# Academy of Country Music Awards

The Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards, were first held in 1966, honoring the industry's accomplishments during the previous year. It was the first country music awards program held by a major organization. The academy's signature "hat" trophy was first created in 1968. The awards were first televised in 1972 on ABC. In 1979, the academy joined with Dick Clark Productions to produce the show. Dick Clark and Al Schwartz served as producers while Gene Weed served as director. Under their guidance, the show moved to NBC in 1979, then to CBS in 1998, and Amazon Prime Video in 2022.
The academy adopted a sleeker, modern version of the "hat" trophy in 2003, which is now made by the New York City firm Society Awards. In 2004, the organization implemented online awards voting for its professional members, becoming the first televised awards show to do so. Entertainer of the Year was a fan-voted award for eight years, until 2016, when the ACM announced its decision to abandon Internet-voting for it and the three new-artist categories.
The 59th ACM Awards were presented at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas on May 16th, 2024.

## Voting process

Voting members of the Academy of Country Music (ACM) elect the nominees. In 2016, after an eight-year experiment intended to improve consumer engagement, the ACM announced its decision to abandon fan-voting for Entertainer of the Year and its three new-artist categories, thanks to the cost of participation and several rifts that had developed among artists. The program was controversial from the start and included the web ballot stuffing encouragement infamous among awards of the same type presented in other ceremonies. Kenny Chesney, after winning the first fan vote for entertainer in 2008, criticized the process backstage, complaining that instead of acknowledging artists' hard work, the vote had devolved into a marketing contest that rewarded people for "seeing how hard you can push people's buttons on the Internet." The winner, for example, of entertainer will now be voted on by the same people who select the male or female vocalist winner.

## Awards

The most prestigious awards are for "Artist of the Decade" and "Entertainer of the Year." There are a number of other awards to recognize male and female vocalists, albums, videos, songs, and musicians. The awards are typically presented in April or May and recognize achievement for the previous year.

### Major awards

| Year | Entertainer of the Year | Male Artist of the Year | Female Artist of the Year | Song of the Year | Album of the Year | New Male Artist of the Year | New Female Artist of the Year |
| 2024 | Lainey Wilson | Chris Stapleton | Lainey Wilson | Jordan Davis, Chase McGill, Greylan James, Josh Osborne – "Next Thing You Know" | Higher — Chris Stapleton | Nate Smith | Megan Moroney |
| 2023 | Chris Stapleton | Morgan Wallen | Lainey Wilson | Cole Swindell, Ashley Gorley, Jesse Frasure, Thomas Rhett, Mark D. Sanders, Tim Nichols – "She Had Me at Heads Carolina" | Bell Bottom Country — Lainey Wilson | Zach Bryan | Hailey Whitters |
| 2022 | Miranda Lambert | Chris Stapleton | Carly Pearce | Jason Nix, Jonathan Singleton, Lainey Wilson – "Things a Man Oughta Know" | Dangerous: The Double Album — Morgan Wallen | Parker McCollum | Lainey Wilson |
| 2021 | Luke Bryan | Thomas Rhett | Maren Morris | Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz – "The Bones" | Starting Over — Chris Stapleton | Jimmie Allen | Gabby Barrett |
| 2020 | Thomas Rhett (tie) Carrie Underwood (tie) | Luke Combs | Maren Morris | Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi – "One Man Band" | What You See Is What You Get — Luke Combs | Riley Green | Tenille Townes |
| 2019 | Keith Urban | Thomas Rhett | Kacey Musgraves | Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers – "Tequila" | Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves | Luke Combs | Ashley McBryde |
| 2018 | Jason Aldean | Chris Stapleton | Miranda Lambert | Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall – "Tin Man" | From A Room: Volume 1 — Chris Stapleton | Brett Young | Lauren Alaina |
| 2017 | Jason Aldean | Thomas Rhett | Miranda Lambert | Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett, Joe Spargur – "Die a Happy Man" | The Weight of These Wings — Miranda Lambert | Jon Pardi | Maren Morris |
| 2016 | Jason Aldean | Chris Stapleton | Miranda Lambert | Barry Bales, Ronnie Bowman, Chris Stapleton – "Nobody to Blame" | Traveller — Chris Stapleton | Chris Stapleton | Kelsea Ballerini |
| 2015 | Luke Bryan | Jason Aldean | Miranda Lambert | Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby, Nicolle Galyon – "Automatic" | Platinum — Miranda Lambert | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2014 | George Strait | Jason Aldean | Miranda Lambert | Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Jimmy Yeary – "I Drive Your Truck" | Same Trailer Different Park — Kacey Musgraves | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2013 | Luke Bryan | Jason Aldean | Miranda Lambert | Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton – "Over You" | Chief — Eric Church | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2012 | Taylor Swift | Blake Shelton | Miranda Lambert | Lee Brice, Liz Rose – "Crazy Girl" | Four the Record — Miranda Lambert | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2011 | Taylor Swift | Brad Paisley | Miranda Lambert | Tom Douglas, Allen Shamblin – "The House That Built Me" | Need You Now — Lady Antebellum | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2010 | Carrie Underwood | Brad Paisley | Miranda Lambert | Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott – "Need You Now" | Revolution — Miranda Lambert | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2009 | Carrie Underwood | Brad Paisley | Carrie Underwood | Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller, James Otto – "In Color" | Fearless — Taylor Swift | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2008 | Kenny Chesney | Brad Paisley | Carrie Underwood | Jennifer Nettles – "Stay" | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend — Miranda Lambert | Jack Ingram | Taylor Swift |
| 2007 | Kenny Chesney | Brad Paisley | Carrie Underwood | Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon, Jamey Johnson – "Give It Away" | Some Hearts — Carrie Underwood | Rodney Atkins | Miranda Lambert |
| 2006 | Kenny Chesney | Keith Urban | Sara Evans | Craig Wiseman, Ronnie Dunn – "Believe" | Time Well Wasted — Brad Paisley | Jason Aldean | Carrie Underwood |
| 2005 | Kenny Chesney | Keith Urban | Gretchen Wilson | Craig Wiseman, Tim Nichols – "Live Like You Were Dying" | Be Here — Keith Urban | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2004 | Toby Keith | Toby Keith | Martina McBride | Doug Johnson, Kim Williams – "Three Wooden Crosses" | Shock'n Y'all — Toby Keith | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2003 | Toby Keith | Kenny Chesney | Martina McBride | Phillip Brian White, David Vincent Williams – "I'm Movin' On" | Drive — Alan Jackson | Joe Nichols | Kellie Coffey |
| 2002 | Brooks & Dunn | Alan Jackson | Martina McBride | Alan Jackson – "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" | O Brother, Where Art Thou? — Various Artists | Phil Vassar | Carolyn Dawn Johnson |
| 2001 | Dixie Chicks | Toby Keith | Faith Hill | Mark D. Sanders, Tia Sillers – "I Hope You Dance" | How Do You Like Me Now?! — Toby Keith | Keith Urban | Jamie O'Neal |
| 2000 | Shania Twain | Tim McGraw | Faith Hill | Marv Green, Aimee Mayo – "Amazed" | Fly — The Dixie Chicks | Brad Paisley | Jessica Andrews |
| 1999 | Garth Brooks | Tim McGraw | Faith Hill | Steve Wariner, Billy Kirsch – "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" | Wide Open Spaces — The Dixie Chicks | Mark Wills | Jo Dee Messina |
| 1998 | Garth Brooks | George Strait | Trisha Yearwood | Stephony Smith – "It's Your Love" | Carrying Your Love with Me — George Strait | Kenny Chesney | Lee Ann Womack |
| 1997 | Brooks & Dunn | George Strait | Patty Loveless | Bill Mack – "Blue" | Blue Clear Sky — George Strait | Trace Adkins | LeAnn Rimes |
| 1996 | Brooks & Dunn | Alan Jackson | Patty Loveless | Dickey Lee, Karen Staley, Danny Mayo – "The Keeper of the Stars" | The Woman in Me — Shania Twain | Bryan White | Shania Twain |
| 1995 | Reba McEntire | Alan Jackson | Reba McEntire | Gary Baker, Frank J. Myers – "I Swear" | Not a Moment Too Soon — Tim McGraw | Tim McGraw | Chely Wright |
| 1994 | Garth Brooks | Vince Gill | Wynonna Judd | Victoria Shaw, Chuck Cannon – "I Love the Way You Love Me" | A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love) — Alan Jackson | John Michael Montgomery | Faith Hill |
| 1993 | Garth Brooks | Vince Gill | Mary Chapin Carpenter | Vince Gill, John Barlow Jarvis – "I Still Believe in You" | Brand New Man — Brooks & Dunn | Tracy Lawrence | Michelle Wright |
| 1992 | Garth Brooks | Garth Brooks | Reba McEntire | Billy Dean, Richard Leigh – "Somewhere in My Broken Heart" | Don't Rock the Jukebox — Alan Jackson | Billy Dean | Trisha Yearwood |
| 1991 | Garth Brooks | Garth Brooks | Reba McEntire | Tony Arata – "The Dance" | No Fences — Garth Brooks | Alan Jackson | Shelby Lynne |
| 1990 | George Strait | Clint Black | Kathy Mattea | Jon Vezner, Don Henry – "Where've You Been" | Killin' Time — Clint Black | Clint Black | Mary Chapin Carpenter |
| 1989 | Hank Williams, Jr. | George Strait | K. T. Oslin | Charles Gene Nelson, Paul Nelson – "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" | This Woman — K.T. Oslin | Rodney Crowell | Suzy Bogguss |
| 1988 | Hank Williams, Jr. | Randy Travis | Reba McEntire | Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz – "Forever and Ever, Amen" | Trio — Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt | Ricky Van Shelton | K.T. Oslin |
| 1987 | Hank Williams, Jr. | Randy Travis | Reba McEntire | Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz – "On the Other Hand" | Storms of Life — Randy Travis | Dwight Yoakam | Holly Dunn |
| 1986 | Alabama | George Strait | Reba McEntire | Fred Parris, Mike Reid, Troy Seals – "Lost in the Fifties Tonight" | Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind — George Strait | Randy Travis | Judy Rodman |
| 1985 | Alabama | George Strait | Reba McEntire | Harlan Howard, Brent Maher, Sonny Throckmorton – "Why Not Me" | Roll On — Alabama | Vince Gill | Nicolette Larson |
| 1984 | Alabama | Lee Greenwood | Janie Fricke | Larry Henley, Jeff Silbar – "Wind Beneath My Wings" | The Closer You Get... — Alabama | Jim Glaser | Gus Hardin |
| 1983 | Alabama | Ronnie Milsap | Sylvia | Merle Haggard – "Are the Good Times Really Over (I Wish a Buck Was Still Silver)" | Always on My Mind — Willie Nelson | Michael Martin Murphy | Karen Brooks |
| 1982 | Alabama | Merle Haggard | Barbara Mandrell | Felice Bryant, Boudleaux Bryant, Larry Collins, Sandy Pinkard – "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" | Feels So Right — Alabama | Ricky Skaggs | Juice Newton |
| 1981 | Barbara Mandrell | George Jones | Dolly Parton | Bobby Braddock, Curly Putman – "He Stopped Loving Her Today" | Urban Cowboy — Various Artists | Johnny Lee | Terri Gibbs |
| 1980 | Willie Nelson | Larry Gatlin | Crystal Gayle | Sonny Throckmorton, Curly Putman – "It's a Cheating Situation" | Straight Ahead — Larry Gatlin | R.C. Bannon | Lacy J. Dalton |
| 1979 | Kenny Rogers | Kenny Rogers | Barbara Mandrell | Randy Goodrum – "You Needed Me" | Y'all Come Back Saloon — The Oak Ridge Boys | John Conlee | Cristy Lane |
| 1978 | Dolly Parton | Kenny Rogers | Crystal Gayle | Roger Bowling, Hal Bynum – "Lucille" | Kenny Rogers — Kenny Rogers | Eddie Rabbitt | Debby Boone |
| 1977 | Mickey Gilley | Mickey Gilley | Crystal Gayle | Baker Knight – "Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time" | Gilley's Smoking — Mickey Gilley | Moe Bandy | Billie Jo Spears |
| 1976 | Loretta Lynn | Conway Twitty | Loretta Lynn | Larry Weiss – "Rhinestone Cowboy" | Feelins' — Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn | Freddy Fender | Crystal Gayle |
| 1975 | Mac Davis | Merle Haggard | Loretta Lynn | Don Wayne – "Country Bumpkin" | Back Home Again — John Denver | Mickey Gilley | Linda Ronstadt |
| 1974 | Roy Clark | Charlie Rich | Loretta Lynn | Kenny O'Dell – "Behind Closed Doors" | Behind Closed Doors — Charlie Rich | Dorsey Burnette | Olivia Newton-John |
| 1973 | Roy Clark | Merle Haggard | Donna Fargo | Donna Fargo – "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA" | The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A. — Donna Fargo | Johnny Rodriguez | Tanya Tucker |
| 1972 | Freddie Hart | Freddie Hart | Loretta Lynn | Freddie Hart – "Easy Loving" | Easy Loving — Freddie Hart | Tony Booth | Barbara Mandrell |
| 1971 | Merle Haggard | Merle Haggard | Lynn Anderson | Kris Kristofferson – "For the Good Times" | For the Good Times — Ray Price | Buddy Alan | Sammi Smith |
| 1970 | Not awarded | Merle Haggard | Tammy Wynette | Merle Haggard, Eddie Buriss – "Okie from Muskogee" | Okie from Muskogee — Merle Haggard | Freddy Weller | Donna Fargo |
| 1969 | Not awarded | Glen Campbell | Cathie Taylor | Jimmy Webb – "Wichita Lineman" | Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell — Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell | Ray Sanders | Cheryl Poole |
| 1968 | Not awarded | Glen Campbell | Lynn Anderson | Dale Noe – "It's Such a Pretty World Today" | Gentle on My Mind — Glen Campbell | Jerry Inman | Bobbie Gentry |
| 1967 | Not awarded | Merle Haggard | Bonnie Guitar | Fern Foley, Charles "Fuzzy" Owen, Johnny Paycheck – "Apartment No. 9" | Not awarded | Billy Mize | Cathie Taylor |
| 1966 | Not awarded | Buck Owens | Bonnie Owens | Not awarded | Not awarded | Merle Haggard | Kay Adams |
* Source:

## Special awards
### Artist of the Decade

* 2010s: Jason Aldean (presented 2019)
* 2000s: George Strait (presented 2009)
* 1990s: Garth Brooks (presented 1999)
* 1980s: Alabama (presented 1989)
* 1970s: Loretta Lynn (presented 1979)
* 1960s: Marty Robbins (presented 1969)

### Triple-Crown Award

The Triple-Crown Award is an elite honor that has been presented to only nine country acts in the history of the Academy of Country Music Awards. The honor distinguishes the achievement of an artist, duo or group upon receiving the New Artist (or New Male Vocalist, New Female Vocalist, New Solo Vocalist, New Vocal Duo, New Vocal Group or New Vocal Duo or Group), and Male/Female Vocalist (or Vocal Duo, Vocal Group, Vocal Duo or Group) and Entertainer of the Year awards. Among the later recipients, Carrie Underwood received it at the ACM Awards, while Jason Aldean and Miranda Lambert received their awards at the Annual ACM Honors. The following list shows the artists that have won the award and the first year winning each of the categories required. Two artists: The Chicks and Keith Urban have reached the milestones needed to receive the award, but they have not yet been awarded.

## Venues

The Academy of Country Music Awards were originally held at various locations in Greater Los Angeles through 2002. In 2003, the ceremony moved to Las Vegas, first at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay through 2005 and later at the MGM Grand Garden Arena at the MGM Grand from 2006 to 2014. In 2015, the ceremony was held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in 2015 to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The ceremony broke the Guinness record that year for Most Attended Awards Show, with 70,252 attending.
The ceremony returned to the MGM Grand Garden Arena for 2016, then moved to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for 2017. In 2018 and 2019, the show was again broadcast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. In 2020 and 2021, the in-person ceremony in Las Vegas was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the two ceremonies were held at various sites in Nashville, with the primary venues being the Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium, and the Bluebird Café. The ACM confirmed a return to Las Vegas for 2022, with the ceremony held at Allegiant Stadium.
In 2023, the ceremony moved to Texas, having been hosted by the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.

## Broadcasting

The ACM Awards were previously broadcast by ABC from 1972 to 1978, NBC from 1979 to 1997, and CBS from 1998 to 2021. In June 2021, it was reported that CBS would not renew its contract to air the ceremony, citing declining viewership and demands from Dick Clark Productions for a higher rights fee. CBS' parent company ViacomCBS decided to prioritize its own CMT Music Awards (produced by its cable network CMT) as a competitor, announcing later that month that it would move to CBS and be held in April beginning 2022.
After reports that the ACMs were being shopped to other networks such as NBC, it was announced on August 19, 2021, that the media rights to the ceremony had been acquired by Amazon Prime Video, making it one of the first major awards ceremonies on U.S. television to move exclusively to a streaming platform. The ceremony is streamed via Prime Video, and simulcast on Amazon Live, Amazon Music, and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. In November 2023, Amazon renewed its rights through the 60th ceremony in 2025.