Academy of Country Music announces industry winners

The Academy of Country Music® announced the winners of the ACM Industry Awards and Studio Recording Awards for the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards™ via video announcements featuring Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Dan + Shay, Jordan Davis, Vince Gill, Cody Johnson, Parker McCollum, Justin Moore, Thomas Rhett, Tigirlily Gold and Keith Urban, as well as local media personalities from across the country. All winners of the ACM Industry Awards and Studio Recording Awards, as well as the soon-to-be-announced Special Award recipients, will be celebrated at the 17th Academy of Country Music Honors™ on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. The ACM Special Award winners, hosts and ticket information will be announced tomorrow, Tuesday, June 18. The artists will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Highlights of the winners for the ACM Studio Recording Awards include Paul Franklin winning his second ACM Specialty Instrument Player of the Year Award, marking his 18th ACM Award overall and tying fellow steel guitarist JD Maness for the most ACM Studio Recording Award Wins. Dann Huff earns his fifth win for ACM Producer of the Year, bringing his total number of ACM Awards to 11. Huff is the most nominated non-artist in the history of the ACM Awards with 57 nominations, surpassed only by artists Alabama, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw and George Strait with more ACM Award -nominations. Jimmie Lee Sloas receives his fifth win for ACM Bass Player of the Year. Rob McNelley wins his first ACM Electric Guitar Player of the Year award, bringing his ACM Award total to four; his previous three awards came in the ACM Guitar Player of the Year category, which was split into standalone Electric and Acoustic categories in 2021. Jim “Moose” Brown receives his third win for ACM Piano/Keys Player of the Year. Audio engineer Jim Cooley, piano/keyboardist David Dorn and guitarist Charlie Worsham each receive their second career ACM Award for Audio Engineer of the Year, Piano/Keys Player of the Year and Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year, respectively. Drummer Jerry Roe wins his first ACM Award with this recognition as ACM Drummer of the Year.

Highlights of the ACM Industry Awards winners include the Ryman Auditorium and Bridgestone Arena venues in Nashville, TN, which are located one block apart and won ACM Theater of the Year and ACM Arena of the Year, respectively. This is Ryman Auditorium’s eighth win and Bridgestone Arena’s sixth win. The Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, also took home its eighth ACM award in the Casino of the Year – Arena category. Morrison, Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater wins its third ACM Outdoor Venue of the Year award and fifth overall ACM Award. Joe’s Live in Rosemont, Illinois receives its third ACM Award for Club of the Year, and club owner Ed Warm receives his first win for ACM Talent Buyer of the Year, bringing his total personal trophy count to six. Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s Tortuga Music Festival receives its third ACM Award for ACM Festival of the Year, and Durant, Oklahoma’s Choctaw Grand Theater receives its third ACM Award, taking home ACM Casino of the Year – Theater. San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo received its second ACM Award for ACM Fair/Rodeo of the Year. And AEG Promoter Adam Weiser wins his first ACM Award for ACM Promoter of the Year.

Below is a complete list of the Industry Awards and Studio Recording Awards winners from the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards:

INDUSTRY PRIZE WINNERS:

• CASINO OF THE YEAR – THEATER: Choctaw Grand Theater – Durant, OK
• CASINO OF THE YEAR – ARENA: Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, CT
• FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR: Tortuga Music Festival – Fort Lauderdale, FL
• FAIR/RODEO OF THE YEAR: San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo – San Antonio, TX
• CLUB OF THE YEAR: Joe’s Live – Rosemont, Illinois
• THEATER OF THE YEAR: Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
• OUTDOOR LOCATION OF THE YEAR: Red Rocks Amphitheater – Morrison, CO
• ARENA OF THE YEAR: Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
• DON ROMEO TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR: Ed Warm
• PROMOTER OF THE YEAR: Adam Weiser – AEG

STUDIO RECORDING PRIZE WINNERS:

• BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jimmie Lee Sloas
• DRUMMER OF THE YEAR: Jerry Roe
• ACOUSTIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Charlie Worsham
• ELECTRIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rob McNelley
• PIANO/KEYBOARDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: (TIE) Jim “Moose” Brown & David Dorn
• SPECIAL INSTRUMENT(S) PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Paul Franklin
• AUDIO ENGINEER OF THE YEAR: Jim Cooley
• PRODUCER OF THE YEAR: Then Huff