ACM AWARDS RETURN TO HISTORIC VENUES

Scheduled for 4/18, the Academy of Country Music Awards will head back to the three legendary Nashville venues it visited in 2020, the Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium and the Bluebird Café, for its 56th edition.

Alluding to the 2020 show's having been rescheduled from April to September, ACM CEO Damon Whiteside said he was pleased to return to the "normal awards cycle" and offered "a huge thank you to the city of Nashville, Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium and Bluebird Café 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.”

Performers, presenters and other specifics will be announced in coming months. The three-hour show will be broadcast on CBS and available to stream live and on demand via Paramount+.

COVID-19 guidelines established by national, state and local health officials will be implemented during the production along with additional safety measures instituted by show producer dick clark productions and the Academy of Country Music.

Meanwhile, ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music, will donate $25k to the Music City, Inc. foundation for its Nashville Christmas Day Explosion Relief Fund, with money earmarked for local musicians out of work due to damage to venues near the blast.

“The impact of the explosion was felt throughout the music community, and we hope this donation can help alleviate some of the burden,” said ACM Lifting Lives Executive Director Lyndsay Cruz.