Nashville returns to North Texas this week, with the 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards taking over the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco on May 16.
The event’s return to North Texas follows last year’s event in Frisco, which was the first time the ACM Awards were held here since 2015, when the 50th annual ceremony was held inside AT&T Stadium, setting the Guinness World Record for the most-attended awards show with an audience of 70,000.
The ACM Awards will be streamed live on Prime Video at 7 p.m. Central, and press materials note that an Amazon Prime membership will not be required to watch the event live. A replay of the event will be available on May 17 at 7 p.m. Central via the Amazon Music app and for free on Amazon Freevee.
North Texas music fans interested in attending the ACM Awards in person can check out the tickets available through SeatGeek, with general admission prices starting at $137 (before fees) and going up from there.
Whether you’re streaming from home or screaming along in person to your favorite songs, here’s a quick look at what to expect from this year’s ACM Awards.
The nominees
Luke Combs leads the 2024 pack with eight overall nominations, including male artist of the year and entertainer of the year. Morgan Wallen and Megan Moroney have six nominations each, while Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson have five nominations apiece. Jelly Roll and Jordan Davis each have four nominations.
The performers
The ACM Awards always reel in plenty of bold-faced names to take the stage, and 2024 is no exception. Scheduled performers include multiple Texans (Miranda Lambert, Post Malone and Cody Johnson, among others), alongside Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan, Jason Aldean (who’ll pay tribute to the late Toby Keith), Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson, to name just a few.
The host
Reba McEntire will make history before the show even gets underway: This stint as host marks her 17th time, which is the most of any artist. “I am tickled to pieces to get to host the ACM Awards for the 17th time,” McEntire said in a statement. “What an honor to have been part of the past, present and now the future of the Academy of Country Music with Amazon Prime Video. I can’t wait to get to Texas.” McEntire has won 16 ACM Awards, and holds the most nominations ever for Female Artist of the Year.
The 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards at the Ford Center at the Star, Frisco. 7 p.m. May 16. Tickets are $137-$1,629.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on X (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
