The Academy of Country Music Awards is packing up its boots and leaving Frisco.
The 61st ACM Awards will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 17, 2026, streaming live on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch in more than 240 countries and territories, according to Amazon and the Academy of Country Music.
The move ends a three-year run at Ford Center at The Star, where the ACM Awards helped turn Frisco into a national stop for country music fans.
Photo courtesy of Academy of Country Music
A Return To Familiar Ground
For the Academy, 2026 is less a detour and more a return to a long-time base.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to return to MGM Grand for the 61st ACM Awards next May, a place that holds a lot of history and special memories for the Academy. It truly feels like a homecoming for us,” ACM CEO Damon Whiteside said in the official announcement.
Dick Clark Productions CEO Jay Penske called 2026 a “very special year for the ACMs,” pointing to a renewed partnership with MGM Resorts as a way to deliver top-tier experiences for fans and partners.
As reported by the Dallas Business Journal, the 2026 show will mark the 18th time the ACM Awards have been staged in Las Vegas and the 13th time at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
What The Move Means For Frisco
The shift to Las Vegas confirms what many North Texas fans suspected: the awards will not return to Ford Center in 2026.
During its run in Frisco, the ACM Awards brought star power, national exposure and measurable economic impact. The 2025 ceremony drew about 14,000 fans and generated more than $28 million in economic impact, according to figures cited by the Frisco Enterprise.
In an email statement shared with the Dallas Business Journal, Whiteside praised the city’s role in that stretch.
“After three incredible years in Frisco, the ACM Awards decided to return to our legacy of Las Vegas and our roots on the west coast where we were founded,” he said. He described the 50th and 60th ACM shows in Texas as “monumental moments” that shaped both the organization and the wider industry, and he emphasized the Academy’s “deep love and appreciation for the city of Frisco, the state of Texas, the Dallas Cowboys organization, and the Jones family.”
Whiteside added that the Academy looks forward to continuing its relationship with North Texas in other ways.
. Photo: ACM
How To Watch In 2026
The ACM Awards will continue their streaming-first approach.
The show made history in 2022 as the first major awards ceremony to livestream exclusively, in collaboration with Prime Video. Since then, viewers have watched performances, collaborations and surprise appearances through Prime Video and Amazon’s Twitch channel instead of traditional broadcast television.
That setup returns in 2026. Fans will be able to watch the 61st ACM Awards live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Prime Video and on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on May 17.
ACM Awards Week will start in Las Vegas on May 15, with additional events leading up to the main show. Tickets for the ceremony and surrounding events are expected to go on sale in early 2026, with more details, including host, performers and presenters, to be announced in the coming months.
North Texas, Country Music And What Comes Next
For North Texas, the end of the ACM run at The Star closes a high-profile chapter that helped cement Frisco’s reputation as a host for national events. Over three years, the city welcomed legends, rising artists and tens of thousands of fans, all while turning a football headquarters into a temporary country music hub.
The awards may be heading west, but the infrastructure, experience and audience remain in place. Frisco still has a state-of-the-art venue, a busy events calendar and a growing track record with major sports and entertainment.
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