The Academy of Country Music has revealed its Industry Awards and Studio Recording Awards winners from the 58th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. A video announcement revealing the winners featured artists including Mickey Guyton, Little Big Town, Dustin Lynch, Ashley McBryde, Jon Pardi, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, and Lainey Wilson, as well as elected officials and community leaders.
Jay Joyce picks up his sixth win for ACM producer of the year, also extending his lead as the most-winning producer of the year in ACM history, and bringing his total ACM Awards count to nine. Justin Niebank earns his ninth ACM Award for audio engineer of the year, extending his lead as the most-winning audio engineer of the year in ACM history.
Other winners include Joe’s on Weed St., which picks up its sixth ACM Award for club of the year, while Joe’s on Weed kingpin/owner Ed Warm earns his fifth ACM Award for promoter of the year. Dave Cohen earns his fourth ACM Award for ACM piano/keyboards player of the year (edging his total ACM Awards count to five). Derek Wells notches his first win in the ACM electric guitar player of the year category, with the win bringing his total ACM trophies to four honors. He has two previous wins for ACM guitar player of the year, prior to the category being split to individually recognize acoustic and electric guitar players.
Meanwhile, fiddle player Jenee Fleenor and Aaron Sterling each earn their second ACM Awards for specialty instrument player of the year and drummer of the year, respectively.
All ACM Industry Award, Studio Recording Award, and soon-to-be-announced Special Award recipients will be celebrated during the 16th Academy of Country Music Honors on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. ACM Special Award honorees will be announced on Tuesday, June 27, along with the show’s host and ticket on-sale information. Performers will be revealed in the coming weeks.
See the full list of studio recording awards and industry awards below:
INDUSTRY AWARD WINNERS:
- Casino of the year – theater: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Hollywood, Fla.
- Casino of the year – arena: Harveys Lake Tahoe – Stateline, Nev.
- Festival of the year: Country Thunder – Bristol, Tenn.
- Fair/rodeo of the year: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – Houston, Texas
- Club of the year: Joe’s on Weed St. – Chicago, Ill.
- Theater of the year: Grand Ole Opry House – Nashville, Tenn.
- Outdoor venue of the year: Bank of NH Pavilion – Gilford, N.H.
- Arena of the year: Moody Center – Austin, Texas
- Don Romeo talent buyer of the year: Troy Vollhoffer – Premier Global Production
- Promoter of the year: Ed Warm – Joe’s Live
STUDIO RECORDING AWARD WINNERS:
- Bass player of the year: Mark Hill
- Drummer of the year: Aaron Sterling
- Acoustic guitar player of the year: Tim Galloway
- Electric guitar player of the year: Derek Wells
- Piano/keyboards player of the year: Dave Cohen
- Specialty instrument(s) player of the year: Jenee Fleenor
- Audio engineer of the year: Justin Niebank
- Producer of the year: Jay Joyce
The ACM Industry Awards recognize venues and talent buyers/promoters who have bought or promoted a predetermined number of country music concerts and helped promote country music ticket sales. The nominees are selected by a professional panel of judges, which are approved by the ACM Officers, with ACM members classified in the artist/musician/producer/engineer, venue, manager, talent agent, talent buyer/promoter categories voting to decide the winner.
The Studio Awards recognize the creators behind the music. To be eligible, each artist, musician, producer, and engineer must have played a part in a commercially released single or album embodying the creator’s performance that achieves Top 20 chart position or better during the eligibility period. Nominees are then selected by a professional panel of judges approved by the ACM Officers before being voted on by members classified in the artist-entertainer/musician-bandleader-instrumentalist categories and the producer-engineer-studio manager categories.
