The stars of country music will align once again as the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards prepares to hit the Ford Center in Frisco on May 16.
The night will include performances from some of the biggest names in country music, including Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton, and Lainey Wilson.
Additionally, Reba McEntire has been announced as the evening’s host, marking her 17th appearance at the award show.
“I am tickled to pieces to get to host. What an honor to have been part of the past, present, and now the future of the Academy of Country Music,” said McEntire.
With an impressive 16 ACM Awards to her name, McEntire has solidified her place as country music royalty. Garnering nine nominations for ACM Entertainer of the Year, a title she eventually clinched in 1994, McEntire stands as the most nominated female artist in the history of the awards.
ACM CEO Damon Whiteside echoed the sentiment, stating in a press release, “No one has a deeper and richer history with the Academy than Reba.”
In addition to her hosting duties, McEntire will also perform and debut new music during the show.
Viewers around the globe can catch all the action by streaming this year’s awards live on Prime Video at 7 p.m. Last year, the platform drew in more than 7.7 million viewers, according to Whiteside. For those eager to experience the magic firsthand, a limited number of tickets are available for purchase online.
This year marks the second consecutive year the ACM Awards will be held at the Ford Center in Frisco, nestled within the Dallas Cowboys’ world headquarters. Last year, country legends Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks took the reins as hosts.
Reflecting on the decision to host the awards in Frisco again, Whiteside remarked, per The Dallas Morning News, “Frisco really turned out to be a great home for us last year. It was something very unexpected for us. But it really turned out to be fantastic.”
With a legacy dating back to 1966, the ACM Awards have established themselves as “country music’s party of the year.” From Southern California to Las Vegas and Nashville, the awards show has traversed the country, celebrating the genre’s finest talents. However, thanks to the city’s initial success, Frisco will now host the award show for a second consecutive year.
Leading the pack of nominees this year are Luke Combs, Megan Moroney, and Morgan Wallen. Combs, in particular, has garnered eight nominations, including Entertainer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year.
New stars will also have a chance to grace the stage with a variety of first-time nominees at the award show, including the Lubbock group Flatland Cavalry. Flatland Cavalry had a breakout year within the industry thanks to a new single featured in The Hunger Games as well as a recent highlight feature story by Rolling Stone.
As anticipation builds for the 59th ACM Awards, all eyes are on Frisco’s preparations for the biggest stars in country music to take center stage.