2022 ACM Awards Will Stream Exclusively on Amazon Prime

The Academy of Country Music Awards will look very different in 2022. In a press release issued Thursday (Aug. 19), the Academy of Country Music announced that the 57th ACM Awards will air exclusively via Amazon Prime, marking the first-ever major awards show to adopt a streaming-only format.

The news came about via a partnership between the streaming service, the ACM and MRC, whose Dick Clark Productions produces the broadcast each year.

"We're excited to continue to expand our content offerings for Prime Video customers by being the exclusive home for the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2022 and honoring the best in country music,” Amazon Studios co-head of television Vernon Sanders says. "Reaching this milestone with our partners at the Academy of Country Music and MRC as the first major awards show to be livestreamed speaks to our dedication and commitment to continue to both entertain and innovate for our audience."

The first ACM Awards took place in 1966, making the annual awards ceremony the longest-running in country music. The 2021 ACM Awards aired from Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, Bluebird Cafe and Ryman Auditorium in April, with Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton co-hosting the broadcast on CBS. The show also streamed via Paramount+.

The ACM says the new move to Amazon Prime and a streaming-only format points the way forward for all such awards shows.

“We are thrilled that the Academy of Country Music Awards are first to take this giant step toward the future of awards shows with Amazon Prime Video," states Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. "This partnership, which reinforces our position as an innovative, progressive awards show, will deliver the broadest possible audience and, simultaneously, deliver massive value to our artists whose music lives inside this ecosystem, enabling fans to discover and stream music as they watch."

The date and location for the 57th annual ACM Awards are to be announced, but a press release promises the inaugural streaming-only broadcast will feature "exciting collaborations, surprising moments, and an unprecedented number of world television-premiere performances."

2021 ACM Awards Show Photos:

The 2021 ACM Awards took place in Nashville on Sunday night (April 18). Luke Bryan was crowned Entertainer of the Year, while Thomas Rhett and Maren Morris were named Male and Female Artist of the Year, respectively.

The three-hour show was also packed with performances from Miranda Lambert, Luke Combs, Little Big Town and many more. Artists were at the Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium and the Bluebird Cafe, as well as on Lower Broadway, at the Station Inn and along the Nashville riverfront.

Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton co-hosted the show.

2021 ACM Red Carpet Pictures

The best dressed on the 2021 ACM Awards red carpet brought color — lots of color — for an awards show that promises to be a celebration. Photos show stars like Carly Pearce, Kelsea Ballerini, Chris Young, Kane Brown and more wearing the hottest and often most expensive designer outfits, or suits they designed themselves, in the case of Jimmie Allen.

Check out a full gallery of country music's hottest stars on the ACM Awards red carpet. Who do you think is best dressed and worst dressed?

The 2021 ACM Awards took place at the Bluebird Cafe, Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Sunday (April 18).