Chris Stapleton and Tim McGraw are among the recipients for the upcoming ACM Honors ceremony, held on Wednesday, August 23 at the Ryman Auditorium. They join a lengthy list of trailblazers, including Kane Brown, the late Charlie Daniels, Clint Black, BRELAND, Mary Chapin Carpenter, HARDY, Ashley Gorley and more in receiving the prestigious industry accolade, celebrating their permanent impact on country music.
Stapleton will receive the ACM Triple Crown Award, given to artists who have won ACM Awards in three different categories. McGraw and former UMG Nashville Chairman and CEO Mike Dungan will receive the ACM Icon Award, in honor of their contributions to country music. Brown will receive the ACM International Award, acknowledging his global impact on country music.
BRELAND will receive the first-ever ACM Lifting Every Voice Award, awarded to an artist who has a “pivotal role in elevating underrepresented voices throughout the Country Music genre, transcending demographics and geography,” per a press release.
Black, Carpenter and K.T. Oslin will receive the ACM Poet’s Award, and Daniels will receive the ACM Spirit Award. Gorley will receive the ACM Songwriter Award, and HARDY was previously announced as the recipient of the ACM Artist-Songwriter Award.
“This year’s ACM Special Award honorees have made a tremendous impact on the music we know and love, from icons and veteran executives who have shaped and steered the industry for years, to newer artists making a splash and welcoming fresh audiences into the community,” Kerri Edwards, Chair of the ACM Special Awards Committee, says.
“I am so excited about celebrating them in August at what is always one of the best nights of the year,” she continues. “I’d like to thank our committee members for their invaluable participation and contributions in selecting this year’s exceptionally worthy class of honorees and offer my congratulations to all of the recipients.”
Carly Pearce will return to host the ACM Honors ceremony, for the third year in a row.
“The Academy of Country Music has played such a crucial role in the rise of my career in the last several years, giving me opportunities to expand my artistry with hosting,” Carly Pearce said. “To be able to come back as the host of the ACM Honors for the third year in a row, I feel so grateful and excited for what I know will be such a special night!”
Pearce previously said hosting events was important to her, showing off talents that extend beyond her singing, in a way that many of her predecessors did.
“Hosting is really important to me,” Pearce told Everything Nash. “It’s been something that I think, as my career has kind of grown in the last couple of years, it’s been something that I’ve really raised my hand to the people above to let them know that that’s something that I’m passionate about.”
Tickets for ACM Honors will be available first to ACM A-List email newsletter subscribers and Academy members through an exclusive pre-sale beginning Thursday, June 29. General on-sale tickets will be available beginning on Friday, June 30, through AXS. Subscription to the A-List, to gain access to Thursday’s pre-sale, can be found at ACMCountry.com. Performers will be announced in the coming weeks.