The Academy of Country Music (ACM), Prime Video, and Dick Clark Productions have officially announced that the 62nd Academy of Country Music Awards will return to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 16, 2027. The announcement follows the record-breaking success of the 61st ACM Awards, which generated an estimated $53 million in economic impact for the Las Vegas region while delivering strong streaming gains for artists and record social media engagement.
The 61st ACM Awards marked the show’s return to Las Vegas after a three-year absence and highlighted the event’s growing influence beyond country music, benefiting local businesses, tourism, and the broader entertainment industry.
61st ACM Awards delivered a major economic boost to Las Vegas
According to an economic impact study conducted by Greyhill Advisors, the 61st ACM Awards generated approximately $53 million for the Las Vegas region. The figure represents an 85% year-over-year increase compared to the 2025 ceremony held in Frisco, Texas.
The report found that the event contributed $15.7 million in employee earnings while supporting nearly 290 full-time equivalent jobs across industries including television production, event operations, hospitality, and transportation. Visitor spending alone accounted for $24.3 million of the economic impact, creating an additional 147 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $7.8 million in worker earnings.
Beyond the awards ceremony itself, a week of concerts, fan experiences, industry gatherings, pre-parties, and post-show celebrations added another $4.5 million in economic activity for local hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, and businesses throughout Las Vegas.
Performances fueled streaming growth for country artists
The awards ceremony also translated into measurable gains for performers across major streaming platforms. Data provided by Luminate showed that both established stars and emerging artists experienced notable increases in on-demand audio and video streaming immediately following the event.
Ella Langley recorded the biggest gains, adding more than 1.8 million U.S. on-demand audio streams in a single day while also leading global streaming growth. Parker McCollum posted one of the strongest next-day percentage increases, with nearly 14% growth in both U.S. and worldwide streaming activity.
Other performers also benefited from the exposure. Dan + Shay added more than 1.4 million global on-demand streams, while Blake Shelton’s tribute performance of his Amazon Music Original cover of “The Gambler” generated an increase of roughly 1.3 million U.S. on-demand audio streams over the following week.
Among newer artists, Avery Anna recorded the strongest three-day streaming growth, while Carter Faith posted the largest week-over-week gains in both U.S. and global streaming, highlighting the ACM Awards’ continued role in introducing rising country music talent to wider audiences.
Record digital engagement and 2027 return confirmed
The 61st ACM Awards also delivered record engagement across social media. According to ListenFirst, official ACM Awards accounts generated more than 153 million video views, representing a 35% year-over-year increase across Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads, and Facebook.
Owned-platform impressions climbed 85% year over year, while engagements increased 39%, marking the strongest performance in four years. Meanwhile, the Billboard x ACM Awards red carpet livestream attracted 5.4 million live and on-demand views across Billboard’s YouTube, X, and FAST TV platforms.
Hosted by Shania Twain, the ceremony streamed exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories. The show featured 17 performances from some of country music’s biggest names, with Cody Johnson winning his first Entertainer of the Year award and Ella Langley making ACM history by taking home seven trophies, the most won by a single artist in one year.
The Academy also confirmed that tickets for the 62nd ACM Awards will become available in fall 2026, with fans able to access presale opportunities by signing up for the free ACM A-List newsletter.
Following the success of the 2026 ceremony, the awards’ return to Las Vegas reinforces the city’s position as a premier destination for major live entertainment while continuing the ACM Awards’ tradition as one of country music’s biggest annual events.
