Academy of Country Music Awards
The Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards, were first held in 1966, honoring the industry's accomplishments during the previous year. It was the first country music awards program held by a major organization. The Academy's signature "hat" trophy was first created in 1968. The awards were first televised in 1972 on ABC. In 1979, the Academy joined with Dick Clark Productions to produce the show. Dick Clark and Al Schwartz served as producers while Gene Weed served as director. Under their guidance, the show moved to NBC and finally to CBS, where it remains today.
In 2003, the awards show left Los Angeles and moved to Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Events Center through 2005. The Academy also adopted a sleeker, modern version of the "hat" trophy in 2003, which is now made by the New York City firm Society Awards. In 2004, the organization implemented online awards voting for its professional members, becoming the first televised awards show to do so. Entertainer of the Year was a fan-voted award for eight years, until 2016, when the ACM announced its decision to abandon Internet-voting for it and the three new-artist categories.
The show was moved to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas from 2006 through 2014 before relocating to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in 2015 to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The 2015 show broke the Guinness record for Most Attended Awards Show, with 70,252. The show returned to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2016 then moved to the new T-Mobile Arena in 2017. In 2018, the ACM Awards returned to the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It was announced on February 20, 2019, that the show would be held again at the MGM Grand Garden Area with the return of Reba McEntire as the hostess for her 16th time. On April 27, 2020, the ACM issued a press release that the 2020 show would be broadcast from three historic country music venues—the Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium and the Bluebird Café.
Voting process
Voting members of the Academy of Country Music elect the nominees. In 2016, after an eight-year experiment intended to improve consumer engagement, the ACM announced its decision to abandon fan-voting for Entertainer of the Year and its three new-artist categories, thanks to the cost of participation and several rifts that had developed among artists. The program was controversial from the start and included the web ballot stuffing encouragement infamous among awards of the same type presented in other ceremonies. Kenny Chesney, after winning the first fan vote for entertainer in 2008, criticized the process backstage, complaining that instead of acknowledging artists' hard work, the vote had devolved into a marketing contest that rewarded people for "seeing how hard you can push people's buttons on the Internet." The winner, for example, of entertainer will now be voted on by the same people who select the male or female vocalist winner.Awards
The most prestigious awards are for "Artist of the Decade" and "Entertainer of the Year." There are a number of other awards to recognize male and female vocalists, albums, videos, songs, and musicians. The awards are typically presented in April or May and recognize achievement for the previous year.Major awards
| Year | Entertainer of the Year | Male Vocalist of the Year | Female Vocalist of the Year | Song of the Year |
| 2018 | Keith Urban | Thomas Rhett | Kacey Musgraves | Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers – "Tequila" |
| 2017 | Jason Aldean | Chris Stapleton | Miranda Lambert | Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall – "Tin Man" |
| 2016 | Jason Aldean | Thomas Rhett | Miranda Lambert | Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett, Joe Spargur – "Die a Happy Man" |
| 2015 | Jason Aldean | Chris Stapleton | Miranda Lambert | Barry Bales, Ronnie Bowman, Chris Stapleton – "Nobody to Blame" |
| 2014 | Luke Bryan | Jason Aldean | Miranda Lambert | Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby, Nicolle Galyon – "Automatic" |
| 2013 | George Strait | Jason Aldean | Miranda Lambert | Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Jimmy Yeary – "I Drive Your Truck" |
| 2012 | Luke Bryan | Jason Aldean | Miranda Lambert | Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton – "Over You" |
| 2011 | Taylor Swift | Blake Shelton | Miranda Lambert | Lee Brice, Liz Rose – "Crazy Girl" |
| 2010 | Taylor Swift | Brad Paisley | Miranda Lambert | Tom Douglas, Allen Shamblin – "The House That Built Me" |
| 2009 | Carrie Underwood | Brad Paisley | Miranda Lambert | Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott – "Need You Now" |
| 2008 | Carrie Underwood | Brad Paisley | Carrie Underwood | Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller, James Otto – "In Color" |
| 2007 | Kenny Chesney | Brad Paisley | Carrie Underwood | Jennifer Nettles – "Stay" |
| 2006 | Kenny Chesney | Brad Paisley | Carrie Underwood | Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon, Jamey Johnson – "Give It Away" |
| 2005 | Kenny Chesney | Keith Urban | Sara Evans | Craig Wiseman, Ronnie Dunn – "Believe" |
| 2004 | Kenny Chesney | Keith Urban | Gretchen Wilson | Craig Wiseman, Tim Nichols – "Live Like You Were Dying" |
| 2003 | Toby Keith | Toby Keith | Martina McBride | Doug Johnson, Kim Williams – "Three Wooden Crosses" |
| 2002 | Toby Keith | Kenny Chesney | Martina McBride | Phillip Brian White, David Vincent Williams – "I'm Movin' On" |
| 2001 | Brooks & Dunn | Alan Jackson | Martina McBride | Alan Jackson – "Where Were You " |
| 2000 | Dixie Chicks | Toby Keith | Faith Hill | Mark D. Sanders, Tia Sillers – "I Hope You Dance" |
| 1999 | Shania Twain | Tim McGraw | Faith Hill | Marv Green, Aimee Mayo – "Amazed" |
| 1998 | Garth Brooks | Tim McGraw | Faith Hill | Steve Wariner, Billy Kirsch – "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" |
| 1997 | Garth Brooks | George Strait | Trisha Yearwood | Stephony Smith – "It's Your Love" |
| 1996 | Brooks & Dunn | George Strait | Patty Loveless | Bill Mack – "Blue" |
| 1995 | Brooks & Dunn | Alan Jackson | Patty Loveless | Dickey Lee, Karen Staley, Danny Mayo – "The Keeper of the Stars" |
| 1994 | Reba McEntire | Alan Jackson | Reba McEntire | Gary Baker, Frank J. Myers – "I Swear" |
| 1993 | Garth Brooks | Vince Gill | Wynonna Judd | Victoria Shaw, Chuck Cannon – "I Love the Way You Love Me" |
| 1992 | Garth Brooks | Vince Gill | Mary Chapin Carpenter | Vince Gill, John Barlow Jarvis – "I Still Believe in You" |
| 1991 | Garth Brooks | Garth Brooks | Reba McEntire | Billy Dean, Richard Leigh – "Somewhere in My Broken Heart" |
| 1990 | Garth Brooks | Garth Brooks | Reba McEntire | Tony Arata – "The Dance" |
| 1989 | George Strait | Clint Black | Kathy Mattea | Jon Vezner, Don Henry – "Where've You Been" |
| 1988 | Hank Williams, Jr. | George Strait | K. T. Oslin | Charles Gene Nelson, Paul Nelson – "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" |
| 1987 | Hank Williams, Jr. | Randy Travis | Reba McEntire | Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz – "Forever and Ever, Amen" |
| 1986 | Hank Williams, Jr. | Randy Travis | Reba McEntire | Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz – "On the Other Hand" |
| 1985 | Alabama | George Strait | Reba McEntire | Fred Parris, Mike Reid, Troy Seals – "Lost in the Fifties Tonight" |
| 1984 | Alabama | George Strait | Reba McEntire | Harlan Howard, Brent Maher, Sonny Throckmorton – "Why Not Me" |
| 1983 | Alabama | Lee Greenwood | Janie Fricke | Larry Henley, Jeff Silbar – "Wind Beneath My Wings" |
| 1982 | Alabama | Ronnie Milsap | Sylvia | Merle Haggard – "Are the Good Times Really Over " |
| 1981 | Alabama | Merle Haggard | Barbara Mandrell | Felice Bryant, Boudleaux Bryant, Larry Collins, Sandy Pinkard – "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" |
| 1980 | Barbara Mandrell | George Jones | Dolly Parton | Bobby Braddock, Curly Putman – "He Stopped Loving Her Today" |
| 1979 | Willie Nelson | Larry Gatlin | Crystal Gayle | Sonny Throckmorton, Curly Putman – "It's a Cheating Situation" |
| 1978 | Kenny Rogers | Kenny Rogers | Barbara Mandrell | Randy Goodrum – "You Needed Me" |
| 1977 | Dolly Parton | Kenny Rogers | Crystal Gayle | Roger Bowling, Hal Bynum – "Lucille" |
| 1976 | Mickey Gilley | Mickey Gilley | Crystal Gayle | Baker Knight – "Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time" |
| 1975 | Loretta Lynn | Conway Twitty | Loretta Lynn | Larry Weiss – "Rhinestone Cowboy" |
| 1974 | Mac Davis | Merle Haggard | Loretta Lynn | Don Wayne – "Country Bumpkin" |
| 1973 | Roy Clark | Charlie Rich | Loretta Lynn | Kenny O'Dell – "Behind Closed Doors" |
| 1972 | Roy Clark | Merle Haggard | Donna Fargo | Donna Fargo – "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA" |
| 1971 | Freddie Hart | Freddie Hart | Loretta Lynn | Freddie Hart – "Easy Loving" |
| 1970 | Merle Haggard | Merle Haggard | Lynn Anderson | Kris Kristofferson – "For the Good Times" |
| 1969 | — | Merle Haggard | Tammy Wynette | — |
| 1968 | — | Glen Campbell | Cathie Taylor | — |
| 1967 | — | Glen Campbell | Lynn Anderson | — |
| 1966 | — | Merle Haggard | Bonnie Guitar | — |
| 1965 | — | Buck Owens | Bonnie Owens | — |
- Source:
Artists of the decade
- 2010s: Jason Aldean
- 2000s: George Strait
- 1990s: Garth Brooks
- 1980s: Alabama
- 1970s: Loretta Lynn
- 1960s: Marty Robbins
Triple-Crown Award
- Kenny Chesney
- Merle Haggard
- Mickey Gilley
- Barbara Mandrell
- Brooks & Dunn
- Carrie Underwood
- Jason Aldean