This Is Country: A Backstage Pass to the Academy of Country Music Awards

From the first informal awards ceremony at the Hollywood Palladium in 1966 to today’s star-studded show on CBS, generations of country’s biggest superstars have graced the Academy of Country Music Awards stage. Now, for the first time ever, the ACM is opening its archive to reveal candid, never-before-seen photographs and memorabilia capturing some of the greatest moments in the history of country music. Rich with backstage and performance photographs, compelling behind-the scenes stories, and firsthand accounts from country legends and contemporary artists, This Is Country: A Backstage Pass to the Academy of Country Music Awards offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the history, trends, and evolutions of the genre as seen on the ACM Awards stage.

With a foreword by Reba McEntire and contributions from Loretta Lynn, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Alabama’s Randy Owen, Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Marty Stuart, and ACM CEO Bob Romeo, the book also features commentary from fellow ACM Award winners Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Merle Haggard and many more. Written by the Academy’s Lisa Lee, the collection is a trove of history and celebrity, and a must-have for fans of country music with reproductions of tickets, backstage passes, invitations and other historic memorabilia.

This is Country: A Backstage Pass to the Academy of Country Music Awards is published by Insight Editions and will be in stores nationwide Sept. 9th. The Academy’s proceeds from the book will go to ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy dedicated to improving lives through the power of music.