Academy Of Country Music

What Academy Of Country Music does

The Academy of Country Music (ACM) is a private, nonprofit trade organization founded in 1964 in Los Angeles and currently headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. It operates the longest-running country music awards show in the United States, alongside ACM Honors (a special awards ceremony), ACM Radio Awards, ACM Studio Recording Awards, and ACM Industry Awards. Its core product is the annual ACM Awards broadcast, which since 2022 has streamed exclusively on Amazon's Prime Video to over 240 countries and territories, marking the first major awards show to livestream exclusively. The organization serves country music artists (from emerging acts to established superstars including Miranda Lambert, Brooks & Dunn, Cody Johnson, and Ella Langley), industry professionals from major labels, agencies, and business management firms, and country music fans domestically and internationally.

ACM monetizes primarily through brand sponsorships and partnerships with companies including Ford, Jack Daniel's, Coors, American Airlines, Ashley Furniture, Carhartt, Albertsons, and Mountain Valley Spring Water; ticketing for the ACM Awards ceremony and Awards Week events priced at $75-$200 per ticket; exclusive streaming licensing with Prime Video; and merchandise sales through an Amazon storefront. The Academy's philanthropic arm, ACM Lifting Lives (founded 2006), has distributed over $12 million to more than 150 causes. A subsidiary publication, ACM Tempo, is a quarterly industry magazine. The 11-50 employee organization produces the awards show in long-running partnership with Dick Clark Productions (since 1979) and is governed by a board comprising senior executives from major music industry companies including Warner Music Nashville, WME, CAA, and FBMM.

In 2026 the organization launched a new premium digital series, OUR COUNTRY, distributed across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook Reels; entered a multi-year partnership with Legends for event and merchandise operations; and announced a collaboration with NASCAR team 23XI Racing. The Academy is undergoing a leadership transition, with CEO Damon Whiteside's resignation effective June 30, 2026.

Name

Academy Of Country Music

Legal name

Academy of Country Music

Website

https://acmcountry.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Academy of Country Music is a nonprofit trade organization founded in 1964 that produces the longest-running country music awards show, ACM Honors, and related programming, serving country music artists, industry professionals, and fans through Prime Video streaming and live events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Industry Awards and Events

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

Awards Ceremonies & Recognition Events (MPAGAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual Awards Ceremonies & Competitions (Judging, Voting) (MPAGAOAN)

Keywords

• Country music awards
• Music industry events
• Artist recognition programs
• Live entertainment ceremonies
• Entertainment membership organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Ticketing: ACM generates revenue through ticket sales for the ACM Awards ceremony and surrounding ACM Awards Week events including 'ACM Lifting Lives Country on the Green' and 'ACM Next Wave: Country's Beach Bash'
2. Streaming Rights: Multi-year exclusive streaming partnership with Prime Video for the ACM Awards broadcast, making it the first major awards show to livestream exclusively
3. Brand Partnerships & Sponsorships: Partnerships with brands including Albertsons, American Airlines, Ashley Furniture, Carhartt, Coors, Jack Daniel's, Ford, and others who sponsor the ACM Awards and events
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of ACM Awards merchandise including past show merchandise through Amazon

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Academy of Country Music produces and operates annual country music awards ceremonies and recognition events, including the flagship ACM Awards (longest-running country music awards show, established 1966), ACM Honors (special awards), and ACM Radio Awards. The organization also produces premium digital content series (OUR COUNTRY), publishes a quarterly industry magazine (ACM Tempo), operates the ACM Lifting Lives philanthropic program, and runs an industry membership program for country music professionals. ACM awards shows are produced in partnership with Dick Clark Productions and streamed exclusively on Prime Video globally.

Product overview

The Academy of Country Music operates a portfolio of awards programs and entertainment events. The core offerings include the ACM Awards (the flagship annual awards ceremony), ACM Honors (special awards program), and ACM Radio Awards. The organization also produces digital content through the OUR COUNTRY™ series, publishes ACM Tempo magazine, runs the ACM Lifting Lives philanthropic initiative, and offers membership programs including an internship pathway. The awards shows are produced in partnership with Dick Clark Productions and streamed exclusively on Prime Video.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACM Lifting Lives: Philanthropic arm of the Academy dedicated to improving lives through the power of music, supporting health-related initiatives, emergency relief, mental health programs, and music therapy.
• ACM Tempo
• OUR COUNTRY

Products and services

• ACM Awards The flagship annual Country Music awards ceremony, the longest-running Country Music awards show, established in 1966. The 61st ceremony streams exclusively on Prime Video globally across 240+ countries and territories. Honors achievements across categories including Entertainer of the Year, Male/Female Artist of the Year, New Male/Female Artist of the Year, Duo/Group of the Year, Album/Single/Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Music Event of the Year, and Visual Media of the Year.
• ACM Honors Annual special awards ceremony celebrating industry members with special honors including the Poet's Award, International Award, Film Award, Icon Award, Spirit Award, Service Award, Lifting Lives Award, and Lift Every Voice Award. Scheduled annually in Nashville.
• ACM Radio Awards Annual awards program recognizing excellence in country radio broadcasting, including station and personality categories across major, large, medium, and small markets.
• OUR COUNTRY Digital Series Premium digital series featuring intimate acoustic performances and personal storytelling from country music artists, distributed across TikTok, YouTube, Reels, Facebook Reels, and Instagram. Designed to drive year-round fan engagement between major awards events.
• ACM Lifting Lives The philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music, dedicated to improving lives through the power of music. Has donated over $12 million to more than 150 causes since 2006, supporting the country music community through emergency relief, mental health initiatives, and music therapy programs. Operates the Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund in memory of Gayle Holcomb's mother.
• ACM Tempo Quarterly magazine publication by the Academy of Country Music featuring artist interviews, industry news, and editorial coverage of the country music industry.
• ACM Membership Program Industry membership program for country music professionals providing voting rights, networking, professional development, and participation in awards governance. Members drive the awards voting process and serve on committees.

Quantifiable outcome

• Global broadcast reach across 240+ countries and territories
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Prime VideocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022Multi-year exclusive streaming partnership for the ACM Awards broadcast. The 61st ACM Awards streamed exclusively on Prime Video globally across 240+ countries and territories. This partnership began with the 57th ACM Awards in 2022, making ACM the first major awards show to exclusively livestream.
• Dick Clark Productions (DCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture between Eldridge Industries and Penske Media that produces the ACM Awards show. DCP has produced the ACM Awards since 1979 in partnership with the Academy. Raj Kapoor and Patrick Menton serve as executive producers.
• Amazon MusiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorACM Awards also stream on Amazon Music's Twitch channel and Amazon Music app, extending reach to Amazon's music streaming audience alongside Prime Video.
• MusiCaresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MusiCares to expand reach of ACM Lifting Lives charitable initiatives supporting the country music community.
• Music Health AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Music Health Alliance to expand ACM Lifting Lives reach in providing health-related assistance to the country music industry community.
• Mountain Valley Spring WaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Water of the Academy of Country Music Awards, providing sponsorship for the awards show.
• AlbertsonsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner of the ACM Awards.
• American AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner of the ACM Awards.
• Ashley FurnitureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner of the ACM Awards.
• CarharttminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner of the ACM Awards.
• Coors LightminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner of the ACM Awards.
• Jack Daniel'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner of the ACM Awards.
• FordminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner of the ACM Awards.
• WranglerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner of the ACM Awards.
• AXSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial ticketing platform for ACM Awards and ACM Awards Week events.
• 23XI RacingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership announced in May 2026 for collaboration between NASCAR team and the Academy of Country Music.
• LegendsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year partnership announced between the Academy of Country Music and Legends for event and merchandise operations.
• Black Music Action CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch the OnRamp program for future leaders in the music industry.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Grand Ole Opry: The Grand Ole Opry is the iconic weekly country music stage show based in Nashville, sharing ACM's geographic and genre focus. Both compete for artist appearances, fan mindshare, and sponsorship dollars in the Nashville country music ecosystem.
• Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI): NSAI is a Nashville-based trade association that runs the Songwriter/Artist of the Year awards and other recognition programs for country songwriting talent. It is a more narrowly scoped peer targeting the same songwriter and artist voting community ACM serves.
• Country Music Association (CMA): The Country Music Association runs the CMA Awards, the other preeminent country music awards show. CMA is the closest direct peer, competing for the same artists, fans, sponsors, and streaming partners as ACM in the country awards category.
• iHeartRadio Music Awards: The iHeartRadio Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show run by iHeartMedia, combining streaming and radio distribution. It is comparable to ACM in terms of multi-platform distribution and emphasis on country and pop categories.
• American Music Awards (AMAs): The American Music Awards is a fan-voted major music awards show, comparable to ACM Awards in production scale, sponsorship-driven revenue model, and broadcast/streaming strategy. It competes with ACM for artist appearances and global streaming audience.
• Billboard Music Awards: The Billboard Music Awards is another major U.S. music awards show, also recently distributed via streaming (Amazon Prime Video and others). It is a direct comparable for ACM in format, monetization model (sponsors, streaming rights), and audience competition.

Broad incumbents

• Recording Academy (Grammy Awards): The Recording Academy runs the Grammy Awards, a far larger and genre-spanning music awards organization. It serves as a broad incumbent against which ACM benchmarks its own production quality, streaming innovation, and broadcast partnerships (e.g., CBS/CBS+ vs. ACM's Prime Video strategy).
• BET Awards: BET Awards is a major genre-specific awards show (urban/hip-hop) operated within a larger media company (Paramount/BET Networks). It is comparable to ACM as a model of how a focused genre awards property can be operated at scale with deep sponsor and broadcast partnerships.
• MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs): The MTV VMAs is a flagship pop-culture awards show under Paramount Global, comparable to ACM Awards as a major broadcast/streaming awards production targeting a global youth audience. It shares operational comparability in production scale, monetization, and platform partnerships.

Emerging players

• CMT (Country Music Television): CMT is a country-focused cable/streaming network that operates its own awards (CMT Music Awards) and amplifies country artists year-round. It overlaps with ACM on country music audience and artist talent but competes from a media-network base rather than a member-led trade organization base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ACMAwards
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ACMCOUNTRY
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Academy-of-Country-Music/35896804101
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/academy-of-country-music
• Instagraminstagram.com/acmawards
• TikToktiktok.com/@acmawards

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Academy Of Country Music