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60 Great Moments

The Academys unofficial first home was the Red Barrel Nightclub, where the idea came for a West Coast Country Music awards presentation. Two awards banquets were held and it officially became the Academy of Country and Western Music in 1966.
[Dick Clark, Buck Owen and more at the ACM Awards in 1966] I dont think Nashville knew about what was happening here in California, and there was a need for the Academy. - Merle Haggard
Bonanzas Lorne Greene handled hosting duties for the 2nd Academy of Country and Western Music Awards on March 7, 1967 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The first shows were a mix of country-and-western singers and Hollywood stars.
[Tom Smothers and Glen Campbell at the ACM Awards in 1968] In 1968, the Academy introduced the first signature hat trophy.
As the 1960s came to a close, the Academy named Arizona native Marty Robbins as the first ever ACM Artist of the Decade. His sense of humor and larger-than-life personality made him a popular figure from coast to coast.
Merle Haggard won the first ACM Entertainer of the Year at the 6th ACM Awards, beating Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, Elvis Presley, and Charley Pride. This made him the first Triple Crown winner, having also won Most Promising Male Vocalist in 1965.
In the 1970s, the ACM Awards began to morph from the West Coast-centered awards banquets into a bona fide national TV franchise. Moving to Knotts Berry Farm in 1972, the show was broadcasted in syndication for the first time through Metromedia.