ACMs head to Nashville

Monday, April 27, 2020 – The 55th Academy of Country Music Awards will take place in Nashville for the first time in the show's 55-year history on Sept. 16.

The awards were postponed from April 6 due to COVID-19 and were slated to be held in Las Vegas.

The ACMs will be the first awards show to broadcast from the Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe.

The announcement was made this morning during Nashville Mayor John Cooper's daily press conference. Keith Urban will host the awards, which will be broadcast on CBS.

"While we were disappointed to postpone our April show in Las Vegas, we couldn't be more thrilled to host the rescheduled 55th 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.

"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."

"Country music has been our voice and our companion through so many difficult times and now it is our comfort as we confront and defeat the coronavirus," said Cooper. "I'm excited to join country music fans worldwide to celebrate with the Academy of Country Music and artists that uplift and inspire us all in these extraordinary times. And I look forward to the day when we can safely welcome visitors back to enjoy all that Music City has to offer, including over 160 live entertainment venues with the best country music shows in the world."

"We are delighted to host the 55th ACM Awards and make history alongside the Academy of Country Music as the show comes to Nashville for the first time," said Scott Bailey, President of Opry Entertainment Group. "We look forward to sharing this moment with our friends at The Bluebird Cafe and are pleased that fans will have the opportunity to experience the most famous stages in country music in such a unique way."