The 2021 ACM Awards are gearing up to be one of the biggest yet. With numerous awards to hand out and 30 performances on the lineup, the show is prepped to be nonstop entertainment and music.
For the second year, the Academy of Country Music has moved their show to Nashville, as opposed to the typical venue of Las Vegas. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the show will be tossed around Music City to three iconic venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium and the Bluebird Cafe. Social distancing protocols will be in place, but those won’t take away from any of the incredible music expected throughout the show.
Leading the show this year will be Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton. This marks Guyton’s first-time hosting the ACM Awards, but she’ll have the support of her two-time co-host by her side.
As we prepare for an exciting night of live music and celebration, Sounds Like Nashville has the rundown of how to watch this year’s awards show.
How to Watch: The 56th Annual ACM Awards will be broadcast on Sunday, April 18 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
Host: Keith Urban will return for the second time, after hosting the postponed 2020 show in September. This time, he’s not taking on the duties solo as he’ll be joined by breakout star and New Female Artist of the Year, Mickey Guyton. The duo’s performance chemistry was caught on camera during the 2020 broadcast when Urban stepped in to play piano during Guyton’s heart-pounding performance of “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?”
Performers: This year’s ACM Awards boasts 30 performances from 25 different artists, including Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Lee Brice, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Mickey Guyton, Ryan Hurd, Jack Ingram, Alan Jackson, Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Carly Pearce, Jon Randall, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, The War and Treaty, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, CeCe Winans, and Chris Young.
Presenters: This is TBD but we’ll update as more information is released!
Nominees: The Entertainer of the Year nominees include Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, and Chris Stapleton. While those names are exciting, it’s the four Black artists nominated this year that everyone is buzzing about. Kane Brown, Mickey Guyton, Jimmie Allen and John Legend all scored nominations for this year’s show. Plenty of other talented stars have earned their own nods. See the full list of nominations here.
The 55th Academy of Country Music Awards air live from Nashville on Wednesday, September 16 on CBS at 8/7c.