The ACM Awards Celebrate Their 60th Anniversary Tonight — Here’s How They Began
The Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM Awards), which air tonight at 8pm EST on Amazon Prime, celebrate all things country music, from its stars and their music, to the best in performances and fashion. This year, the award show also celebrates itself, and its 60th anniversary — so we thought we would take a look back on its impressive history, flashback to the the biggest winners and finally share the difference between the ACMs and the CMAs.
So, sit back, put on your favorite country record and prepare to learn more about the award show that started all the way back in the 1960s.
The first ACM Awards (1960s-1970s)
Everett Collection
While many people think of Nashville or Texas when they think of country music, the ACMs actually started in California. Founded in 1964, the award show was created to give recognition to the artists on the Western side of the United States, specifically those with the twangy Bakersfield Sound. The first award show, which occurred in 1966, was very simple, with the first awards going to icons such as Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.
In 1971, Haggard cleaned up with the inaugural Entertainer of the Year award and he also became the first-ever Triple Crown Award winner. In 2005, the ACMs announced a Triple Crown Award consisting of Top New Artist, Top Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year. Any artist that won all three awards would get a Triple Crown. As of now, only nine stars have achieved the prestigious award including Mickey Gilley, Barbara Mandrell and Brooks & Dunn.
1972 was a particularly memorable year as Freddie Hart took home Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Top Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year. Only thing he didn’t win was New Artist or Female of the Year. That honor went to Loretta Lynn who went on to win Female Vocalist of the year three more times in the ’70s. Other big names in the 1970s included Conway Twitty, Charlie Pride, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Roy Clark, Crystal Gayle (Loretta’s sister) and Glen Campbell.
Classic country (1980s & 1990s)
As the country music genre became more popular and diverse in the ’80s and ’90s, the ACM Awards Show also grew in popularity. It began airing on national television, and the show and performances became more grandiose.
The show was mostly a boys’ club in the ’80s, with Willie Nelson getting his first award in 1980, Alabama taking home Entertainer of the Year five consecutive times from 1982 to 1986, and Hank Williams Jr. winning three times in a row from 1987 to 1989. George Strait won it in 1990, followed by Garth Brooks, who went on a run from 1991 to 1994.
It was finally in 1995 that Reba McEntire won big and took home the award for Top Female Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year. She had previously won Vocalist of the Year six times before this, with a total of eight times.
Other big names not to be forgotten include The Judds (who were reportedly retiring in 1991), Randy Travis, Ronnie Milsap, George Jones, Alan Jackson, Vince Gill and Clint Black.
Modern hits (2000s to now)
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Of course, as the decades rolled by and country music changed, so did the show. Who can forget when Taylor Swift came onto the scene and started winning awards? She won Best New Female Vocalist at the 2008 ACM Awards. She also performed “Should’ve Said No” at the show.
The ACM Awards continue to celebrate icons who have been beloved for years as well as help usher in a new generation of singers. This year, the award show will be hosted by McEntire at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
Biggest winners at the ACM Awards
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Can you guess the country artist with the most overall wins? That honor goes to country queen Miranda Lambert with 37 total wins, including ACM for Entertainer of the Year in 2022. Duo Brooks & Dunn are next with 27 wins. Other stars who obtained many ACM awards include Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Merle Haggard, Garth Brooks and George Strait.
Difference between the ACMs and the CMAs
So, what’s the difference between the top country music award shows, anyway? The Country Music Association Awards (CMAs) were founded first, in 1958 and started hosting the awards show in 1967, while the ACMs were started in 1964, with the show beginning in 1966. Both recognize achievements in country music and host exciting performances, but the categories are different, as the ACMs include categories such as artist-songwriter and music event of the year.
While the ACMs were created as a West Coast counterpoint to the CMAs, they are now both fairly broad. Both award show nominations are determined by its members, who include industry professionals. Which one do you prefer to watch?
Get more information about this year’s show below:
TV Insider 
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