2020 ACM Awards to Take Place in Nashville

The 2020 ACM Awards have been rescheduled for September due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the awards will now take place in Nashville this year. Originally scheduled for April 5 in Las Vegas, the ACMs will be held on Sept. 16 from three iconic country music venues including the Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe, marking the first time the annual event has broadcast from Music City. The show will be hosted by Keith Urban, who is the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year.

"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," Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music, said in a statement. "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!"

The ACM Awards will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET on CBS on Wednesday, Sept. 16 and will stream live and on demand on CBS All Access. A press release shares that "the health and safety of the artists, fans, industry, staff and partners is of the utmost importance." All guidelines issued by national, state and local health officials will be closely followed and implemented during production along with additional safety measures to be instated by Dick Clark Productions and the Academy of Country Music.

"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 Nashville Mayor John 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."