2020 ACM Awards Still a Go, But Organizers ‘Closely Monitoring’ Coronavirus Spread
The spread of COVID-19, more commonly known as coronavirus, within the United States is wreaking havoc on 2020's festival and concert calendar -- but for now, the 2020 ACM Awards are still a go. The Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions released a statement addressing concerns on Wednesday afternoon (March 11).
Per the joint statement, both the ACM and Dick Clark Productions "remain 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 "are 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."
As of Tuesday (March 10), cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed in nearly all states within the U.S., reports USA Today, with at least 849 cases and 27 deaths confirmed in the States alone, CNN reports. According to the World Heath Organization (WHO), there have been over 113,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide.
"We will take every precaution to ensure the safety of our artists, staff, crew, guests and attendees," the ACM and Dick Clark Productions' brief statement concludes.
Coronavirus Pandemic: Which Tours and Festivals Are Canceled (and Not)?
Due to the spread of coronavirus, both the Stagecoach and Coachella festivals have been postponed from April until October. Additionally, the Austin-based music and tech festival SXSW canceled its 2020 event in early March, and Nashville's Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival has been postponed until the summer of 2020.
Artists' individual tours are being postponed and canceled due to coronavirus as well: Zac Brown Band postponed their Spring 2020 The Owl Tour, and both Old Dominion and Home Free have canceled international tour dates.
In addition to releasing the coronavirus-related statement, the ACM also announced a few 2020 ACM Awards performers on Wednesday: Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban, along with a handful of rising artists, are slated to take the stage at the event. Urban will also be hosting the show, which will air live on CBS beginning at 8PM ET.
The Boot will be staying up late covering the most buzzed-about winners, fashion and moments at the 2020 ACM Awards. Readers can watch along with us by checking back to TheBoot.com for the latest ACMs headlines, liking The Boot on Facebook and following The Boot on Twitter.
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