ACM Awards 2020: Will singers support protest movement? Trolls give a thumbs-down, ‘Don’t start that BLM stuff’
The 55th Academy of Country Music Awards brought all the best country artists under one roof at the Grand Ole Opry on September 13, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee. As Keith Urban hosted the event, performers like Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs and Tim McGraw took to the stage to leave music lovers breathless.
Originally scheduled to be broadcast live from Las Vegas at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 5, the Academy of Country Music decided to postpone the ceremony due to the ongoing pandemic. The music event was held on the heels of the Black Lives Matter movement as people all across the United States fight against racial bias. Billed as Country Music's Party of the Year, the ACM Awards are an annual celebration of the brightest stars and people couldn't stop wondering if BLM would be a theme at the awards night too.
"What are the chances of me hearing somebody speak about “Black Lives Matter” at the ACM Awards tonight? #ACMawards," a fan posted. Many music lovers, however, said that they didn't want any of those BLM slogans to be a part of the ACM Awards. "@lorieliebig are you still updating your country artists/BLM spreadsheet?? I wish I had printed it out for reference tonight! #ACMawards," one fan said. Another wrote, "Be careful don’t start that BLM bulls**t #ACMawards."
What are the chances of me hearing somebody speak about “Black Lives Matter” at the ACM Awards tonight? #ACMawards
— shotta (@worldtitlebelt) September 17, 2020
@lorieliebig are you still updating your country artists/BLM spreadsheet?? I wish I had printed it out for reference tonight! 😅😅 #ACMawards
— Jordann (@1blondebroad) September 17, 2020
One moment that was much talked about was when host Keith Urban said those words. "KEITH URBAN JUST SAID BLACK LIVES MATTER Y’ALL #ACMawards," one tweet read. Another fan said, "Wow #ACMawards that was an amazing way to mention racism without actually saying the words racism or Black lives matter."
KEITH URBAN JUST SAID BLACK LIVES MATTER Y’ALL #ACMawards
— ethan 🤠 yee-haw swift (@ethanbarberco) September 17, 2020
Wow #ACMawards that was an amazing way to mention racism without actually saying the words racism or Black lives matter.
— Steph The Writer (@TheWriterSteph) September 17, 2020
The closest that came to talking about BLM or the protests was Kane Brown's powerful single 'Worldwide Beautiful'. "I just want everybody to love everybody," Kane lead off his performance and added, "And this is a song I wrote for it." He then gave an emotional performance of the sung-rapped ballad about racial tolerance. Soon, the Internet couldn't stop cheering for him. "Such a powerful performance from @kanebrown on the #ACMawards #WorldWideBeautiful #BLM," one tweet read. Another said, "The brotha Kane Brown's 'Worldwide Beautiful' was moving. But big would be if sis Mickey Guyton would get to perform 'Black Like Me.'"
Such a powerful performance from @kanebrown on the #ACMawards 🖤🌈 #WorldWideBeautiful #BLM
— KS1 👯♀️ (@KimSchuss) September 17, 2020
The brotha Kane Brown's "Worldwide Beautiful" was moving.
— Jason Bowman (@JasonABowman) September 17, 2020
But big would be if sis Mickey Guyton would get to perform "Black Like Me."#ACMawards
The 55th Annual ACM Awards aired live from three iconic country music venues including Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, and The Bluebird Cafe. The award ceremony broadcasted on Wednesday, September 16, live from 8 pm to 11 pm on CBS Television Network. It can also be streamed on-demand on CBS All Access.