ET. Amber and Kelly will also release three ACM-themed Country Heat Weekly podcasts on Thursdays, starting on May 9 with the duo’s interview with McEntire.
Fans can also stream the Official ACM Awards playlist available now on Amazon Music.
DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldridge. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.
Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll and Chris Stapleton are among the first performers announced for the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be held at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on May 16.
The show will also feature performances by Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert and Thomas Rhett, as well as Reba McEntire, who was announced as host last week. McEntire will perform new music. Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.
The show will stream live globally on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. The ACM stresses that a Prime membership will not be required to watch live. They note: “Everyone is invited to the Party of the Year.”
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Stapleton and Wilson both received five ACM nominations this year. Jelly Roll is a beat behind with four.
This is McEntire’s 17th time hosting or co-hosting the ACMs. She first co-hosted the show in 1986 with actor/singer John Schneider and the late Mac Davis. McEntire is closing in on the all-time record for most times hosting or co-hosting a major awards show. That record has long been held by Bob Hope, who hosted or co-hosted the Academy Awards 19 times between 1940-78.
The 2023 ACM Awards, hosted by Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, garnered more than 7.7 million viewers on Prime Video plus additional viewership across Amazon Music, the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, and Amazon Live, making it one of the year’s most-watched awards shows.
This marks the ACM Awards’ third year streaming on Prime Video; its second in a row coming from Ford Center at The Star. The venue opened in 2016 and serves as the practice facility for the Dallas Cowboys, as well as the home for many major sporting events throughout the year. Last year’s ACM Awards were the first awards show to take place there.
The 59th ACM Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the ACM , and Barry Adelman serves as executive producer for DCP. John Saade serves as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
Kapoor was one of three executive producers of the Grammy Awards on Feb. 4, along with Ben Winston and Jesse Collins. He also served as executive producer and showrunner of the Oscars on March 10. Menton was a co-executive producer of the Grammys.
A limited number of tickets to the 59th ACM Awards are available for purchase on SeatGeek.
Fans can also tune into the official ACM Red Carpet on Prime Video, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, and Amazon Live, starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. The full rebroadcast will be available directly following the stream on Prime Video and available the next day for free on Amazon Freevee and the Amazon Music app.
Fans can also stream the Official ACM Awards playlist available now on Amazon Music.
DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldridge. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.
The Academy of Country Music revealed the winners of the 2024 ACM Radio Awards on Monday (April 22). There are ties in two categories (major market on-air personality of the year and medium market radio station of the year) and multiple first-time honorees.
B-Dub of B-Dub Radio Saturday Night receives his second ACM Award for national weekly on-air personality of the year, while Steve, Ben and Nikki of Steve, Ben and Nikki took home their second award for small market on-air personality of the year.
In the radio station categories, WXTU in Philadelphia took home its second win for major market radio station of the year, and WUBE in Cincinnati, Ohio took home its fourth win for large market radio station of the year.
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The announcement was made with the help of numerous artists, including Danielle Bradbery, BRELAND, Ashley Cooke, Russell Dickerson, Lady A, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Conner Smith, and Tigirlily Gold.
The announcements were made ahead of the 59th ACM Awards, which are set for Thursday, May 16 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Tex. streaming exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Video.
The show is produced by Dick Clark Productions. Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the ACM, and Barry Adelman serves as executive producer for DCP. John Saade serves as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
Below is a complete list of the radio award winners for the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards:
On-Air Personality of the Year Winners
National Daily: Katie Neal | Katie & Company
National Weekly: B-Dub | B-Dub Radio Saturday Night
Major Market (Tie): Angie Ward | Angie Ward – WUBL – Atlanta, Ga. and Jason Pullman | The Jason Pullman Show – KPLX – Dallas, Tex.
Large Market: Annie Fox and Cole Dunbar | Annie & Cole – WLHK – Indianapolis, Indiana
Medium Market: Doc Medek and Chewy Medek | The Doc Show – WGGY – Scranton, Pa.
Small Market: Steve, Ben, and Nikki | Steve, Ben and Nikki – WXBQ – Bristol, Va.
Radio Station of the Year Winners
Major Market: WXTU – Philadelphia
Large Market: WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio
Medium Market (Tie): WBEE – Rochester, New York AND WGGY – Scranton, Pa.
Small Market: WFLS – Fredericksburg, Va.
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As the final nominations for the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards were announced Tuesday morning (April 9), there were the usual number of expected names, as well as a handful of surprises and snubs.
Luke Combs leads all nominees with eight nods, and should he win entertainer of the year, he will clinch the Triple Crown Award — bestowed upon acts who, in addition to having won entertainer, have also taken home the trophy for new artist and artist in their eligible categories. Only a handful of artists have snagged the Triple Crown, including Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney.
Both Megan Moroney and Morgan Wallen received six nominations, with Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson garnering five nods each.
Tracy Chapman joins the first-timers’ club, scoring her first nod for writing song of the year nominee “Fast Car,” performed by Combs. Another first time nominee is Morgane Stapleton, who is nominated as a producer on her husband Chris Stapleton’s album, Higher, which received an album of the year nod.
The eligibility period for nominations runs Jan. 1, 2023-December 31, 2023, which means fans will have to wait another year to see if current Country Albums chart topper Cowboy Carter from Beyoncé is nominated, since the crossover set was released in March.
The ACM Awards will stream live across 240+ countries and territories on Prime Video on May 16 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT/5 p.m. PT from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Here is a look at some of the year’s notable surprises and snubs.
DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.
Snub: Zach Bryan
Luke Combs leads the nominations for the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards with eight nods, including entertainer of the year, male artist of the year, album of the year, song of the year, and single of the year.
Megan Moroney and Morgan Wallen are next in line with six nods each. That makes Moroney the year’s most-nominated woman. She is vying for both female artist of the year and new female artist of the year.
Wallen ties Combs for receiving nods in the most categories, including album of the year for One Thing at a Time, which spent 19 weeks at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, setting a new record for a country album. Wallen is also nominated for single of the year for “Last Night,” which is the longest-running No. 1 solo song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 with 16 weeks on top. Wallen is also nominated for male artist of the year, which he won last year for the first time.
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Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson received five nominations each, followed by Jelly Roll and Jordan Davis with four nods each and Kelsea Ballerini and Zach Bryan with three nods each.
The Academy of Country Music (ACM) and Dick Clark Productions (DCP) announced nominations for the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards on The Bobby Bones Show on Tuesday (April 9).
First-time nominee Jelly Roll’s four nods include entertainer of the year. The last artist to be nominated for entertainer of the year as part of his first set of nominations was Billy Ray Cyrus in 1992, the same year he gained fame for his smash hit “Achy Breaky Heart.”
Combs and Wilson are nominees for entertainer of the year. A win by either artist will clinch the ACM’s Triple Crown Award, which consists of an entertainer of the year win, plus wins in an act’s respective new artist and artist categories. Past ACM Triple Crown Award recipients include Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney.
Several acts extended long streaks of nominations in their categories.
Little Big Town receives its 18th nomination for group of the year, which ties Alabama for the most nods in the category. Little Big Town has been nominated in the category every year since 2005, with the exception of 2011.
Brothers Osborne is nominated for duo of the year for the 10th year in a row. The pair has won the award four times, including last year.
Stapleton received his ninth consecutive nomination for male artist of the year, an award he has won three times in the past. Stapleton is also nominated for entertainer of the year, which he won for the first time last year.
Old Dominion is nominated for group of the year for the ninth consecutive year. The group has taken home the award every year for the last six years. Old Dominion is also the year’s only group or duo to receive multiple nominations. They are also nominated for music event of the year.
Kacey Musgraves receives her eighth nomination for female artist of the year. She won the award in 2018, the same year she won album of the year for Golden Hour.
Ballerini is nominated for female artist of the year for the seventh time. She’s also nominated for album of the year for the first time for Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good).
This is the fifth year in a row that Combs has been nominated for both male artist of the year and entertainer of the year.
This is the first time since 2018 that the new duo/group category will be presented at the ACM Awards. The nominees are Neon Union, Restless Road and Tigirlily Gold.
Other first-time artist nominees include Kassi Ashton, Tyler Childers, Ashley Cooke, Hannah Ellis, Flatland Cavalry, Jelly Roll, Kameron Marlowe, Kylie Morgan and Conner Smith.
The single of the year and visual media of the year categories will both have first-time winners in those categories this year, as there are no previous winners nominated in either category.
The eligibility period for the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards was Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2023, which explains the absence of such albums as Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and Musgraves’ Deeper Well. They will be eligible next year.
In some cases, an artist may receive more than one nomination per category, if they are also credited as a producer, director or songwriter.
Awards are voted on by members of the Academy of Country Music, which boasts a record-high membership this year of more than 5,000 members.
The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions. Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music, and Barry Adelman serves as executive producer for DCP. John Saade serves as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
The ACM Awards, which bills itself as “Country Music’s Party of the Year,” will stream live exclusively for a global audience on Prime Video on Thursday, May 16, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT/5 p.m. PT from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The full rebroadcast will be available directly following the stream on Prime Video and also the next day for free on Amazon Freevee and the Amazon Music app.
A limited number of tickets to the 59th ACM Awards are available for purchase on SeatGeek.
The following is the full list of nominees for the Main Awards, Studio Recording Awards, and Industry Awards categories:
Entertainer of the year
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Female artist of the year
Kelsea Ballerini
Ashley McBryde
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson
Male artist of the year
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Duo of the year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Maddie & Tae
The War And Treaty
Group of the year
Flatland Cavalry
Lady A
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
New female artist of the year
Kassi Ashton
Ashley Cooke
Hannah Ellis
Kylie Morgan
Megan Moroney
New male artist of the year
ERNEST
Kameron Marlowe
Dylan Scott
Conner Smith
Nate Smith
New duo or group of the year
Neon Union
Restless Road
Tigirlily Gold
Album of the year
[Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
Gettin’ Old – Luke Combs; Producer: Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton, Luke Combs; Record Company-Label: River House Artists / Columbia Nashville
Higher – Chris Stapleton; Producer: Chris Stapleton, Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton; Record Company-Label: Mercury Nashville
Leather – Cody Johnson; Producers: Trent Willmon; Record Company-Label: CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville LLC
One Thing at a Time – Morgan Wallen; Producers: Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Durrett; Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records / Republic Records / Mercury Records
Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good) – Kelsea Ballerini; Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym; Record Company-Label: Black River Entertainment
Single of the year
[Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
“Burn It Down” – Parker McCollum; Producer: Jon Randall; Record Company-Label: MCA Nashville
“Fast Car” – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Record Company-Label: River House Artists / Columbia Nashville
“Last Night” – Morgan Wallen; Producer: Joey Moi, Charlie Handsome; Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records / Republic Records / Mercury Records
“Need a Favor” – Jelly Roll; Producer: Austin Nivarel; Record Company-Label: Stoney Creek Records / BMG Nashville
“Next Thing You Know” – Jordan Davis; Producer: Paul DiGiovanni; Record Company-Label: MCA Nashville
Song of the year
[Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
“Fast Car” – Luke Combs; Songwriters: Tracy Chapman; Publishers: Purple Rabbit
“Heart Like a Truck” – Lainey Wilson; Songwriters: Dallas Wilson, Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson; Publishers: Sony / ATV Countryside; Songs of Riser House; Songs of Wild Cat Well Music
“Next Thing You Know” – Jordan Davis; Songwriters: Chase McGill, Greylan James, Jordan Davis, Josh Osborne; Publishers: Family Farm Songs; Hold On Can I Get A Number 1 Music; Songs of Universal Inc.
“The Painter” – Cody Johnson; Songwriters: Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins, Ryan Larkins; Publishers: Big Music Machine; BMG Platinum Songs US; Nashblonde Music; Pompano Run Music; Songs for Ellie May; Sony / ATV Tree Publishing; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Group; Well That Was Awkward Music
“Tennessee Orange” – Megan Moroney; Songwriters: Ben Williams, David Fanning, Megan Moroney, Paul Jenkins; Publishers: 33 Creative; Bone Bone Creative; Sony / ATV Tree Publishing
Music event of the year
[Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
“Can’t Break Up Now” – Old Dominion, Megan Moroney; Producers: Brad Tursi, Geoff Sprung, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Whit Sellers, Ross Copperman, Kristian Bush; Record Company-Label: Three Up Three Down, LLC / Columbia Nashville
“Different ‘Round Here” – Riley Green (Ft. Luke Combs); Producer: Dann Huff; Record Company-Label: BMLG Records
“I Remember Everything” – Zach Bryan (feat. Kacey Musgraves); Producer: Zach Bryan; Record Company-Label: Belting Bronco Records / Warner Records, Inc
“Man Made a Bar” – Morgan Wallen (feat. Eric Church); Producer: Joey Moi; Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records / Mercury Records / Republic Records
“Save Me” – Jelly Roll (with Lainey Wilson); Producers: Zach Crowell, David Ray Stevens; Record Company-Label: Stoney Creek Records / BMG Nashville
Visual media of the year
[Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
“Burn It Down” – Parker McCollum; Producers: Christen Pinkston &Wesley Stebbins-Perry; Director: Dustin Haney
“Human” – Cody Johnson; Producer: Christen Pinkston &Wesley Stebbins-Perry; Director: Dustin Haney
“In Your Love” – Tyler Childers; Producer: Kacie Barton, Whitney Wolanin, Nicholas Robespierre, Ian Thorton, Silas House; Director: Bryan Schlam
“Next Thing You Know” – Jordan Davis; Producer: Jamie Stratakis; Director: Running Bear (Stephen Kinigopoulos, Alexa Stone)
“Tennessee Orange – Megan Moroney; Producer: Lauren Starr, Saul Levitz, Laura Burhenn; Director: Jason Lester
Songwriter of the year
Jessie Jo Dillon
Ashley Gorley
Hillary Lindsey
Chase McGill
Josh Thompson
Artist-songwriter of the year
Zach Bryan
ERNEST
HARDY
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
The 2024 ACM Studio Recording Awards and Industry Awards will be presented to recipients at the 17th Academy of Country Music Honors, a special event held annually in August in Nashville.
Bass player of the year
Tony Lucido
Steve Mackey
Lex Price
Jimmie Lee Sloas
Craig Young
Drummer of the year
Fred Eltringham
Evan Hutchings
Greg Morrow
Jerry Roe
Nir Z
Acoustic guitar player of the year
Todd Lombardo
Danny Rader
Bryan Sutton
Ilya Toshinskiy
Charlie Worsham
Piano/keyboards player of the year
Jim “Moose” Brown
David Dorn
Charlie Judge
Billy Justineau
Alex Wright
Specialty instrument player of the year
Dan Dugmore
Paul Franklin
Josh Matheny
Justin Schipper
Bryan Sutton
Electric guitar player of the year
Tom Bukovac
Kris Donegan
Jedd Hughes
Rob McNelley
Sol Philcox-Littlefield
Audio engineer of the year
Drew Bollman
Jeff Braun
Jim Cooley
Jason Hall
Buckley Miller
F. Reid Shippen
Producer of the year
Charlie Handsome
Dann Huff
Joey Moi
Jon Randall
Derek Wells
Casino of the year – theater
Choctaw Grand Theater – Durant, OK
Deadwood Mountain Grand – Deadwood, SD
Foxwoods Resort Casino – Mashantucket, CT
Lucas Oil Live at WinStar World Casino and Resort – Thackerville, OK
Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV
Casino of the year – arena
Golden Nugget Lake Charles – Lake Charles, LA
Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena – Atlantic City, NJ
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis, MO
Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, CT
Mystic Lake Casino Showroom – Prior Lake, MN
Festival of the year
Carolina Country Music Fest – Myrtle Beach, SC
CMC Rocks – Ipswich, Queensland
Crash My Playa – Riviera Cancun, Mexico
Tortuga Music Festival – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Windy City Smokeout – Chicago, IL
Fair/rodeo of the year
Auburn Rodeo – Opelika, AL
Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, WY
Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, IA
Minnesota State Fair – Falcon Heights, MN
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo – San Antonio, TX
Club of the year
8 Seconds Saloon – Indianapolis, IN
Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, TX
Georgia Theatre – Athens, GA
Joe’s Live – Rosemont, IL
Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO
Theater of the year
Beacon Theatre – New York, NY
The Franklin Theatre – Franklin, TN
Moody Theater – Austin, TX
Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
Outdoor venue of the year
Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TN
Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
Saint Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, FL
Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA
The Wharf Amphitheater – Orange Beach, AL
Arena of the year
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, TX
Hertz Arena – Estero, FL
KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, KY
T-Mobile Center – Kansas City, MO
Don Romeo talent buyer of the year
Gil Cunningham
Andrew Fortin
Nicole More
Stacy Vee
Ed Warm
Promoter of the year
Jered Johnson
Patrick McDill
Brian O’Connell
Aaron Spalding
Adam Weiser
DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.
The Lone Stars are aligned for two Nashville-based country awards shows.
After testing the Brazos waters in 2023, both CMT and the Academy of Country Music are bringing their annual awards shows back to Texas this year. The CMT Music Awards air April 7 on CBS from the Moody Center in Austin. The ACM, meanwhile, announces finalists for its awards on April 9, with the trophy ceremony streaming May 16 on Amazon Prime from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco.
Texas has not traditionally been a big awards market, and for the country industry — centered primarily in Nashville — it means a few extra nights away from home for the show and lead-in activities. In exchange, awards producers showcase the genre’s talent in one of country’s primary markets, where the fan base hasn’t gotten jaded — as it might in Nashville or Los Angeles — from regular proximity to multi-artist events.
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“It’s packed to the ceiling, and the fans were wild and crazy and danced the whole time,” ACM CEO Damon Whiteside recalls of last year’s show, which featured co-hosts Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton. “It was probably more cowboy boots and cowboy hats than we’d ever seen in our venues before, which was fun, too. All I can say is the energy and the passion in the room was kind of off the charts.”
The ACM and CMT arrived in Texas via different roads. The ACM took a risk in 2015 by presenting its awards at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, marking the first time that a major awards show had aired from a stadium. From the moment Whiteside arrived at the ACM in 2020, following a stint with the Country Music Association, Texas talk was on the table.
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The Dallas Cowboys, he says, “were very excited at the thought of having our show come back.”
CMT, however, transferred to Texas somewhat unexpectedly. The awards had been held on the eve of Nashville’s CMA Fest in June since 2002, but when CBS’ contract with the ACM Awards expired, the network rescheduled subsidiary CMT’s ceremony as a spring event. That created conflicts with the host venue — producers needed access to Bridgestone Arena for at least 10 days, but the NHL’s Nashville Predators had priority. Austin had courted CMT for years, and that groundwork paid off.
“Austin is the live-music capital of the world — that definitely played into it,” CMT executive producer Margaret Comeaux says. “If we were going to go anywhere outside of Music City, we wanted to make sure that we were going to a place that appreciated music as much as Nashville and CMT.”
Texas is fertile ground for country music. Both shows indicate that current Texas-bred hit-makers Cody Johnson and Parker McCollum will likely have a role in their shows. The two artists will perform at the CMT Awards, which also has appearances by native son Lukas Nelson and former Houston Astros pitcher Roger Clemens. McCollum will also host a golf tournament for the ACMs, which will make performance decisions after nominees are announced. Last year, the ACMs employed Frisco-based Corey Kent for the week’s ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
Johnson and McCollum are graduates of Texas’ red-dirt music scene, which has its own thriving concert scene, providing careers for such acts as Aaron Watson, Casey Donahew, Wade Bowen, The Randy Rogers Band and Bri Bagwell. The subgenre likewise has its own awards show: the Texas Regional Radio Report (T3R) Awards, named after the publication that produces them. Its charts appear weekly in the Billboard Country Update (see page 4).
The mainstream country community “still [doesn’t] recognize this fully,” says T3R event coordinator Tami Millspaugh, who also markets to red-dirt programmers through her Fort Worth-based company, Texas Record Chick Promotions. “They are starting to, in Nashville, more and more, because they are obviously cherry-picking some of the talent from here.”
The T3R Awards, presented for the 14th time on March 25, have been held in smaller venues — the 700-seat Arlington Music Hall and the event multiplex Texas Live! — but the show, much like Texas music, is in expansion mode. The most recent ceremony was filmed for the first time and could end up on a cable station or a streaming platform such as Netflix.
“We will have a show here within the next few weeks that we are going to be pitching to various networks,” Millspaugh says, “and just show off what we’ve done.”
The Texas Music Office is apparently keen to pull in more trophy presentations. Both the ACM and CMT received incentives from the state for bringing their events to town.
Austin has another event heading its way, too. The city is in the path of totality for the solar eclipse on April 8. More than 1 million tourists are expected to descend on the Texas capital to watch, according to KVUE-TV Austin.
“Lots of people are worried that their flights are going to get canceled, so they’re trying to get out early,” Comeaux says. “I am not one of those. There’s a few of us that might be standing out at the arrivals gate at the airport, watching it and then going inside to get on my flight.”
The ACMs, meanwhile, are connected to an ongoing Texas attraction. The Star is a 91-acre campus that houses the business center for the Cowboys’ NFL team. The built-in amenities — shops, restaurants, hotels, a golf course — make for a comfortable getaway for industry attendees, many of whom go home after a Nashville awards show.
“You’ve got industry everywhere you go and you’re bumping into people,” Whiteside says of the Frisco layout. “There’s a lot of meeting up for drinks at the Omni Hotel bar, which is where our board stays and it’s attached to the venue.”
The ACMs, which were originally centered in Los Angeles, spent roughly 20 years in Las Vegas, creating a similar temporary community on the Strip. It’s possible that CMT and/or the ACM are at the start of another 20-year out-of-town run in the Lone Star State. But no one knows yet if these moves are permanent.
“There’s a lot of excitement about the Texas market for the future,” Whiteside says, “but we haven’t made a final decision yet.”
This year’s Academy of Country Music (ACM) Radio Awards nominees have been revealed, and includes double nominations for KATI-FM (Jefferson City, Missouri), KCLR-FM (Columbia, Missouri), KFRG-FM (Riverside, California), KKWF-FM (Seattle, Washington), KXKT-FM (Omaha, Nebraska), WGGY-FM (Scranton, Pennsylvania), WLHK-FM (Indianapolis, Indiana), and WUBE-FM (Cincinnati, Ohio).
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The winners of the ACM Radio Awards will be revealed prior to the 59th annual ACM Awards, which are slated for Thursday, May 16, at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, streaming exclusively on Prime Video.
The 59th ACM Radio Awards nominees are:
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National daily on-air personality of the year:
Bobby Bones, Amy, Lunchbox, Producer Eddie, Morgan, SZN, Mike D, Abby, Pitts, Kevin, Lauren and Scuba Steve (The Bobby Bones Show)
Ania Hammar (The Highway/Nights with Ania)
Katie Neal (Katie & Company)
Elaina Smith (Nights With Elaina)
Rob Stone and Holly Hutton (The Rob + Holly Show)
National weekly on-air personality of the year
Kix Brooks (American Country Countdown)
B-Dub (B-Dub Radio Saturday Night)
Lon Helton (Country Countdown USA with Lon Helton)
Buzz Brainard (Hot 30 Countdown with Buzz Brainard)
Wayne D and Tay (iHeartCountry House Party)
Kelly Sutton (Y’all Access with Kelly Sutton)
On-air personality of the year – major market:
The Morning Wolfpack with Matt McAllister –Matt McAllister, Gabe Mercer, and “Captain Ron” Koons/KKWF-FM, Seattle, WA
The Jason Pullman Show – Jason Pullman/ KPLX-FM, Dallas, TX
Paul Schadt and Sarah Lee in the Morning – Paul Schadt, Sarah Lee, and Producer Geoff/WKKT-FM, Charlotte, NC
Angie Ward – Angie Ward/WUBL-FM, Atlanta, GA
The Most Fun Afternoons with Scotty Kay – Scotty Kay/WUSN-FM, Chicago, IL
On-air personality of the year – large market:
Dale Carter Morning Show – Dale Carter/ KFKF-FM, Kansas City, MO
Anthony – Anthony/ KFRG-FM, Riverside, CA
Annie & Cole – Annie Fox and Cole Dunbar/ WLHK-FM, Indianapolis, IN
The Wayne D Show – Wayne D and Tay Hamilton/ WSIX-FM, Nashville, TN
Jesse & Anna – Jesse Tack and Anna Marie/ WUBE-FM, Cincinnati, OH
On-air personality of the year – medium market:
Drive Home with Jody Jo – Jody Jo/ KSKS-FM, Fresno, CA
Steve & Gina in the Morning – Steve Lundy and Gina Melton/ KXKT-FM, Omaha, NE
The Doc Show – Doc Medek and Chewy Medek/ WGGY-FM, Scranton, PA
New Country Mornings with Nancy and Woody – Nancy Wilson and Aaron Woods/ WHKO-FM, Dayton, OH
Mo & StyckMan – Mo and StyckMan/ WUSY-FM, Chattanooga, TN
On-air personality of the year – small market:
Hilley & Hart – Kevin Hilley and Erin Hart/ KATI-FM, Jefferson City, MO
Liz & Scotty in the Morning – Liz DelGrosso and Scotty Cox/ KCLR-FM, Columbia, MO
Morning Show with Pat James – Pat James/ KHUT-FM, Hutchinson, KS
The Eddie Foxx Show – Eddie Foxx and Amanda Foxx/ WKSF-FM, Asheville, NC
Steve, Ben and Nikki – Steve, Ben, and Nikki/ WXBQ-FM, Bristol, VA
radio station of the year – major market:
KILT-FM – Houston, TX
KKWF-FM – Seattle, WA
KSON-FM – San Diego, CA
WXTU-FM – Philadelphia, PA
WYCD-FM – Detroit, MI
Radio station of the year – large market
KFRG-FM – Riverside, CA
KNCI-FM -Sacramento, CA
WDSY-FM -Pittsburgh, PA
WLHK-FM – Indianapolis, IN
WQDR-FM – Raleigh, NC
WUBE-FM – Cincinnati, OH
Radio station of the year – medium market
KUZZ-FM – Bakersfield, CA
KXKT-FM – Omaha, NE
WBEE-FM – Rochester, NY
WGGY-FM – Scranton, PA
WTHT-FM – Portland, ME
Radio station of the year – small market
KATI-FM – Jefferson City, MO
KCLR-FM – Columbia, MO
WFLS-FM – Fredericksburg, VA
WNGC-FM – Athens, GA
WRTB-FM -Rockford, IL
The Academy of Country Music Awards will return to Texas on Thursday, May 16, streaming live again from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, via Prime Video, globally and exclusively.
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“Frisco, Texas, and The Star District proved to be the perfect new home for the evolution of this Emmy-nominated ‘Party,’ bringing music’s biggest global superstars to the passionate and loyal Texas Country Music fans!” ACM CEO Damon Whiteside said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to bring ACM Awards week to life again at the home of America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys, along with our best-in-class partners at Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Dick Clark Productions and our Executive Producer, Raj Kapoor, to make this year’s show even bigger and better. Fans will certainly want to be there in person to experience all the incredible moments we have in store, and we can’t wait to see everyone in Texas!”
“We all experienced firsthand last year what a perfect fit the Academy of Country Music Awards are with Ford Center at The Star, not only inside for the show, but out and around The Star District and Frisco as well,” added Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager Jerry Jones. “The stars of country music shine very brightly here in Texas, and we’re honored to be the home of this amazing celebration once again. We can’t wait to host all of the great artists and fans at Country Music’s Party of the Year!”
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ACM Awards pre-sale tickets will be available to ACM A-List subscribers, beginning Wednesday, March 6, while general on-sale will begin at 11 a.m. ET on Friday, March 8, at SeatGeek.
In 2023, the Academy of Country Music Awards were hosted by Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton, and was a two-hour concert event that streamed live globally on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. The night featured 18 performances from 25 artists.
The evening’s big winners included Chris Stapleton earning his first ACM entertainer of the year trophy. HARDY won two accolades (as artist and co-producer) in the music event of the year category, for “wait in the truck,” his collab with Lainey Wilson. HARDY and Wilson also won visual media of the year for “wait in the truck,” while HARDY also won in the new artist-songwriter of the year category. Wilson also won for female artist of the year and album of the year (for her set Bell Bottom Country).
Additional details for this year’s ACM Awards, including hosts, nominees, performers, and ticketing information for additional ACM events surrounding the awards have yet to be announced.
DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.
Raj Kapoor is keeping busy these days. The television producer will follow the Grammys and Oscars by serving as executive producer and showrunner of the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards, set for May from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on Prime Video.
Kapoor was one of three executive producers of the Grammys on Feb. 4, along with Ben Winston and Jesse Collins. And he will serve as executive producer and showrunner of the Oscars on March 10.
Patrick Menton will serve as co-executive producer for the 59th ACM Awards. He was a co-executive producer of the Grammys.
“We have a true love for country music and its continued expansion and recognition around the world,” Kapoor and Menton said in a joint statement. “It’s an absolute privilege to create a show that celebrates the astounding talents that bring our country music family together to honor their remarkable achievements.”
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“We’re thrilled to have Raj back at the helm of May’s 59th Academy of Country Music Awards, following his stellar work on last year’s show, the No. 1 most watched Country Music awards show of 2023,” said ACM CEO Damon Whiteside.
Kapoor has been associated with the Oscars telecast for seven years. He has been one of three executive producers (along with Winston and Collins) of the Grammy Awards the last three years. Kapoor won his first Primetime Emmy two years ago as an executive producer of Adele: One Night Only, which won as outstanding variety special (pre-recorded). He has received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including nods for his work on three Grammy telecasts and one Oscar telecast.
Menton has received two Primetime Emmy nominations as a producer of a pair of Grammy telecasts.
The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions with Barry Adelman serving as executive producer for DCP, and Damon Whiteside serving as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music. John Saade will also continue to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
The 2023 ACM Awards, hosted by Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, garnered more than 7.7 million viewers on Prime Video plus additional viewership across Amazon Music, the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, and Amazon Live, making it one of the most-watched awards shows of the year.
Ford Center at The Star in Frisco opened in 2016 and serves as the practice facility for the Dallas Cowboys, as well as the home for many major sporting events throughout the year. Last year’s ACM Awards were the first awards show to take place at the venue.
DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldridge. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.
Lainey Wilson’s Bell Bottom Blues has been an awards magnet in the past year. The collection won album of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 11 and at the Country Music Awards on Nov. 8. On Feb. 4, we’ll find out if it becomes the eighth album to complete country […]
