The 2020 ACM Awards will take place in Nashville for the first time ever. Following the annual awards show's postponement due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Academy of Country Music announced the new location for the event on Monday (April 27).
According to a press release, the 55th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will broadcast from three iconic Nashville venues: the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry House and the Bluebird Cafe. The awards will take place on Wednesday, September 16.
"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," ACM CEO Damon Whiteside says. He continues on to explain that the decision to move this year was to "ensure the safety of our artists and industry, and to ease the burdens of traveling large teams."
"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," he adds. "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!"
Originally, the 2020 ACM Awards were supposed to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 5. Las Vegas has hosted the show every year since 2003 except for 2015 when the show's 50th anniversary was moved to Arlington, Texas.
"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," Nashville Mayor John Cooper says. "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."
The press release notes that national, state and local health guidelines will guide their plans during production. At this time, no information has been shared about if fans will be allowed to attend the show in person.
The reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year, Keith Urban is set to host the show. The 2020 ACM Awards will air live on CBS at 8 PM ET on September 16.
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