2020 ACM Awards to Take Place in Nashville

The Academy of Country Music Awards are moving from Last Vegas to Music City for its 2020 awards ceremony. Announced early Monday morning during Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s daily press briefing(4/27), ACM CEO Damon Whiteside revealed that Nashville would host the 55th annual ACM Awards in September for the first time.

“While we were disappointed to postpone our April show in Las Vegas, we couldn’t be more thrilled to host the rescheduled 55^th ACM Awards in the home of Country Music for the first time in the Academy’s history,” said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music, in a press release. “First and foremost, we want to ensure the safety of our artists and industry, and to ease the burdens of traveling large teams; therefore, we decided to bring the ACM Awards to them this September in Nashville. Now, more than ever, is the time to bring our community together to honor the best in our genre, and there is no more special place to do that than three of the most revered venues in Country Music – The Grand Ole Opry House, The Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe. A huge thank you to these historic venues and to the state of Tennessee and city of Nashville for all of the support in making this a reality!”

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Excited to announce that the 55th #ACMawards will broadcast for the first time from Nashville’s iconic @opry House, @theryman & @bluebirdcafetn! Mark your calendars and join us on Wed, Sept. 16 at 8/7c on @cbstv.

A post shared by Academy of Country Music (ACM) (@acmawards) on Apr 27, 2020 at 8:00am PDT

“Tennessee is honored to be a part of this historic event,” added Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “Showcasing the talent and musical heritage of our state is always a source of pride, and it couldn’t be more valuable than this year. On behalf of all Tennesseans, I want to thank the Academy of Country Music for bringing this event home.”

The April show in Vegas was forced to reschedule due to the coronavirus pandemic and will now take place in three locations across Nashville – the Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium and the Bluebird Cafe. The ACM has not yet determined whether or not the show will include a live audience.

Whiteside went on to share the Academy’s devotion to helping those in the music industry and honoring Nashville’s spirit by mentioning the ACM’s charitable arm, ACM Lifiting Lives. Over the course of the pandemic, ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Relief Fund has distributed more than $1.4 million to those working in the industry.

Keith Urban will host the show, scheduled for Wednesday, September 16 on CBS at 8/7c.