Awards
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Gloria Estefan and Ángela Aguilar will be honored at the 2024 Billboard Latin Women in Music event, Billboard and Telemundo announced on Thursday (May 16). The program will air exclusively on Telemundo on Sunday, June 9, at 9 p.m. ET. The special will also stream simultaneously on the Telemundo app and Peacock.
This celebration, which highlights the efforts of Latin women musicians who are “proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry,” will see the Cuban-American superstar receive the Legend title and the regional Mexican music star the Musical Dynasty honor.
Estefan, the “Conga” and “Mi Tierra” hitmaker, is renowned globally as a multi-talented singer and composer, celebrated for seamlessly blending her Cuban roots with mainstream music and paving the way for Latin musicians in the global arena. Billboard has hailed her as the most successful Latin “crossover” artist ever, underscoring her transformative impact on music and culture. She has sold more than 100 million records. Her many honors include three Grammy Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2017 and the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2019, the latter award in tandem with her husband, Emilio Estefan.
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The Legend recognition is given to outstanding artists who have left a “unique and immeasurable legacy and have significantly impacted the industry throughout their careers with their musical work.”
Meanwhile, Aguilar’s Musica Dynasty title is given to artists who “keep a familial artistic legacy alive and honor the musical dynasty to which they belong.” The Mexican singer is part of the esteemed Aguilar family, and, at 20 years old, she has carved out her own successful career with her talent while preserving the traditions of her family heritage.
With various hits under her belt, such as “Dime Como Quieres” with Christian Nodal at No. 8 on Hot Latin Songs and three No. 1s on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, the Grammy-nominated Mexican singer is a force to be reckoned with. She was also featured in Billboard’s 21 under 21 in 2022 and 2023.
Other Latin Women in Music recipients include Kany García, who will be given the Spirit of Change Award, and Ana Bárbara with the Lifetime Achievement Award. They were in the first round of recipients announced by Telemundo and Billboard on May 8.
In the coming weeks, additional honorees will be announced for the second annual Billboard Latin Women in Music ceremony, hosted by actress Jacqueline Bracamontes.
When Reba McEntire watched last year’s ACM Awards and saw her buddies and fellow country icons Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks co-hosting the show and leading the festivities, she knew she wanted to join in again on the ACMs fun.
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“They were so great, I was like, ‘I want to do that again!,’” McEntire told Billboard, just days before it was announced that McEntire will host the Academy of Country Music Awards for a 17th time on May 16, when the 59th annual awards show streams on Amazon Prime Video, returning to the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
“I was really anxious to get back on the stage,” she said. “Going back to Texas is always good for me — because that’s close to home, southeastern Oklahoma.”
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The ACMs, which launched in 1966, has highlighted country music’s biggest stars for nearly six decades. But the awards show’s team is still intent on breaking new ground: In 2022, the ACM Awards made history by becoming the first major music awards show to exclusively livestream when it shifted from CBS to Amazon Prime Video.
McEntire, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, has 16 ACM Awards trophies to her credit, and nine ACM entertainer of the year nominations. She won the entertainer of the year accolade in 1994, and holds the most nominations for female artist of the year.
She says promoting new music and spending time with industry friends — as well as making new ones — are always big draws for taking part in the awards show ceremony.
“You get to go have fun with all your friends and buddies that you’ve gotten to know over the last 45, 50 years in the business and meet new people,” she said. “It’s the best place to get to meet the new artists, and that’s what I really enjoy getting to do. The last time I was at an awards show, it was Lainey Wilson. I got to hang out with her a bit, and Jelly Roll. Meeting new people and making new friends is what I love about the business.”
Having hosted a previous 16 ACM Awards ceremonies when the show was held in Las Vegas and various cities in California, McEntire knows well the work involved in preparing for hosting — from working with trusted writers to create and refine dialogue used for the evening, to balancing multiple outfit changes (McEntire says this year’s fashion theme will lean “a little more tough, sexy cowgirl”). She easily summarizes the essentials to being a great awards show host: “Keep it interesting, keep it running smoothly and show up. Be on time, be prepared.”
Of course, with live television, anything can happen. McEntire recalled how at the 2004 ACM Awards, producer Dick Clark assisted her in filling a time delay after performer Keith Urban’s guitar had been lost backstage.
“Dick was like, ‘Get out there and stall,’” she said. “I panicked. I mean, I got booed offstage in 1978 for telling jokes because I only had three songs to sing, so I think I have flashbacks of that when somebody says, ‘Get out there and wing it.’ I’m not [actor/comedian] Melissa Peterman — I cannot do that. So, Dick had to come out and help with it, and we got through it.”
Over the years, she’s learned a few key strategies for filling in any gaps.
“If anything does happen, they don’t have to depend on me to fill the space,” she said, “I’m going to have everybody mapped out in the audience that I will take a microphone down to, and they will be the ones to bridge the gap. There’s a lot of interesting characters in a country music industry party, so I will be making my rounds down into the audience.”
Through leading the ACM Awards more than a dozen times, McEntire has hosted in various configurations — both solo and co-hosting alongside artists including George Strait, Blake Shelton, Alan Jackson and John Schneider. Still, she does have a couple of bucket list people she would love to co-host with — including her beau, Rex Linn.
“I’d love to co-host with Rex. Rex is the biggest fan of music,” she said. “He and Melissa Peterman are two people who love music more than anybody. Boy, that would be fun. Melissa, Rex and me — the three of us hosting it? That would be a hoot. I would just sit back and have an iced tea and let them do all the work,” she quipped.
In addition to hosting, McEntire has over the years been responsible for some of the ACM Awards’ most prestigious and memorable performances, such as in 2007, when she performed “Because of You” alongside Kelly Clarkson. This year, McEntire will also perform her new single, “I Can’t,” which she called “a very strong woman’s song about standing up for herself.”
And yes — a new album is in the works, she says. McEntire worked on the project with producer Dave Cobb, who also worked on her 2021 album Reba: Revived Remixed Revisited.
“We’ve been working on it for over a year now, so not sure when it will be released, but I’m very proud of it,” McEntire said. “We wanted to do something a little more laid-back, with not so many instruments on it. But by the time we got more involved with it, we started putting more instruments back in and making it to where we like it.”
Ever a passionate music fan herself, McEntire says one of the projects she’s been listening to lately is Lauren Daigle’s Look Up Child. “I was listening to her album the other day. I love her singing and I got to sing ‘Back to God’ with her on the ACMs years ago — that was one of the highlights.”
McEntire added, “The ACMs have been very good to me, and the collaborations I’ve gotten to do, not only singing but hosting, have been very memorable.”
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The brightest stars in country music are getting ready for the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire.
The show will air live from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday (May 16) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT (7 p.m. CT) and will stream exclusively on Prime Video and Amazon Music’s Twitch channel.
The ceremony will feature a tribute to Toby Keith performed by Jason Aldean.
Other performers include Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Gwen Stefani, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Noah Kahan, Avril Lavigne, Miranda Lambert, Post Malone, McEntire, Parker McCollum, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton and Nate Smith.
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Presenters include Alabama, Breland, Tyler Cameron, Jordan Davis, Sara Evans, Carin León, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Dion and Rozene Pride, Noah Reid, Richard Sherman, Charissa Thompson, Randy Travis, and Clay Walker. Amber Anderson and Kelly Sutton will host the AMC Awards red carpet.
The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions. (DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldridge. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.)
Keep reading for details on how to stream the ACM Awards from anywhere.
2024 ACM Awards: How to Stream for Free
You don’t need an Amazon Prime membership to stream the 59th Annual ACM Awards live on Prime Video. Simply click below to begin streaming the show live on Thursday, May 16, at 8 p.m. ET.
The show will rebroadcast on Friday, May 17, at 8 p.m. ET on the Amazon Music App and Amazon’s Freevee.
Interested in becoming a Prime member? Even though you don’t need Prime to ACMs, the membership comes with several perks such as free shipping and free access to Prime Video and Amazon Music. Launch your free 30-day trial to Amazon Prime here.
Aside from award shows, music documentaries and concert specials and original series such as The Idea of You, Fallout, Them, Citadel, Daisy Jones & The Six, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Boys, Invincible, and The Rings of Fire.
The ACM Awards red carpet kicks off at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. A full rebroadcast will be available to stream for free on Amazon Freevee starting Friday, May 16, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Prime Video is available to stream on a smart TV, phone, computer or notebook device via the Prime Video app (use ExpressVPN to access Prime Video internationally).
After the first free month, your Prime membership will renew at $14.99/month or $139 a year, if you chose the annual plan. The membership also includes exclusive deals such as unlimited photo storage; access to Prime reading and Prime Gaming. Want more savings? Amazon Prime offers 50% off for qualifying students and SNAP/Medicaid recipients.
Besides streaming exclusive programs, Prime Video subscribers can add channels such as Max, Paramount+, Starz and Showtime, plus buy and rent movies and stream everything from one platform.
Cub Sport, The Teskey Brothers and Jem Cassar-Daley will take great form into the 2024 AIR Awards, set for Thursday, Aug. 1 at Queen’s Theatre in Adelaide.
Cub Sport is hunting a triple. The Brisbane electronic pop foursome is shortlisted for best independent dance or electronica and independent album of the year for their ARIA No. 1 collection, Jesus At The Gay Bar, and their Adam Munnings-directed clip for “Keep Me Safe” is up for independent music video of the year. Cub Sport pounced for two wins at last month’s 2024 Queensland Music Awards.
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Also at the AIR Awards, The Teskey Brothers, led by Josh and Sam, are up for best independent blues and roots album or EP and independent marketing team of the year (Ivy League, Mushroom).
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The Teskeys are fresh from winning the songwriter of the year at the 2024 APRA Music Awards, and best record at the 2024 Rolling Stone Australia Awards for their ARIA No. 1 album The Winding Way, and their manager, Jeremy Furze, was named manager of the year at the 2024 AAM Awards.
Meanwhile, Jem Cassar-Daley’s “King of Disappointment” could be crowned song of the year, though it faces competition from works by Genesis Owusu (“Leaving The Light”), Maple Glider (“Don’t Kiss Me”), RVG (“Nothing Really Changes”) and Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers (“I Used To Be Fun”).
Cassar-Daley, daughter of homegrown country great Troy Cassar-Daley, won a brace at the 2024 QMAs, including the night’s top honor – song of the year (for “King of Disappointment”).
Best independent label will be contested by ABC Music, Dot Dash Recordings, Ourness, Poison City Records and Spinning Top Records.
Now in its 18th year, the AIR Awards are a celebration of the best and brightest from Australia’s independent music community.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to recognize the work the independent music industry does in providing talented and emerging artists and music businesses with a platform to share their art with a wider audience,” comments minister for arts. Andrea Michaels, member of parliament.
This year’s ceremony will once more be bookended by the Indie-Con Australia conference, a gathering that focuses “on issues that are specifically relevant to the independent music sector,” say organizers, the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR). The South Australian Music Development Office is major sponsor for the annual awards. Details on the program and lineup of speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Who will be the big winner at the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday (May 16) night?
Luke Combs, who is hoping to land his first entertainer of the year win in his fifth nomination, leads all artists with eight nods. Should he take home entertainer of the year, he will clinch the ACMs Awards’ Triple Crown — bestowed upon acts who have also taken home the trophy for new artist and artist of the year in their eligible categories.
He is followed by Megan Moroney, who is the leading female nominee, and reigning male artist of the year Morgan Wallen, both of whom nabbed six nods. Cody Johnson, reigning entertainer of the year Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson each garnered five nominations. Wilson was last year’s big winner, along with HARDY, taking home four trophies.
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Jelly Roll is up for four nominations. He is the first artist since Billy Ray Cyrus 32 years ago to be nominated for entertainer of the year in his first year of receiving any nominations. He is joined by Jordan Davis, who also received four nominations. Kelsea Ballerini and Zach Bryan garnered three nods each.
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Tracy Chapman receives her first ACM nomination as writer of song of the year nominee, “Fast Car.”
Returning for a record 17th time, Reba McEntire will host the show, which will stream for free live on Prime Video across more than 240 countries and territories from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas starting at 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT and 5 p.m. PDT. The 16-time ACM Award winner will also perform. The eligibility period for nominations runs Jan. 1, 2023-Dec. 31, 2023.
Below, Billboard’s Melinda Newman and Jessica Nicholson select their picks to take home the trophy.
Entertainer of the Year
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Newman: Stapleton is the reigning champ, but even he seemed surprised when he won last year. In his fifth try, Combs is more than deserving of his first win, but faces very stiff competition from the other contenders, especially Wallen and Jelly Roll. Plus, after being the surprise winner at the CMA Awards, it’s foolish to rule out Wilson. Winner: Wallen
Nicholson: Each contender in this category has had a solid year including chart-topping singles, sold-out arena or stadium shows, and/or an array of high-profile media appearances. Having released his album Higher in November and continued his All-American Road Show tour, Stapleton could repeat last year’s entertainer win. However, Combs has been spearheading his slate of stadium concerts and several international stops, and had one of the songs of the summer with “Fast Car.” Winner: Combs
Female Artist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Ashley McBryde
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson
Newman: All these deserving women had stellar years, including Moroney, who is the rookie of the bunch, but Wilson, who took home the award last year, continues her meteoric rise and seems unstoppable. Winner: Wilson
Nicholson: Each artist here has released a stellar slate of music over the past year, including Ballerini’s post-divorce album Rolling Up the Welcome Mat and Moroney’s debut album Lucky. But Wilson’s rocketship-like career surge doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. Winner: Wilson
Male Artist of the Year
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Newman: Wallen is the reigning champ and he could end up repeating, especially given the success of “Last Night,” which spent eight weeks atop the Country Airplay chart. Combs and Stapleton have also both prevailed before. But Jelly Roll has had an undeniable year. Winner: Jelly Roll
Nicholson: Combs and Wallen each scored major crossover hits over the past year, with Combs’s cover of “Fast Car” and Wallen’s “Last Night” each notching lengthy stays in the upper echelon of the Hot 100. Johnson had a solid year and just earned another chart-topper with “The Painter,” while three-time ACM male artist of the year winner Stapleton should never be counted out as a serious awards contender. Still, Jelly Roll notched three No. 1 Country Airplay hits last year, including the four-week chart-topper “Need a Favor,” while leading a headlining tour and becoming a seemingly ubiquitous media presence over the past year. Winner: Jelly Roll
Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Maddie & Tae
The War and Treaty
Newman: Dan + Shay and Brothers Osborne have traded off winning this award for the last several years and there’s no reason to think they’d stop now, despite the warranted rising acclaim for The War & Treaty, who continue to build their following. The slight edge goes to Dan + Shay, who rose back to the top of the charts with “Save Me the Trouble,” headlined a sold-out arena tour and joined The Voice. Winner: Dan + Shay
Nicholson: Since 2017, Brothers Osborne has taken home the gold here four times, while Dan+Shay have thrice earned the trophy in this category. While The War and Treaty saw their career continue to rise over the past year thanks to high-profile performances and their collaboration with Zach Bryan on “Hey Driver,” look for Dan+Shay to take the lead here. Dan +Shay nearly broke up, only to experience a career renaissance by earning a couple of top 5 Country Airplay hits over the past year and expanding their audience through their work on The Voice. Winner: Dan+Shay
Group of the Year
Flatland Cavalry
Lady A
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Newman: In an era where labels are more focused on developing solo artists than groups, Old Dominion is going for its seventh group of the year trophy, and there’s no reason to believe they won’t succeed as they continue their deserved dominance in this category. Winner: Old Dominion
Nicholson: Coming off of the success of their 2023 album Memory Lane, with the title track and their Megan Moroney collaboration “Can’t Break Up Now” both heating up Country Airplay chart over the past year, the group seems poised to once again take home the trophy here. However, it is nice to see some newcomers represented in the category, with the inclusion of Texas group Flatland Cavalry. Winner: Old Dominion
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 NashvilleHigher– Chris Stapleton; Producer: Chris Stapleton, Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton; Record Company-Label: Mercury NashvilleLeather – Cody Johnson; Producers: Trent Willmon; Record Company-Label: CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville LLCOne Thing at a Time– Morgan Wallen; Producers: Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Durrett; Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records / Republic Records / Mercury RecordsRolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good)– Kelsea Ballerini; Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym; Record Company-Label: Black River Entertainment
Newman: Five very worthy entries, all showcasing artists at different stages in their careers. Stapleton tends to be a lock in this category for good reason, and can never be discounted. But this year Wallen has the tailwind, given One Thing at a Time’s record-breaking status as the country album with the most weeks spent at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200, its singles’ dominance at radio and the lift the set has given country music — in addition to being chock-full of catchy songs. Winner: One Thing at a Time
Nicholson: Each finalist here issued an award-worthy project. In terms of pure consumption and fan devotion, Wallen’s presence in this category with One Thing at a Time is undeniable, though some ACM Awards voters could be turned off due to some of Wallen’s recent non-musical activities. Ballerini, Johnson and Combs have also put out some of the strongest projects of their careers, while Stapleton is deservedly a mainstay in this category. Winner: Higher
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
Newman: Is there a truer line than “I only talk to God when I need a favor?” In an extremely competitive category, all five of these songs were well-produced and well-sung, but the marriage of the message and Jelly Roll’s urgent vocal delivery provided the strongest gut punch. Winner: “Need a Favor”
Nicholson: With “Fast Car” and “Last Night” pulling such strong showings over the past year and going head-to-head in this category, either could pull off the win here. “Next Thing You Know” and “Burn It Down” are also both excellent. But Jelly Roll’s emotional plea and four weeks at No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart is the top contender to bring in the trophy. Winner: “Need a Favor”
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
Newman: All five songs were milestone recordings for the artists who performed them, and it’s a little hard to pick a 36-year-cover as the winner — but “Fast Car” checks all the boxes of what a truly great country song should do. All these years later, it still hits in the feels with its emotional tale of wanting a better life and all the stalled dreams in the world can’t make it happen. Plus, Combs’ delivery rings beautifully poignant. Winner: “Fast Car”
Nicholson: Each of these contenders has made a strong showing on Billboard’s country charts. But while the songs from Wilson, Davis, Johnson and Moroney each offer up distinct takes on love and romance, Combs’s version of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” highlighted the enduring power of Chapman’s poetic-yet-unfiltered storytelling, and her signature song of aspirations and dreams dashed by poverty and alcoholism. Winner: “Fast Car”
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Jason Aldean will pay tribute to the late Toby Keith by performing Keith’s 1993 debut hit “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” on the Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16. The song was Keith’s first hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. It reached No. 1 that June, his first of 20 No. 1 country hits. Keith died on Feb. 5 at age 62 following a two-year battle with stomach cancer.
Aldean’s performance will be a case of one ACM entertainer of the year paying tribute to another. Keith won the award in 2003 and 2004. Aldean won it three years running from 2016-18.
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Keith won 14 ACM Awards. Aldean has won 15, including artist of the decade for the 2010s.
Hosted by 16-time ACM Award-winner Reba McEntire, the ACM Awards will stream live for a global audience on Prime Video from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday, May 16, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. A Prime membership will not be required to watch live. 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.
The 2024 ACM Awards will feature collaboration performances by Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan; Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani; and Nate Smith featuring Avril Lavigne. In addition, Post Malone is booked for the show. He is expected to perform “I Had Some Help,” his new single featuring Morgan Wallen, though that has not yet been announced.
The show will also feature performances by McEntire, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson.
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 continues to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
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Neon Union, Restless Road and Tigirlily Gold are all nominated for the first time in the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. But their arrival on the final ballot marks a return of the new vocal group or duo of the year trophy for the first time in five years.
LANCO took home the hardware when it was last presented in 2019, but it’s been a veritable desert for qualifying acts since then. The ACM requires a minimum of three eligible nominees to field each of its three new artist categories — new male, new female and new group or duo — and while there were duos and groups in circulation during the interim years, they didn’t quite meet the criteria. The key data point was the ACM’s requirement that an artist needed to hit the top 40 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart or in Mediabase. The only act that met that goal was now-defunct Gone West, who reached the top 30 in 2020, but since member Colbie Caillat was already an established artist, the group was not eligible.
For this year’s ballot, the ACM expanded the criteria to top 50 and — voilà! — three artists made the grade as finalists for the May 16 ceremony.
“That was a really big topic of discussion with our awards voting and membership committee,” says ACM chief of staff/vp of artist and industry relations, board administration and governance Tommy Moore. “At the Academy, we really try to pride ourselves on being on the forefront of inclusivity for new artists and really want to give them the opportunity to shine.”
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Not surprisingly, the nominees in the category appreciate that opportunity.
“We had heard through the grapevine that they were bringing back the new duo or group of the year category, but we still thought it would be a long shot to get nominated,” Neon Union’s Andrew Millsaps notes.
The lack of new duo or group options is a glaring reality. The prospects have been so glum during the last four years that even if the ACM had loosened the chart requirement to the top 50 during that window, the industry still would not have mustered three qualifying entries.
Part of that dearth is the nature of the beast. Particularly in the digital era, it’s much easier for a solo artist to make simple videos and post them on YouTube or TikTok and start building a following. The effort required to form a band or duo, schedule rehearsals and plan marketing schemes is far more challenging for an ensemble. And handling relationships — both inside the act and with a larger ring of family and associates — creates more tension, making it harder during the hungry years when meager earnings are split.
“Being a group or duo is such a delicate dynamic,” Tigirlily Gold’s Krista Slaubaugh says. “You can’t just slap two people together and call them a duo. You have to stick it out through the hard years because it’s not always going to be easy.”
Even filling out the new group/duo field is challenging. To get three nominees this year, the ACM allowed Restless Road into the category, even though it did not have a top 50 single in 2023. It had reached that level in 2022, and the group is currently charting with “Last Rodeo” (No. 58, Country Airplay).
“There’s been a slower rollout of bands, but I’m definitely starting to notice a lot more,” says Restless Road’s Zach Beeken. He cites Flatland Cavalry, which secured its first ACM vocal group nomination this year.
Notably, The Red Clay Strays could have been considered for new group or duo on the strength of “Wondering Why,” which hit No. 18 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated Dec. 30, 2023. But, Moore says, no one submitted them for consideration.
The ACM’s three new artist categories differ from the Country Music Association, which has a single new artist of the year field. And it’s advantageous, since it means more artists get their first major nomination from the ACM. All of 2024’s new group or duo finalists are first-time nominees, and they’ll always associate that with the ACM.
“We try to get them into the fold early on,” Moore says, “and we find that the more we can educate them on the Academy and the charitable aspect of ACM Lifting Lives, the more inclined they are to stick with us throughout the years.”
Despite their first-time-nominee status, the three new group or duo contenders should feel a bit at home. They all attended 2023’s ACMs in Frisco, Texas, and they will return to the same venue this year, trodding familiar turf as they perform at the ACM Kickoff Concerts and walk the same red carpet. But they’ll be doing it as finalists, which presents its own uncertainties. The winner will perform at the show, though they won’t know who that is until two days before the event. All the acts have musicians on hold in case they’re needed. They’ll also discover, perhaps for the first time, what it’s like performing a truncated version of a song for their peers.
“Obviously, I’d be focusing so much on doing a good job,” Slaubaugh says, “but then you look at, like, Chris Stapleton in the crowd? I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
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The line-up of performers and presenters for the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards is just about set, and the key word is collaboration. Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan will team up for a performance, as will Blake Shelton and wife Gwen Stefani and also Nate Smith featuring Avril Lavigne. In addition, Post Malone is booked for the show. He is expected to perform “I Had Some Help,” his new single featuring Morgan Wallen, though that has not yet been announced.
Presenters include Alabama (most awarded group in Academy history with 22 ACM Awards), Carin León (two-time Latin Grammy Award winner), Dion Pride (son of country legend Charley Pride), Rozene Pride (Pride’s widow), Richard Sherman (Super Bowl XLVIII Champion & Thursday Night Football analyst), Charissa Thompson (host, Thursday Night Football) and Randy Travis (11-time ACM Award-winning artist).
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Hosted by 16-time ACM Award-winner Reba McEntire, the ACM Awards will stream live for a global audience on Prime Video from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on Thursday (May 16) at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. A Prime membership will not be required to watch live. 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.
The ACM Awards will kick off with the Official ACM Awards Red Carpet Show hosted by Amber Anderson and Kelly Sutton (co-hosts, Country Heat Weekly podcast), Makho Ndlovu (host, Amazon Live), and Elaina D. Smith (host, Nights With Elaina), with Katie Neal (host, Katie & Company) serving as a correspondent from the carpet. Presented by Prime Video and Amazon Music, the Red Carpet Show will also feature a performance by Megan Moroney (this year’s most nominated female artist with six nods), and air on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Plus, Bobby Bones, five-time ACM Awards winner for national on-air personality of the year, will be featured throughout the night. His segment, “Backstage with Bobby Bones,” will showcase intimate artist interviews and special moments of the show.
Fans can also experience a week of pre-ACM livestream celebrations hosted by Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson 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 feature musical performances and special guests, as well as the presentation of the 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. 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 in celebration of this year’s nominees. Fans can listen to Country Music’s biggest stars directly on the Amazon Music app.
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 continues to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
Here are the performers and presenters for the 2024 ACM Awards. Any additional performers will be added to the list as they are announced.
Performers
Jason Aldean
Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan
Kane Brown
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Miranda Lambert
Post Malone
Parker McCollum
Reba McEntire
Thomas Rhett
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani
Nate Smith featuring Avril Lavigne
Chris Stapleton
Lainey Wilson
Presenters
Alabama
BRELAND
Tyler Cameron
Jordan Davis
Sara Evans
Carin León
Little Big Town
Ashley McBryde
Dion and Rozene Pride
Noah Reid
Richard Sherman
Charissa Thompson
Randy Travis
Clay Walker
Four pop stars — Post Malone, Gwen Stefani, Noah Kahan and Avril Lavigne — are set to perform on the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday May 16, but the show’s producers stress that the performances came about organically.
“Our goal is always country-first,” Raj Kapoor, who is the show’s executive producer and showrunner, told Billboard. “We’re not actively going out to pursue artists [who are] out-of-genre. I think the most important thing is that it fits in a very natural way. We’re not asking people to come in who don’t have relationships or haven’t wanted to work together or don’t have projects together. We always want to stay authentically country. Those bonds that bring people together need to exist already.”
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Post Malone will perform a song from his upcoming country album, possibly “I Had Some Help,” a collab with Morgan Wallen. Stefani and Blake Shelton will perform their single “Purple Irises.” Kahan and Kelsea Ballerini — who, Kapoor notes, were in the studio together — will perform her “Mountain with a View” and his smash “Stick Season.” Lavigne and Nate Smith will perform Smith’s song “Bulletproof.”
This is a heavier slate of pop performers than on last year’s ACM Awards, where there was just one: Ed Sheeran, who joined Luke Combs to perform Sheeran’s song “Life Goes On.”
Menton, who is serving as co-executive producer, notes, “Yes, Post is definitely a kind of pop/hip-hop performer, but in a way, he’s almost genre-less. Post spent a lot of time in Nashville on this record and kind of dove back into his roots. He’s a country traditionalist at heart. He’s from Texas, so he grew up on this. Having heard some of the album, this is a real country album. This is an artist who’s really honoring the genre.
Menton adds: “This is such a global genre now. Country artists are selling out stadiums in the U.K. and Europe and all over the world. So, I think there is that conversation of they want it to be a bit boundary-less. They want those guardrails to open up a little bit. Yes, for us to be focused on country and celebrate the genre, but we really do welcome these other genres coming in because [country] really has exploded into this global genre and we want to celebrate that.”
The 59th ACM Awards, to be hosted by Reba McEntire, will stream globally on Prime Video on Thursday May 16 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Also performing on the show are Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson, as well as McEntire and, most likely, one or two more artists not yet named. “There may be some surprises,” Menton teases.
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.
“I think my job is to make each show unique,” Kapoor says, “because they have such different DNA. That’s really what I strive for. They’re brands almost. They’re all actually [put on by] academies. It’s so different from just a pop show. There’s so many eyeballs on what we do. I guess I didn’t realize the complexities of that before I took on these positions. I’m much more aware of what goes on behind-the-scenes because it’s not just about our show. It’s really about these year-round programs that they all do and how many people are so invested.”
Kapoor and Menton have worked together on six Grammy telecasts – four in their current positions. They share a philosophy of producing a show, one that may sound a bit soft, but which is obviously working. Last year’s ACM Awards was the third-highest-rated awards show of 2023, behind just the Oscars and the Grammys (which they also worked on).
“We both lead with kindness,” Menton says. “That’s our rule of thumb, across-the-board. It’s creating space for these artists to come to us and feel safe. It’s not a case of we tell them what we want on the show. That’s not at all the way we work. It’s ‘What do you want to do on the show?’, ‘What’s going to create a moment?’ We’re all about the artist first and making sure they have a space to really create and collaborate in a safe space.”
Some awards show producers are known for taking a much firmer hand; for dictating what they want the artist to perform and who they want them to perform it with.
“We always believe it’s a conversation,” Kapoor says. “Obviously, we’re there to help guide sometimes. ‘Why don’t we try this?’ ‘What would you think about this?’ Sometimes we will push if we have a really strong belief about something, but it’s always a conversation, always a collaboration.
“Sometimes these moments really help define people’s careers,” he continues. “They can go viral. They are things that people will talk about for years to come. Last year [on the ACMs], everyone talked about Luke and Ed. Earlier this year [on the Grammys], I think everyone was talking about Luke and Tracy [Chapman, who teamed on “Fast Car].”
Kapoor believes the ACMs’ move to Amazon in 2022 helped give it a unique personality that sets it apart from the three other televised country award shows, the CMA Awards, the CMT Music Awards and the People’s Choice Country Awards.
“Our show is very fast-paced – two hours with very little commercials. So, you have back-to-back music performances. You still have a lot of awards, but our show moves very quickly. One thing I’ve really taken away since we’ve been on Amazon is how punchy and exciting it feels. We’re literally moving all the time. One performance leads into another. Sometimes, we’ve done three performances back-to-back.”
Menton says the partnership with Amazon has affected the show in another way. “It has allowed us to open those guardrails up and take chances. We’ve leaned into new artist development a lot more, we lean into diversity. We lean into something that’s completely out of the box; [that] other shows may feel a bit uncomfortable trying to do. Amazon gives us that ability to move and shake a bit differently. But I also think the industry comes to us with those out-of-the-box ideas. I think it’s because we’re open to it, Amazon is open to it and the Academy has always been that place where we’re the party of the year. We’re a little bit more fun. We try to let everyone just let their hair down.”
The ACM Awards are different in that respect from the Grammys and the Oscars, which are the official “shows of record” for the music and film industries. The CMA Awards probably better fit that description for country music, which led to the ACM Awards instead billing itself as country music’s party of the year.
As for new artist development, the show will feature performances by this year’s winners of the three new artist awards, male artist, female artist and duo/group. The latter category is being awarded for the first time in five years.
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. This takes advantage of Bones’ close relationships with many country stars, but Kapoor reveals that the segments also serve a practical function on the show.
“Because we are live/live with all these performances, Bobby is also a great backup plan when we need him to be. You would never know it, like if we need an extra 30 seconds [to set the stage for the next performer], Bobby is there to help us if we need it, which we are very grateful for.”
Menton says they approached last year’s hosts, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, about returning to host the show again this year, but the superstar duo declined. “They were ready to take a step down,” he says. “They had such a rocking year last year, they probably felt like it [would be] hard to top.”
Fortunately for the show, another country legend, McEntire, was willing to return to the show for a 17th time as host or co-host. 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.
“Reba is one of the most kind and hard-working artists out there, and to have her hosting our show, having an icon like that — we’re so lucky,” Menton says.
Barry Adelman, a mainstay at Dick Clark Productions, is serving as executive producer of this year’s show for DCP. Adelman has worked on the ACMs for more than 30 years.
Anyone can watch the ACM Awards, whether they have a Prime subscription or not. Did ACM CEO Damon Whiteside push for that? “Oh, I think we all did,” Menton says. “We want everyone to see this. It’s a country music show. We don’t want to have that paywall in front of us. The fact that everyone can watch it, whether you have Prime or not, we’re so grateful.”
Kapoor says they are already thinking ahead to next year’s show, which will be the 60th ACM Awards. “Everybody is already strategizing leading to that event. We’ll be returning to Amazon. I hope on this show we set the foundation for what’s going to be an amazing 60th show.”
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.
Put those “Golden Popcorn” statues back in storage. The MTV Movie & TV Awards have been put “on pause” this year, and “will return with a reimagined format in 2025,” according to a spokesperson.
The show, originally dubbed the MTV Movie Awards, was a yearly fixture from 1992 to 2019, but has lost some momentum in recent years. The show wasn’t held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, MTV aired MTV Movie & TV Awards: Greatest of All Time, a clip show hosted by Vanessa Hudgens, which featured highlights from past ceremonies.
The show took place in 2021 and 2022, but the 2023 show was stymied by the Writers Guild of America strike. Drew Barrymore was set to host that year’s show. Barrymore has achieved success in both movies and TV and would have been an ideal host, but when the WGA went on strike on May 2, 2023 – just five days before the show was set to take place at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. – Barrymore and most of the planned guests dropped out. As a result, the traditional ceremony didn’t take place. It was replaced by a pre-recorded virtual ceremony with no host.
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The MTV Movie & TV Awards were once a hot pop-culture show. Hosts in the show’s prime included such A-list stars as Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Ben Stiller, Mike Myers, Jimmy Fallon and Sarah Jessica Parker, the latter at the height of her Sex and the City fame. But the show has lost some allure in recent years.
The two post-pandemic shows that made it to air were co-hosted by Leslie Jones and Nikki Glaser, followed by Hudgens and Tayshia Adams. No shade to these performers, but they’re not Eddie Murphy or Will Smith.
This isn’t the first time MTV has pulled the plug on a show. The 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards were scheduled to take place on Nov. 5, 2023 at the Paris Nord Villepinte in Paris. The ceremony was cancelled on Oct. 19 due to the Israel–Hamas war, becoming the first EMAs to be cancelled in its 30-year history. Despite that setback, voting remained open until Oct. 31. The winning artists were revealed on Nov. 5.