Believe it or not, award shows aren’t only for celebrities or viewers watching from their couches at home. Yes, normal people can attend award shows. We may have to sit way up high in the nosebleed seats instead of being down on the floor with the stars, but it doesn’t matter where we normal, non-famous people sit.
This year, I attended my fourth Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada and paid close attention to what happens behind the cameras. The experience of attending an award show far surpasses the location of your seat. That being said, attending a live award show is vastly different from watching at home. So much happens behind the cameras that seeing it live makes the show so much more special than it already is.
There are constant announcements to the audience giving directions and time.
Throughout live tapings, a voice booms throughout the arena, giving the audience directions on how to act at certain parts of the show. Before the end of each commercial break, for example, the audience is given a countdown to airtime before being directed to applaud. Also, during commercial breaks, the honored celebrity guests will leave their seats to mingle with one another. The stage director must remind them to take their seats before the camera pans on them post-commercial break.
At an award show, people watching is at its finest.
Sure, looking at the celebrities all dressed to the nines is one of the best parts of attending an award show. But can we discuss the other attendees? The ACMs, for example, allow for about 16,000 people to attend. With the nominees and performers sitting at floor level, that leaves an entire arena full of country music fans above floor level. It’s fascinating to observe attendees, and it’s especially fascinating to see how they dress. The majority of attendees dress formally for an event of this caliber. I’m not the fashion police, but the award show goers who dress in flannels, jean shorts and cowboy boots just didn’t get the message.
Between the stage and the audience, so much happens at once.
I had always wondered how award presenters and performers discreetly make it from their seats to the stage. Turns out, even after attending award shows, I still don’t know. To put on a live broadcast, each person involved in the production must be constantly moving and sticking to a schedule. For example, at this year’s ACMs, I watched a baby grand piano being transported to the small stage in the center of the audience while another performance was happening on the main stage. The constant movement isn’t distracting, but rather intriguing to observe, while watching a live award show.
You barely see the host(s).
On television, the award show host (or hosts) is the center of attention. After each award, performance, or commercial, the camera always turns back to the person leading the show. When watching from the audience, it’s sometimes difficult to even find the host. The production team will have him/her standing in various locations of the stage so that they may get the best camera angle. The host may even turn his/her back from the audience, so that the camera can get the attendees in the camera shot to stream on television. In the case of the ACMs, this year’s show was so performance based that hosts Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley were made scarce. As much as I would’ve loved to see more of their hosting powers post-opening monologue, the performance-packed show was well worth it.
You don’t realize all of the work that goes into putting on a live production until you witness it.
It’s hard to appreciate the months of hard work and effort that goes into successfully pulling off a live production while watching from the comfort of your living room. The celebrities attending the shows as the honored guests are not the only people who should receive credit for the night. Each team member behind the scenes is the reason that attendees and viewers at home can escape reality for a few hours and enjoy a spectacular show. Seeing it live allows a viewer to fully understand that each minute detail that allows for a flawless night of performances and awards.
Attending a live award show is special experience (and now for me, a tradition). It’s given me a true appreciation for the art that goes into pulling off a memorable show that continues to top the previous year. As a normal, everyday, non-famous person, witnessing what goes on behind the cameras at my favorite award show allows me to enjoy and appreciate watching the others from the comfort of my couch.
