The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards were held on April 18, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast from various locations around Nashville. The evening was co-hosted by Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton. The ceremony involved no ticketed audience due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but featured a limited number of health care workers.

Candace Mycale "Mickey" Guyton is an American country music artist. Raised in Texas, Guyton was exposed to various types of music at a young age, and her material incorporates elements of contemporary country, pop, and R&B music. She moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2011 and signed a recording contract with Capitol Records Nashville. In 2015, the label released Guyton's debut extended play (EP), Unbreakable.