The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards were held on April 18, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast from various locations around Nashville. The evening was co-hosted by Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton.[1] The ceremony involved no ticketed audience due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but featured a limited number of health care workers.
| 56th Academy of Country Music Awards | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date | April 18, 2021 |
| Location |
|
| Hosted by | |
| Most awards | (2 each) |
| Most nominations | (4 each) |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | CBS |
| Viewership | 6.28 million |
Background
editOn March 11, 2021, CBS announced that the ceremony would be co-hosted by Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton. With her involvement, Guyton became the first African-American female, and second African-American overall, to host the ceremony, after Charley Pride, who co-hosted the ceremony in 1984.[2] The full list of performers were announced on April 5, 2021, which included a record four Black artists.[3]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show followed a similar format to the 55th ceremony, utilizing several locations and including a mix of live and pre-recorded performances.[4][5] As with the 55th ceremony, presentations took place at the Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium, and the Bluebird Café, while performances were also held at The Station Inn, Lower Broadway, and the Cumberland River.[6] Unlike the previous ceremony, a limited number of health care workers were also invited to attend the components of the ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry House and Ryman Auditorium, seated on the balconies (while the main floors were used to seat rotating groups of nominees).[5][7]
On February 3, 2021, the ACM announced that Morgan Wallen would be ineligible to receive nominations or be involved with the ceremony, amid criticism of Wallen over a video that depicted him using a racial slur.[8][9] The ACM stated that it "does not condone or support intolerance or behavior that doesn't align with our commitment and dedication to diversity and inclusion."[10][11] The nominees were announced on February 21, 2021, with Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris and Chris Stapleton leading with four nods each.[12]
Winners and nominees
editAll nominees are listed below,[13] and the winners are listed in bold.[14]
| Entertainer of the Year | Album of the Year |
|---|---|
| Female Artist of the Year | Male Artist of the Year |
| Group of the Year | Duo of the Year |
| Single of the Year | Song of the Year |
| |
| New Female Artist of the Year | New Male Artist of the Year |
| Songwriter of the Year | Video of the Year |
| Music Event of the Year | |
| |
Performances
editOn April 15, 2021, the ACMs announced the official setlist for the ceremony.[15][16] Luke Bryan was originally scheduled to perform at the ceremony but had to withdraw after testing positive for COVID-19. He was replaced by Lady A.[17]
Presenters
editOn April 16, 2021,[18] the ACMs announced the presenters for the ceremony:
| Presenters |
|---|
| Ingrid Andress |
| Blanco Brown |
| Amy Grant |
| Leslie Jordan |
| Martina McBride |
| Dolly Parton |
| Darius Rucker |
| Clay Walker |
Reception
editThe ceremony was generally well received. Noted for its "efforts to add diversity to its ranks" said the Rolling Stone, "the broadcast hit nearly all the right notes".[19] The 56th ACM Awards gained 6.28 million viewers making it the lowest-rated and least watched ACM Awards to date, but still topping all of broadcast in the demo and drew larger audience than its network competitors combined.[20][21]
References
edit- ^ Freeman, Jon (March 11, 2021). "Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton to Co-Host 2021 ACM Awards". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Dukes, Billy (March 11, 2021). "JUST IN: Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton Announced as 2021 ACM Awards Hosts". Taste of Country. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
- ^ Grein, Paul (April 5, 2021). "4 Black Artists Set to Perform on 2021 ACM Awards: Here's the Full Lineup". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
- ^ Curto, Justin (April 19, 2021). "The Highs, Lows, and Whoas of the 2021 ACM Awards". Vulture. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ a b Willman, Chris (April 14, 2021). "ACM Awards Chief Previews Show: More Locations, More Live Audiences, 'More Fun,' Same Strict COVID Protocols". Variety. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
- ^ ""56th Academy of Academy of Country Music Awards(TM)" to Be Broadcast Live from Three of Nashville's Iconic Country Music Venues Including Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe for the Second Consecutive Year, on Sunday, April 18 on CBS" (Press release). CBS. February 16, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ Willman, Chris (February 16, 2021). "Academy of Country Music Awards Come Up With a Pandemic Plan for 2021: Repeat What Worked for 2020". Variety. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
- ^ Stefano, Angela (February 3, 2021). "Morgan Wallen Deemed Ineligible for 2021 ACM Awards After Using the N-Word". Taste of Country. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Hobbs, Jack (February 4, 2021). "ACM disqualifies Morgan Wallen from award show". New York Post. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Willman, Chris (February 3, 2021). "Morgan Wallen Disqualified by Academy of Country Music for Upcoming Awards; One-Day Airplay Down 80%". Variety. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
- ^ Evans, Greg (February 3, 2021). "Country Star Morgan Wallen Barred From ACM Award Eligibility, Dropped From Radio & Label After N-Word Video – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Leimkuehler, Matthew (February 26, 2021). "ACM Awards nominations 2021: Maren Morris, Chris Stapleton lead nominees. Here's the full list". The Tennessean. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Newman, Melinda (February 26, 2021). "Maren Morris & Chris Stapleton Lead 2021 ACM Awards Nominations". Billboard. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Warner, Denise (April 19, 2021). "Here Are All the Winners From the 2021 ACM Awards". Billboard. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ "ACM Awards 2021 Duets, Medleys and More Announced: All the Details".
- ^ ACM Awards [@ACMawards] (April 13, 2021). "The perfect setlist doesn't exi— 🤭🤯 We are so excited about the 56th #ACMawards performance setlist! Tell us which of these songs you're looking forward to most👇 Watch your favorite Country stars perform these #CountryMusic hits SUNDAY at 8/7c on @CBS & @paramountplus. https://t.co/ZaLYGw3X25" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ "JUST IN: Luke Bryan Out as 2021 ACM Awards Performer After COVID-19 Diagnosis".
- ^ "FULL LINE-UP OF PERFORMERS AND PRESENTERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE "56TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS" INGRID ANDRESS, BLANCO BROWN, AMY GRANT, LESLIE JORDAN, MARTINA MCBRIDE, DOLLY PARTON, DARIUS RUCKER AND CLAY WALKER TO PRESENT". www.acmcountry.com. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
- ^ Jon Freeman; Joseph Hudak; Claire Shaffer (2021-04-19). "2021 ACM Awards: 10 Best, Worst, and Most WTF Moments". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ^ "TV Ratings: ACM Awards Hit All-Time Low". The Hollywood Reporter. 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (2021-04-19). "CBS' ACM Awards Hit All-Time Lows But Still Top Sunday Ratings". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-04-24.