2020 ACM Awards Postponed Due to Coronavirus Pandemic

The 2020 ACM Awards have been postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The news came on Sunday (March 15), a few days after the Academy of Country Music announced the annual awards show's first performers.

Per a press release from the Academy of Country Music, the 2020 ACM Awards will be rescheduled for September. The event will still air live on CBS, but on a date, at a time and from a venue that all have yet to be determined.

"The health and safety of our artists, fans, industry, staff and partners is our number one priority," a statement from the ACM reads. Adds ACM CEO Damon Whiteside, "The ACM Awards is a tentpole event for our Country Music industry, and the Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions went to great lengths to find a safe solution for the show to go on so that we can honor our artist community. This decision involved many partners, stakeholders and the industry who we have been in constant conversations with over the past several days as the situation has developed. We look forward to identifying a future date that we can celebrate with our country community safely."

Per the press release, those with tickets for the ACM Awards and ACM Party for a Cause events will receive refunds. Visit the Academy of Country Music's website for more information.

On Wednesday (March 11), the ACM and Dick Clark Productions released a joint statement, saying that they "remain[ed] committed to serving country fans and our country music community by producing the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards live from Las Vegas on April 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena." Organizers of the annual awards show were "closely monitoring the situation along with the MGM team, who are in continuous contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Southern Nevada Health District and other agencies and experts for guidance."

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday officially declared coronavirus a pandemic. According to the WHO, more than 156,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported in more than 110 countries and territories. A total of 5,819 deaths have been reported worldwide as of Saturday night (March 14).

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a travel ban that went into effect on Friday (March 13) at midnight. The ban only applies for foreign nationals, NBC News explains, not U.S. citizens, green card holders or the families of U.S. citizens. Additionally, Ireland and the U.K. are exempt from the travel ban, which applies only to people, not foreign goods or trade.

During his Wednesday night address, Trump also urged Americans to be cautious with their health: to wash their hands and stay home if they're feeling ill, and to get tested for coronavirus if they think they may have it.

Within country music, artists are doing their part by either postponing or canceling both concerts and entire tours, while festival organizers are both rescheduling and canceling springtime events. Among others, the annual Stagecoach festival, usually held in April, will now take place in October, while Zac Brown Band have chosen to delay the remainder of their springtime tour dates.

Coronavirus Pandemic: What Country Music Events Are Postponed or Canceled (or Not)?