Damon Whiteside to Exit as CEO of the Academy of Country Music

Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music, will step down in June after six years at the organization’s helm, the ACM announced Tuesday.

The announcement stated that Whiteside will remain in his role through June 30, then serve as CEO Emeritus for the remainder of the year, working to help with the transition after he exits the top spot. A search committee has been formed by the ACM’s board of directors to look for his successor. 

In a statement, the ACM credited Whiteside with “driving six-and-a-half years of impact, growth, and achievement that have set the Academy up for a bright and promising future as one of the leading country music organizations.” The announcement said he “increased ACM membership to the largest and most diverse in its history and strengthened the organization’s profitability, with 2025 profits increasing 150% and 2026 profits projected to grow another 140%.”

The most notable change Whiteside made during his tenure was the seemingly radical move to make the annual ACM Awards telecast the first major awards show to forego a traditional broadcast network or cable base in favor of going out as a streaming-only event. The live show has been seen through an exclusive global partnership with Amazon Prime Video since 2022. It had previously aired on CBS for nearly a quarter-century. Whiteside served as executive producer for the kudocast, which had its 60th anniversary edition in 2025 with Reba McEntire as host. The announcement said this year’s webcast brought 70% year-over-year live viewership growth to Prime Video.

Coincidentally, search committees for the two biggest organizations in country music will both be busy. Both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association are due for relatively near-simultaneous changes at the top, as Sarah Trahern, CEO of the CMA, will be stepping down at the end of 2026 after 14 years leading that organization, she announced in January.

“Damon’s forward-thinking vision and leadership not only strengthened ACM’s connection to the Country Music community and industry, but also allowed us to attract new audiences around the world,” said board chairman Cris Lacy. “The ACM Board is beyond thankful for his partnership, dedication, and passion which have set the organization up for continued success and impact well into the future,”

“I am proud of everything we have accomplished together in my time at the Academy of Country Music,” Whiteside said. “I am thankful for the amazing team that I have mentored and learned from, our many strategic partners that have helped us continue to innovate, as well as the ACM and ACM Lifting Lives Boards for their leadership that will guide the Academy into its bright future. I believe that I am leaving ACM in a better place with stability and security that will allow the organization to continue to grow and reach new heights. I am excited for my next act as I explore my passions and continue to learn and create impact in the entertainment industry.”

The 61st annual ACM Awards will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 17, again to be seen via Prime Video or the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. A host, talent lineup and nominees have not yet been announced. It’s a return to the ACMs’ longtime home in Las Vegas after it relocated to Texas in 2023-25 in a three-year partnership with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Academy itself moved in 2022, leaving its longtime base in Los Angeles, where it had been founded in 1966, to settle in Nashville, where most country music institutions are based.

The ACM credited Whiteside with expanding the org with other franchises, events and shows, including “ACM Our Country,” “ACM 60^th Gala,” “ACM Party for a Cause Nashville,” “ACM Wine & Country” at Hearst Castle, and the annual Charley Pride Inclusion Brunch. The “ACM Honors” show, which he executive-produced, also returned to being a broadcast event.

ACM Lifting Lives, the ACM’s philanthropic partner, generated over $1.3 million in annual fundraising over the past year, the org said. 

Prior to the ACM, Whiteside had served as CMO of the Country Music Association, which puts on the industry’s other big awards show, the CMAs. He arrived there from having spent 15 years at the Walt Disney Company, where he was credited with helping launch the company’s tween music business and touring division.