ACM Awards Return to Nashville in Three Separate, Distanced Locations
In meeting health guidelines set forth by national, state, and local health officials, on Sunday, April 18, the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, and The Bluebird Cafe will host the 56th Annual ACM Awards.
"We’re thrilled to return to Music City’s most iconic venues as we come together on April 18th to celebrate the best in Country Music, back in our normal awards cycle,” said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. “A huge thank you to the city of Nashville, Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium, and Bluebird Cafe for welcoming us back to Nashville, where we can look out for the safety of our artists while shining a spotlight on this vibrant city after a tough 2020."
The 56th edition of the awards follows last year's groundbreaking event, the first major in-person award event in the United States since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Broadcast from the same trio of venues as this year's forthcoming ceremony, a similar type of "exciting performances, unprecedented collaborations, surprising moments and more" like last September's festivities are expected.
Last year, the show was held in Nashville for the first time without a live audience. Carrie Underwood and Thomas Rhett tied for Entertainer of the Year and Taylor Swift returned to the show after seven years to perform a song from Folklore.
As well, to support the city of Nashville, ACM Lifting Lives® -- the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music -- will donate $25,000 to the Music City, Inc. Foundation's Nashville Christmas Day Explosion Relief Fund, with funds earmarked for local musicians out of work due to damage to venues. "The impact of the explosion was felt throughout the music community, and we hope this donation can help alleviate some of the burden on the community," noted Lyndsay Cruz, ACM Lifting Lives' Executive Director.
Tune in on April 18, from 8:00-11:00 pm ET (delayed PT) on CBS and streaming live and on demand via Paramount+. Nominations and other details for the awards show have not yet been announced.
