Circle Network Counts Down To 56th Academy Of Country Music Awards With 16 Hours of ACM-Themed Programming

Country lifestyle network Circle will count down to the 56th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS with ACM Awards® Circle, a special collection of programming leading up to the highly-anticipated award show. ACM Awards® Circle will kick off at 11:00 AM ET on Saturday, April 17 and highlight past and present ACM Award winners and nominees with over 16 hours of original content that will lead into the ACM Awards, airing Sunday, April 18 on CBS. Guests featured throughout the special will include Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Toby Keith, Parker McCollum, Blake Shelton, Tenille Townes, and more.

ACM Awards® Circle will celebrate with an ACM themed Opry Live performance on Saturday, April 17 at 9:00 PM ET at the Ryman Auditorium featuring Suzy Bogguss, Vince Gill and this year's ACM New Male Artist of the Year, Jimmie Allen and a special appearance by New Female Artist of the Year, Gabby Barrett. Immediately before Opry Live, a special livestream of Circle Sessions: ACM Awards with John Rich, Luke Bryan, Josh Turner and more will stream on Circle's Facebook, YouTube and Twitter at 8:30 PM ET.

ACM Awards® Winners' Circle will lead viewers into the highly anticipated 56th ACM Awards on Sunday, April 18 live 8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network and will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. The show will make history as it airs live from Nashville, TN broadcasting from three of Music City's most legendary venues - the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, and Bluebird Cafe.

"We are thrilled to work with Circle TV once again for the ACM Awards Circle special to kick off on April 17. Showcasing some of the biggest names in the genre, both past and present, as well as rising country stars, the 16-hour special is the perfect lead-in to the Award show," said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. "This special offers something for every country fan to enjoy and serves as the perfect way to build anticipation leading up to this year's show. A huge thanks to Circle TV for making this happen, and we look forward to seeing fans' excitement as a result leading into the live telecast April 18!"

"Circle is honored to partner with the ACM Awards for the second year in a row to help with the lead up to the big night. Viewers can look forward to a curated mix of fan-favorite episodes featuring some of the biggest names in COUNTRY MUSIC who have been a part of the awards throughout the years," shared Drew Reifenberger, Circle Network's General Manager. "Our multi-platform network has been able to bring Nashville to the homes of millions around the world throughout the pandemic and we look forward to continuing this with ACM Awards Circle."

ACM Awards® Circle's programming schedule, airing from Saturday, April 17 through Sunday, April 18, can be found here: https://www.circleallaccess.com/schedule/. Some of the highlights include:

Soundstage (11:00 AM ET) | COUNTRY MUSIC superstar and seven-time ACM winner, Toby Keith and his band perform selections from his eighteenth studio album, 35 MPH Town, along with chart topping hits such as "Red Solo Cup," "Should've Been a Cowboy," "I love This Bar," "Whiskey Girl," "American Ride," "How Do You Like Me Now" and "I Wanna Talk About Me" from his illustrious career spanning over three decades.

Circle Sessions (12:00 PM ET) | On this Special Episode of Circle Sessions Hosted by Nan Kelley, Entertainer of the Year nominee Luke Bryan pays homage to some of his biggest influences in COUNTRY MUSIC and performs their songs. Luke's admiration runs deep as he shares memories about his hero's Shenandoah, George Strait and Ronnie Milsap. In addition to the music Luke updates fans on his sons, mom and laments growing too much sweet corn.

Upstream (5:30 PM ET) I In this episode of Upstream with Elizabeth Cook, Country singer and ACM New Male Artist of the Year nominee, Jimmie Allen, hops on a pontoon with Elizabeth to fish on a blistering hot July day. Throughout the day we learn about Jimmie's children, his family in Delaware and witness his miraculous Zen fishing poses.

Opry (6:00 PM ET) I This year's Entertainer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year nominee Luke Combs joins Craig Morgan at the Opry to play their music just for you.

Songs from the Cellar (7:00 PM ET) I Join COUNTRY MUSIC hit-maker, Phil Vassar, as he welcomes artists, songwriters, entertainers, athletes, and wine enthusiasts into his favorite place to write songs - his wine cellar! Each episode will feature conversation and collaboration along with a shared drink. Guests include Female Artist of the Year nominee Kelsea Ballerini.

Coming Home with Tenille Townes (7:30 PM ET) | Circle travels back to last year's New Female Artist of the Year winner, Tenille Townes, hometown to learn more about the start of their career.

Opry Live (9:00 PM ET) | A special one-hour live performance by some of this year's ACM Nominees live from Ryman Auditorium featuring Suzy Bogguss, Vince Gill and this year's ACM New Male Artist of the Year, Jimmie Allen and a special appearance by ACM New Female Artist of the Year Gabby Barrett.

Check Circleallaccess.com for complete programming information for Circle's ACM Awards Red Carpet Week.

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