Shure Takes the Stage with Biggest Country Music Stars at ACM Awards

	Gwen Stefani performs onstage at the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards at The Star in Frisco on May 16, 2024, in Frisco, Texas. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for ACM

Hosted by Reba McEntire, the 59th Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards featured a night of breathtaking performances, including duets between country artists and some of today's most influential pop stars, as well as celebrated artists like Lainey Wilson, who was named Entertainer of the Year.

With the support of Shure's Axient Digital Wireless Microphone System and PSM 1000 In-Ear Personal Monitoring System, the ACM Awards' expert audio team ensured that every note was heard by the audience and those watching the live broadcast on Amazon. The excellent audio performance was made possible thanks to the group of industry professionals running the show, the audio equipment supplied by ATK, and the antenna infrastructure and coordination managed by Soundtronics.

The Radio Frequency (RF) Coordinator for the event, Steve Vaughn, weighed in on the impact Shure gear made on the evening's production: "At high-stakes, live broadcast events like the Academy of Country Music Awards, Shure Axient Digital and PSM 1000 always deliver, despite the challenging RF environment and high channel count. With Wireless Workbench, frequency planning and coordination is seamless, saving time and energy when it matters most. We had two instances of Wireless Workbench set up on both sides of the stage, so A2s could monitor frequencies throughout the show as well."

The Front of House (FOH) production was managed by Barry Warwick and FOH Music was overseen by Jeff Peterson. Meanwhile, the production broadcast mix was helmed by Mark King, along with music mixers Eric Schilling and Biff Dawes. Monitors were handled by Tom Pesa and Andres Arango.

At the show, Andres shared his praise for PSM 1000, saying, "PSM 1000 is still the #1 choice and still the most requested IEM for award shows." Overall, 120 P10R bodypack receivers were deployed.

The evening also featured Shure's newest microphone platform, Nexadyne with Revonic Dual Transducer Technology. Both Gwen Stefani and Thomas Rhett trusted Nexadyne to deliver their performances to the ACM Awards' millions of viewers.

Audio professionals shared their thoughts on the microphone's performance:

"The Nexadyne 8/C Capsule has quickly become a valuable tool for our show. Its rejection and balanced response provide confidence that Thomas Rhett's voice will be represented consistently each night, even in challenging situations," says Trey Smith, FOH mixer for Thomas Rhett.

"Shure's new Nexadyne mic capsule made it easy to keep Gwen (Stefani)'s vocal on top of the mix. When her voice reaches viewers tuning in to the broadcast, I know it's going to sound as clear and impactful as it does for every corner of the audience here at the ACM Awards," says Biff Dawes, broadcast music mixer.

Beyond Nexadyne, a host of Shure capsules also graced the ACM Awards stage. For their duet of "Think I'm in Love With You," Chris Stapleton sang into a vintage SM58 while Dua Lipa performed with a Shure KSM11. Entertainer of the Year winner, Lainey Wilson performed "God Blessed Texas" and "Hang Tight Honey" with the stalwart SM58. Tigirlily Gold performed "I Tried A Ring On" and Parker McCollum performed "Burn it Down' with SM58s.

In total, the awards show relied on 11 Shure AD4Q Four-Channel Digital Wireless Receivers, a Shure AD4D Two-Channel Digital Wireless Receiver, and three Shure UR4D Dual Wireless Receivers.

"It's always a pleasure to work with the team that brings the ACM Awards to life. Congratulations on another excellent production," says Ryan Smith, manager of artist relations, at Shure.