Today, Prime Video, the Academy of Country Music (ACM), and Dick Clark Productions announced that the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards, the longest-running country music awards show, is set to take place on Thursday, May 8, 2025,from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
As previously announced, 16-time ACM Award-winning entertainment icon, Reba McEntire, will return to host the monumental 60th anniversary, marking her 18th time at the helm, the most of any artist in Academy of Country Music history. Additional details, including award submissions and voting timeline, nominees, performers, ticket sale details, and additional ACM Awards week events, will be confirmed in the months ahead.
“We’re excited to honor and celebrate the legacy of the ACM Awards all year long surrounding the 60th anniversary show returning to Amazon Prime Video next May,” said Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside. “Reba McEntire has hosted more ACM Awards shows than any other artist in history, and after her triumphant return this year for the 59th show, there is clearly no one better suited to helm this milestone show! Our landmark 50th anniversary show in 2015 marked our debut in Texas, and we’re thrilled to return again to celebrate another major moment in ACM history. We look forward to seeing our industry, artists, and fans celebrate in Frisco, Texas next May for an unforgettable week!”
“I’m thrilled to be coming back to host the 60th ACM Awards on Prime Video,” said Reba McEntire. “It’s going to be an absolute can’t miss show and I can’t wait to see everybody back in Texas!”
The 59th ACM Awards streamed live for an international audience across 240+ countries and territories exclusively on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. “Country Music’s Party of the Year” delivered exhilarating performances and collaborations by a star-studded roster of artists including Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Post Malone, Parker McCollum, Thomas Rhett, and Lainey Wilson, as well as featuring brand new music from host, Reba McEntire. Additionally, audiences worldwide witnessed show stopping duets from Chris Stapleton and surprise guest Dua Lipa; Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan; Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani; and Nate Smith featuring Avril Lavigne. The Academy’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year, was awarded to Lainey Wilson, earning her the coveted ACM Triple Crown trophy in only three years. Chris Stapleton led the night in total wins with four awards, followed by Lainey Wilson with three wins, and Luke Combs and Jordan Davis with two wins each.
Following the 59th ACM Awards on May 16, Georgia native Kane Brown’s soulful rendition of Ray Charles’ classic “Georgia on My Mind,” which Charles performed on the ACM Awards stage 40 years ago, saw a 410% increase in U.S. On-Demand streams after being released to coincide with the 59th ACM Awards. That increase happened between May 16 to May 17, spurred by his performance of the song on the show, according to data from Luminate. Lainey Wilson’s heart-pumping, adrenaline-fueled performance of “God Blessed Texas” and “Hang Tight Honey” drove U.S. On-Demand streams up 330%, while Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s new single “Purple Irises” saw a 78% increase.
*Note: The 59th ACM Awards took place on 5/16/24. The percent change was measured from 5/15 to 5/17, except for the Kane Brown song, which was measured between 5/16 to 5/17. [source: Luminate]
The 60th ACM Awards will broadcast live from Texas for the third consecutive year. Ford Center at The Star in Frisco opened in 2016 and serves as the state-of-the-art practice facility for the Dallas Cowboys, as well as the home for many major sporting events throughout the year. The 2023 ACM Awards were the first awards show to take place at Ford Center.
In 2022, the Emmy-nominated ACM Awards made history as the first major awards show to exclusively stream live for a global audience and deliver an unforgettable concert event that put fans center stage across Prime Video, Amazon Music, Amazon Fashion, Amazon Freevee, Amazon Live, and more. The 2024 ACM Awards is available on demand on Prime Video, Amazon Freevee, and Amazon Music.