Bob Romeo, Director of the Academy of Country Music Awards and Chief Executive Officer, talked to the City of Arlington about this year's 50th ACM Awards at AT&T Stadium in The American Dream City.
- What special activities do you have planned for this being the 50th ACM Awards?
"We've got a lot. It starts with ACM Party for a Cause on Friday and Saturday at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The money we raise is earmarked for our charity, which is called ACM Lifting Lives. Our mission statement is improving lives through the power of music. Since 2008, ACM Lifting Lives has given more than $6 million dollars to more than 150 worthy causes and supports many projects throughout the year to create awareness and help those in need. We also sponsor a lot of camps and activities. So starting Friday at noon is the Party for a Cause festival with two outdoor stages. And then, fans will be able to watch us tape our 50th anniversary special inside the ballpark. That will go until 11:30 on Friday and around midnight on Saturday. We have a lot of special pairing of acts. For example, Friday you'll see Reba and Brooks & Dunn do a few songs. You'll see Luke Bryan singing with one of his idols Ronnie Milsap. Fans will have the chance to see pairings that they've never seen before and get the chance to watch a live TV event unfold in front of them. "
- Talk to us about why you're excited this year's event is in Arlington.
"We were actually approached with this idea when the Jones family was building the stadium, but the stadium wasn't done in April. But we always kept in touch. And we always liked the idea and it flagged in my mind, wouldn't that be cool to do for our 50th anniversary? What a great statement it would make for country music and our organization. It was a five-year journey to get there. Mayor Cluck was so helpful. We just felt so warmly received. Dealing with the Mayor in Arlington, the Jones family and the people at Globe Life Park has been nothing but supportive. And I've never done a show in Texas, but I feel like we're coming home. Everybody that we work with is so excited to have us there. We're going to set a record for the World's largest televised award show. That's pretty neat bragging rights not just for us, but for both Arlington and the state of Texas. "
- What has the preparation process been for bringing the ACM Awards to Arlington?
"The planning for this has been years. When the fans see what we are going to put in that building, it's all a custom built show for AT&T Stadium. They started working on the set pieces almost a year ago. Both the lighting and sound is different than a football game. We're spending quite a bit of money to really make it sound good. The cost to take this into AT&T Stadium versus MGM in Las Vegas is four times the cost. We've supersized the production for AT&T Stadium in Arlington. As you guys say, everything in Texas is bigger and I found that out first hand. "
- What will set the ACM Awards apart for Arlington residents from other major events or music awards shows?
"First of all, it's such a big show. The ACM Awards is three and a half hours, which for network television is pretty special. During the show, we're going to honor seven milestone winners. And those are people who have set milestones within the ACM structure. For example, Brooks & Dunn are coming back together. Today, they still hold the record with 27 ACM trophies. Garth Brooks is being honored for having the most ACM Entertainer wins. George Strait is being honored for being an ACM winner that has spanned four decades, including winning ACM Entertainer of the Year last year, which is an amazing feat. Kenny Chesney was the first to ever win our Fan Vote Award. Miranda Lambert is being honored for most awards for solo female artist. Reba McIntire is the most awarded ACM female vocalist and she's actually spanned three decades hosting our show. Last but not least, we're honoring Taylor Swift, who is the youngest person to win our Entertainer award back to back. When fans come, a lot of them aren't sure what to expect. They are a part of the TV program. It's non-stop. Friends that have come for the first time, they always found me and said this was the most unbelievable experience that we've ever had. Trust me, for someone who has never been, this will be an experience. "
AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Park
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