Raj Kapoor and Patrick Menton on producing 2024 ACM Awards: 'This is such a global genre now'

Four pop stars — Post Malone, Gwen Stefani, Noah Kahan and Avril Lavigne — are set to perform at the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16, but the show's producers insist the performances were organic.

“Our aim is always country first,” said Raj Kapoor, the show's executive producer and showrunner. Advertising sign. “We don't actively go out to hunt artists [who are] out of sorts. I think the most important thing is that it fits very naturally. We don't ask people to come who don't have relationships or didn't want to work together or don't have projects together. We always want to stay authentically country. Those ties that bring people together must already exist.”

Post Malone will perform a song from his upcoming country album, possibly “I Had Some Help,” a collaboration with Morgan Wallen. Stefani and Blake Shelton will perform their single “Purple Irises.” Kahan and Kelsea Ballerini — who, Kapoor notes, were in the studio together — will perform her “Mountain with a View” and his smash “Stick Season.” Lavigne and Nate Smith will perform Smith's song “Bulletproof.”

That's a heavier number of pop performers than last year's ACM Awards, where there was just one: Ed Sheeran, who joined Luke Combs to perform Sheeran's “Life Goes On.”

Menton, who serves as co-executive producer, notes, “Yes, Post is definitely a kind of pop/hip-hop artist, but in some ways, he's almost less of a genre. Post spent a lot of time in Nashville on this record and kind of dove into his roots. He is a country traditionalist at heart. He's from Texas, so he grew up in it. Having listened to some of the album, this is a true country album. This is an artist who truly honors the genre.

Menton adds: “This is such a global genre now. Country artists sell out stadiums in the UK and Europe and around the world. So, I think there's this conversation that they want to be a little bit off-limits. They want those guardrails to open up a little bit. Yes, to be country-focused and celebrate the genre, but we really welcome these other genres that come because [country] it's really exploded into this global genre and we want to celebrate that.”

The 59th ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will air worldwide on Prime Video on Thursday, May 16 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The show also features Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson, as well as McEntire and possibly one or two more as-yet-unnamed artists. . “There may be some surprises,” teases Menton.

Kapoor was one of three executive producers for the February 4 Grammy Awards, along with Ben Winston and Jesse Collins. He also served as executive producer and host of the Academy Awards on March 10. Menton co-executive produced the Grammys.

“I think my job is to make each show unique,” ​​says Kapoor, “because they have such different DNA. That's really what I'm trying to do. They are brands almost. Actually it is everything [put on by] academies. It's so different from a pop show. There are so many eyes on what we do. I guess I didn't realize the complexity of this before I took these positions. I'm much more aware of what goes on behind the scenes because it's not just about our show. It's really about these year-round programs that everyone does and how many people are so invested.”

Kapoor and Menton have collaborated on six Grammy telecasts – four in their current positions. They share a philosophy of producing a show, which may sound a bit soft, but apparently it works. Last year's ACM Awards were the third highest-rated awards of 2023, behind the Oscars and Grammys (which they also worked on).

“We both lead with kindness,” says Menton. “That's our rule of thumb, generally. It creates space for these artists to come to us and feel safe. It's not a case of telling them what we want on the show. That's not how we work at all. It's 'What do you want to do on the show?', 'What will create a moment?' We deal with the artist first and make sure they have a space to really create and collaborate in a safe space.”

Some awards show that producers are known for taking a much steadier hand. to dictate what they want the artist to play and who they want to perform it with.

“We always think it's a conversation,” says Kapoor. “Obviously, we're there to help guide sometimes. “Why don't we try this?” “What would you think of that?” Sometimes we push if we have a really strong belief about something, but it's always a conversation, always a collaboration.

“Sometimes those moments really help define people's careers,” he continues. “They can go viral. It's stuff people will be talking about for years to come. Last year [on the ACMs], everyone was talking about Luke and Ed. Earlier this year [on the Grammys]i think everyone was talking about luke and tracy [Chapman, who teamed on “Fast Car].”

Kapoor believes moving the ACMs to Amazon in 2022 has helped give it a unique personality that sets it apart from the three other televised country awards shows, the CMA Awards, CMT Music Awards and People's Choice Country Awards.

“Our show is very fast paced – two hours with very few commercials. So, you have back-to-back musical performances. You still have many prizes, but our show is moving very quickly. One thing I've really taken away from being at Amazon is how powerful and exciting it is. We are literally moving all the time. One performance leads to another. Sometimes, we've done three shows back to back.”

Menton says working with Amazon has affected the show in another way. “It allowed us to open those guardrails and take risks. We're leaning much more towards developing new artists, diversity. We lean towards something that is completely outside the box. [that] other shows might feel a little uncomfortable doing it. Amazon gives us this ability to move and shake a little differently. But I also think the industry comes to us with these unusual ideas. I think it's because we're open to it, Amazon is open to it, and the Academy has always been where we're the party of the year. We're a little more fun. We try to let everyone let their hair down.”

The ACM Awards differ in this respect from the Grammys and the Oscars, which are the official “shows” for music and film. The CMA Awards probably better fit that description for country music, which led to the ACM Awards instead of being billed as the party of country music.

In terms of developing new artists, the show will feature performances from this year's winners of the three Young Artist Awards, Male Artist, Female Artist and Duo/Group. The latter category is awarded for the first time after five years.

Bobby Bones will appear throughout the show with the “Backstage with Bobby Bones” artist interview segment that was featured on last year's show. This takes advantage of Bones' close relationships with many country stars, but Kapoor reveals that the segments also have a practical function on the show.

“Because we're live/live with all these shows, Bobby is also a great backup plan when we need him. You'd never know, like if we need an extra 30 seconds [to set the stage for the next performer]Bobby is there to help us if we need it, for which we are very grateful.”

Menton says they approached last year's hosts, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, about returning to host the show again this year, but the superstar duo declined. “They were ready to take a step down,” he says. “They had such a sensational year last year, they must have loved it [would be] difficult to reach the top”.

Fortunately for the show, another country legend, McEntire, was willing to return to the show for a 17th time as host or co-host. McEntire is closing in on the all-time record for most times hosting or co-hosting a major awards show. That record was long held by Bob Hope, who hosted or co-hosted the Academy Awards 19 times between 1940-78.

“Reba is one of the kindest and hardest working artists out there, and to have her host our show, to have such an icon — we're so lucky,” says Menton.

Barry Adelman, principal of Dick Clark Productions, is executive producing this year's show for DCP. Adelman has worked at ACM for more than 30 years.

Anyone can watch the ACM Awards, whether they have a Prime membership or not. Did ACM CEO Damon Whiteside push for it? “Oh, I think we all did,” Menton says. “We want everyone to see this. It's a country music show. We don't want to have this paywall in front of us. The fact that everyone can watch it, whether you have Prime or not, we're very grateful.”

Kapoor says they're already thinking about next year's show, which will be the 60th ACM Awards. “Everyone is already strategizing leading up to this event. We will return to Amazon. I hope this show lays the foundation for what is going to be an amazing 60th show.”

DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation (PMC) and a joint venture between PMC and Eldridge. PMC is its parent company Advertising sign.