The Academy of Country Music Awards are back for the 55th annual awards show! Though a postponement moved the show from its original planned date back in March 2020 to September, it’s set to be an even bigger spectacle now that the event will include both live and pre-taped performances from some of country music’s most popular artists.
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Award shows have been stepping up their game and offering bigger and better performances lately. This time around, the show will feature performances from host Keith Urban with Pink, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi, Trisha Yearwood, Miranda Lambert, Mickey Guyton, Tim McGraw, and Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Stefani. Plus, the show will open up with all five of the Entertainer of the Year nominees performing a must-see medley of their hits. There will even be a live performance debut of Taylor Swift’s latest single “Betty” from her new album Folklore.
The show must go on, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, so on Wednesday, September 16, the Academy of Country Music is holding its 55th annual ACM Awards live from Nashville beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
If you don’t have cable, here’s how to watch a live stream of the 2020 ACM Awards online for free:
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Watch CBS on Amazon Prime Channels
Amazon Prime subscribers (Prime comes with a 30-day free trial) can watch a live stream of CBS on the Prime CBS All-Access channel. You can try both Amazon Prime and the CBS Channel at no cost with a free trial right here:
Amazon Prime CBS All-Access Free Trial
Once you’re signed up for the Prime CBS All-Access Channel, you can watch the 2020 ACM Awards live on the Amazon Video app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Nvidia Shield, Xiaomi, Echo Show or Echo Spot, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, various Smart TV’s, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Amazon website.
Watch CBS on FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of CBS (live in most markets) and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which you can use for free with a seven-day trial right here:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the 2020 ACM Awards live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV also comes with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch shows on-demand within three days of their conclusion, even if you don’t record them.
Watch CBS on Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of CBS (live in most markets) and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the 2020 ACM Awards live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV comes with both its extensive on-demand library (which includes most new shows and events by the next day) and 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
CBS All-Access
This is ultimately the same as Amazon Prime option above, only you’ll watch on CBS’ digital platforms instead of Amazon’s. You can watch a live stream of your local CBS channel via CBS All-Access, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for CBS All-Access, you can watch the 2020 ACM Awards live on the CBS app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the CBS All Access website.
The 55th ACM Awards Preview
This year, the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards will be sans audience due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it will still feature all the boot-stompin’ performances fans have come to expect.
The 2020 ACM Entertainer of the Year nominees Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett and Carrie Underwood will kick off the show with a performance featuring a medley of each of their greatest hits. Then, for the first time in the show’s history, the awards will take place live from three iconic country music venues in Nashville: The Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, and the Bluebird Cafe.
The show will also feature performances by Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Kane Brown, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Riley Green, Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Stefani, Taylor Swift, Tenille Townes, Keith Urban and P!NK, Morgan Wallen, and Trisha Yearwood. Joining the all-star lineup are presenters Lauren Alaina, Lily Aldridge, Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black, Bobby Bones, Cam, Darius Rucker, and Runaway June.
Ahead of the show, the Academy revealed that Riley Green is the New Male Artist of the Year and Tenille Townes is the New Female Artist of the Year. Green and Townes were surprised with the news of their wins during a video meeting crashed by the awards host, reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year and 15-time ACM Award winner Keith Urban.
“When we had to come off the road back in March, I wasn’t sure what the rest of 2020 would look like,” said Green in a press release. “So much has happened in the world since then, and I’m really excited to have a moment to play music again. My grandfathers’ love for country music is what led me to this moment, and I have to dedicate this award to them. Thank you to everyone who believes in my music enough to let this boy from Alabama get to share his songs like this.”
“I’ll always remember this feeling, standing here as a new artist,” said Townes. “I feel so honored and incredibly grateful just to be a part of this country music community that inspires me. Receiving this ACM Award feels like belief from that community, and that means so much to me.”
“This year’s New Artists have experienced astounding success already, and the Academy feels honored to be able to present them with their first ACM Award win,” said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. “We hope this is a memory that they will carry with them as their careers continue to thrive. A huge congratulations to all of this year’s well-deserving nominees, and a special thank you to the artists’ teams who helped the Academy pull off the surprise, especially our host Keith Urban for making this moment monumental. We can’t wait to see Riley and Tenille on the 55TH ACM Awards stage on September 16!”
The 2020 Academy of Country Music Awards air live Wednesday, September 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
