diff --git a/pkg/model/components/awscloudcontrollermanager.go b/pkg/model/components/awscloudcontrollermanager.go
index b7a30f8c26..623758f545 100644
--- a/pkg/model/components/awscloudcontrollermanager.go
+++ b/pkg/model/components/awscloudcontrollermanager.go
@@ -73,5 +73,24 @@ func (b *AWSCloudControllerManagerOptionsBuilder) BuildOptions(o interface{}) er
 		return fmt.Errorf("no networking mode set")
 	}
 
+	if eccm.Image == "" {
+		var tag string
+		switch b.KubernetesVersion.Minor {
+		case 18:
+			tag = "v1.18.0-alpha.1"
+		case 19:
+			tag = "v1.19.0-alpha.1"
+		case 20:
+			tag = "v1.20.0-alpha.0"
+		case 21:
+			tag = "v1.21.0-alpha.0"
+		default:
+			// There is no latest tag, so default to the latest that exists
+			// See https://console.cloud.google.com/gcr/images/k8s-artifacts-prod/us/provider-aws/cloud-controller-manager
+			tag = "v1.22.0-alpha.0"
+		}
+		eccm.Image = fmt.Sprintf("k8s.gcr.io/provider-aws/cloud-controller-manager:%v", tag)
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/upup/models/cloudup/resources/addons/aws-cloud-controller.addons.k8s.io/k8s-1.18.yaml.template b/upup/models/cloudup/resources/addons/aws-cloud-controller.addons.k8s.io/k8s-1.18.yaml.template
index 716544f3a2..63a408111d 100644
--- a/upup/models/cloudup/resources/addons/aws-cloud-controller.addons.k8s.io/k8s-1.18.yaml.template
+++ b/upup/models/cloudup/resources/addons/aws-cloud-controller.addons.k8s.io/k8s-1.18.yaml.template
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ spec:
       serviceAccountName: aws-cloud-controller-manager
       containers:
       - name: aws-cloud-controller-manager
-        image: {{ if .ExternalCloudControllerManager.Image }}{{ .ExternalCloudControllerManager.Image }}{{ else }}gcr.io/k8s-staging-provider-aws/cloud-controller-manager:{{AWSCCMTag}}{{ end }}
+        image: {{ .ExternalCloudControllerManager.Image }}
         imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
         args:
 {{- range $arg := CloudControllerConfigArgv }}
diff --git a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/template_functions.go b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/template_functions.go
index 9b370f7719..ca056d88f8 100644
--- a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/template_functions.go
+++ b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/template_functions.go
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ func (tf *TemplateFunctions) AddTo(dest template.FuncMap, secretStore fi.SecretS
 
 	// will return openstack external ccm image location for current kubernetes version
 	dest["OpenStackCCMTag"] = tf.OpenStackCCMTag
-	dest["AWSCCMTag"] = tf.AWSCCMTag
 	dest["ProxyEnv"] = tf.ProxyEnv
 
 	dest["KopsSystemEnv"] = tf.KopsSystemEnv
@@ -659,28 +658,6 @@ func (tf *TemplateFunctions) OpenStackCCMTag() string {
 	return tag
 }
 
-// AWSCCMTag returns the correct tag for the cloud controller manager based on
-// the Kubernetes Version
-func (tf *TemplateFunctions) AWSCCMTag() (string, error) {
-	var tag string
-	parsed, err := util.ParseKubernetesVersion(tf.Cluster.Spec.KubernetesVersion)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to parse Kubernetes version from cluster spec: %q", err)
-	}
-
-	// Update when we have stable releases
-	switch parsed.Minor {
-	case 18:
-		tag = "v1.18.0-alpha.1"
-	case 19:
-		tag = "v1.19.0-alpha.1"
-	default:
-		tag = "latest"
-	}
-
-	return tag, nil
-}
-
 // GetNodeInstanceGroups returns a map containing the defined instance groups of role "Node".
 func (tf *TemplateFunctions) GetNodeInstanceGroups() map[string]kops.InstanceGroupSpec {
 	nodegroups := make(map[string]kops.InstanceGroupSpec)