ACMs set to return to Las Vegas in 2026. When are the awards?
Audrey Gibbs- The Academy of Country Music Awards will return to Las Vegas for the 61st ceremony.
- The event is scheduled for May 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
- Fans can stream the awards show live on Prime Video and the Amazon Music Twitch channel.
- The ACMs were last held in Las Vegas in 2022 after a three-year stint in Frisco, Texas.
The Academy of Country Music Awards are back and headed to Las Vegas, Nevada.
After taking place in Frisco, Texas for the past three years, ACM, Prime Video and Dick Clark Productions announced Dec. 1 that the ceremony will return to Vegas, its host city for many years.
The 61st ACMs will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 17 and will stream live on Prime Video and Amazon Music's Twitch channel.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to return to MGM Grand for the 61st ACM Awards next May, a place that holds a lot of history and special memories for the Academy. It truly feels like a homecoming for us,” said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the ACM.
“There’s no better place to host an exciting, global Country Music celebration than fabulous Las Vegas!”
This year's ACM Awards, which were hosted by Reba McEntire on May 8, featured appearances from Ella Langley, Eric Church, Jelly Roll and more.
Ella Langley swept five categories at the 2025 ACMS, including new female artist of the year. Lainey Wilson took home the night's top honor: Entertainer of the Year.
The ACMs, which resided on and off in Las Vegas from 2003 to 2019, were last held in the city in 2022.
How to buy tickets to the 2026 ACM Awards
Tickets for the 2026 ACM Awards will go on sale early 2026. To stay up to date, fans can sign up for the ACM newsletter at acmcountry.com.
Audrey Gibbs is a music journalist at The Tennessean. You can reach her at [email protected].