Riley Green, Lainey Wilson and Cody Johnson are the first three performers announced for the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards. All three artists won key awards on last year’s show. This year’s show will stream live on Prime Video on Sunday, May 17 at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Green, a four-time ACM Award winner, will perform his hit “Change My Mind,” which holds at No. 16 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Wilson, who has amassed 16 ACM Awards in the last four years, will deliver the world premiere performance of her new single “Can’t Sit Still.” Johnson will perform an unspecified song following his win last year for song of the year as the recording artist on songwriter Josh Phillips’ “Dirt Cheap.”
Green won three awards last year, including single of the year, as the featured artist on Ella Langley’s “you look like you love me.” Wilson’s six wins last year included entertainer of the year for the second year in a row and female artist of the year for the third year in a row.
Green is set to headline “ACM Lifting Lives Country on the Green: Riley Green & Friends” at Topgolf Las Vegas on Friday, May 15.
Raj Kapoor and Patrick Menton are executive producers (EPs) of the 61st ACM Awards, with Kapoor also serving as showrunner. Damon Whiteside serves as EP for the Academy of Country Music. Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as EPs for Dick Clark Productions. John Saade will serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
This represents a promotion for Menton, whose title was formerly co-executive producer. Menton started on the show as talent producer in 2018-19, before becoming co-producer from 2020-22 and then co-executive producer from 2023-25.
“I am thrilled to be elevated to executive producer of the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, alongside fellow EP & showrunner, my dear friend, Raj Kapoor,” Menton said in an exclusive statement to Billboard. “This marks my 10th production with the ACMs, and I am truly honored and humbled to be part of the country music community. I continue to be in awe of the artistry and the genuine care these artists show one another. For a genre that has achieved such global success, it still feels like a close-knit family.
“I’m especially grateful for the trust of the artists and their teams that we have collaborated with over the years, the unforgettable performances we’ve brought to life, and the privilege to work with such a remarkable crew whose passion and dedication make it all possible.”
Kapoor discussed Menton’s growing role on the ACM Awards in a wide-ranging interview with Billboard last month. “It’s his first year as executive producer. It’s been amazing to see Patrick’s growth.”
Established in 1966, the Academy of Country Music Awards is the longest-running country music awards show. The show made history in 2022 as the first major awards ceremony to exclusively livestream.
In addition to the livestream on Prime Video, fans will also be able to watch the broadcast on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, as well as in the Amazon Music app.
Another previously announced ACM Awards week event is “ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash” at Mandalay Bay Beach on Saturday May 16.
Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for the 61st annual ACM Awards and ACM Awards week events are available for purchase on AXS.com.
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.