Snubs happen for all sorts of reasons; they’ve been happening ever since awards shows were created, really. Need proof? The Man in Black himself, country legend Johnny Cash, never won a single ACM Awards trophy.
While it sounds crazy that such a massively popular artist would be so seriously overlooked by ACM Awards voters, the reason why is actually pretty simple: The ACM Awards were started as a way to highlight West Coast country music.
Technically, the ACMs’ definition of “West Coast country” includes any country music made by artists in the western 13 United States; in practice, that typically translated to California country: Legends including Merle Haggard, Buck Owens and Lee Greenwood either hailed from California or made their musical claim to fame in the state.
That Western focus helps explain why the ACM Awards now typically takes place in Las Vegas, Nev. Before the ACMs moved to Sin City in 2003, the show was held in a variety of Los Angeles-area venues.
Dating back to 1966, the ACM Awards are country music’s oldest awards show, and the history of the event holds plenty of twists and turns. Check out the video above to learn more crazy facts and secrets of the ACM Awards.
The 2022 ACM Awards will take place at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on Monday (March 7) at 8 PM ET. For the first time since 1972, the ceremony will not air on network television, but will be available to stream live on Amazon Prime Video. Dolly Parton will co-host the show with the 2021 New Male and Female Artists of the Year, Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett.
See Inside the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville: