For the first time in their history, the 2022 Academy of Country Music Awards will be presented by a streaming service rather than airing on network television.
This year’s ACM Awards will look a bit different than they have in years past due to the shift in viewing access. The awards show first appeared on television in 1972 and, for every year since has been viewable on a network television channel. The awards program started on ABC before shifting to NBC and eventually CBS, where it remained from 1998 to 2021. The awards underwent their latest shift between 2021 and 2022, pivoting from a network release to a streaming release.
The change in the viewing platform is throwing some people for a loop as they attempt to plan out how and where they can enjoy the program.
How to watch the 2022 ACM Awards
This year’s Academy of Country Music Awards will air exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. The program will make history, according to USA Today, as the first-ever awards show to stream live exclusively.
If you’re looking to enjoy the show live, the pre-show begins at 7pm ET — which translates to 6pm CT, 5pm MT, and 4pm PT — and the awards show proper begins at 8pm ET on Monday March 7. If you switch over to the program early, you’ll be able to enjoy the official Red Carpet Show between 7 and 8.
If you already have an Amazon Prime account, enjoying the 57th ACM Awards will be an easy process. You’ll simply need to log on to your account and locate the livestream for the awards show. You can find it via the search option or by browsing through the service’s “Upcoming Live Events” category, as noted by Taste of Country.
Even users without an account can enjoy the livestream with just a few extra steps. Those without an Amazon Prime account can sign up for a 30-day free trial of the app. This will give them free access to the program and provides the additional perk of being cancelable before any formal charges go through. If you choose to keep your Amazon Prime account in place, you will be charged $14.99 monthly after the 30-day trial ends.
The awards show tapped the exceptional Dolly Parton to host the event alongside co-hosts Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. Several artists, including Chris Young, Walker Hayes, Chris Stapleton, and Miranda Lambert, received multiple nominations, with several vying for the coveted Entertainer of the Year award.
Performers at the ceremony include a number of the year’s country music heavy-hitters, like Parton herself. Also slated to appear are Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and Kane Brown, to name a few.
If you miss the ceremony
Viewers who aren’t available during the ACM Awards’ official ceremony will still get a chance to enjoy the show. The program will be rebroadcast on March 8, 2022, on IMDb TV. It begins at 8pm ET and requires either an Amazon Prime or IMDb account to enjoy.