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With country stars creating memorable songs since the genre was created in the 1920s, the Academy of Country Music decided to remember such artists with the ACM Awards. Since 1966, the organization has held yearly ceremonies to honor the accomplishments of country singers. The first time it was televised to fans was in 1972 on ABC. Throughout the decades, the music, awards, and even its broadcasting home went through numerous changes. The organization has marked deals with ABC, NBC, and CBS, but recently, the ACM Awards announced a multi-year broadcast deal with a company that only grows each passing year.
Two Legends Help Boost The ACM Awards
Back in May 2023, the ACM Awards hosted their ceremony at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas. The event welcomed hosts Garth Brook and Dolly Parton. With both legends in their own right, it makes sense. Before stepping on the stage, Dolly Parton discussed her ongoing friendship with Brooks, claiming, “A lot of people do think that we’re close friends and we feel close. We definitely have that kindred spirit, but we’ve never had a chance to spend a lot of time together.” She added that working with him on the awards helped them rekindle their friendship. “I’ve always admired him and respected him and I know who he is and what he does, and I have a lot of friends that are close to him.”
As for Garth Brooks, working with Dolly Parton on the ACM Awards appeared to be a milestone for the country singer. “It’s not an everyday thing that you could just sit down with someone like Dolly Parton. We did the promos about a month ago. But when we walked in we held hands. It was like all of a sudden now, I felt we’d known each other forever.”
Moving To A New Home With Streaming
During the 2023 ACM Awards, a staggering 7.7 million people tuned in on Amazon Prime Video. Thanks to the massive reach of Amazon, the awards were the most-watched awards of 2023. With that information in mind, it should come as no surprise that the organization decided to strike a multi-year deal with the streaming service.
Excited about the new deal, the head of television at Amazon MGM Studios, Vernon Sanders, celebrated the deal, admitting they were overwhelmed by the amount of people who tuned in. “After seeing last year’s show grow to more than 7.7 million viewers, we could not be more thrilled to continue our relationship with the Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions for the next two years.”
Get ready to party! The #ACMawards will return to @PrimeVideo with a multi-year deal through the show’s milestone 60th anniversary in 2025. The 59th ACM Awards are set for May 2024 from Ford Center at @thestarinfrisco, the world HQ of the @dallascowboys. More details coming soon. pic.twitter.com/rTbQosUUZq
— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) November 2, 2023
That’s right, in 2024 and 2025, the ACM Awards with call Amazon Prime Video home. And it wasn’t just Sanders who seemed thrilled about the news. Damon Whiteside, the CEO of the Academy of Country Music released a statement, saying they were “proud to extend our relationship with Amazon for the next two years, through the historic milestone of the 60th ACM Awards, and continue to bring Country Music’s Party of the Year live to a global audience on Prime Video.”
Were you one of the close to eight million who watched the ACM Awards? If so, what was your favorite moment? Be sure to tell us about it in the comments below.