Many of country music’s top artists, studio musicians and executives were feted on Wednesday night (Aug. 21) during the 17th Academy of Country Music Honors, held at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
ACM CEO Damon Whiteside ushered in the evening, welcoming attendees and saying, “Congratulations to all of the honorees that are with us. We can’t wait to celebrate with you tonight.”
Among the artists who took part or were celebrated were nearly 10 past and present ACM entertainer of the year winners, including Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Dolly Parton and Lainey Wilson.
Carly Pearce returned for a fourth year as host, leading the evening with co-host and reigning ACM song of the year winner Jordan Davis, who wrote his hit “Next Thing You Know” with Josh Osborne, Chase McGill and Greylan James.
“This show is the industry’s favorite night because it honors not only the artists but the behind-the-scenes community that makes what we do possible,” Pearce told the audience.
Tyler Hubbard, an 11-time ACM Award winner, presented the ACM Studio Recording and Industry Awards portion of the show. Choctaw Grand Theater won casino of the year – theater, while Uncasville, Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena earned its eighth casino of the year – arena category win. Singer-songwriter Tony Orlando, who performed his final concert at the Mohegan after six decades of entertaining audiences, accepted the accolade and called the venue “a cathedral of music.”
“People cut their teeth and became megastars in that arena,” Orlando said, noting stars including Garth Brooks and Taylor Swift performed in the venue at points in their careers. “They care about you, they care about those who attend the shows and support the performers.”
Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, won its third outdoor venue of the year accolade, Tortuga Music Festival was named festival of the year for a third time, while San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo earned its second fair/rodeo of the year win.
Former San Antonio Livestock Exposition, Inc. president David White said, “Thank you for giving us the ability to preserve rodeo heritage…and supporting country music.” Ed Warm accepted for Joe’s Live in Rosemont, Ill., which won its third club of the year trophy, while Warm was named ACM Don Romeo talent buyer of the year.
“I’m humbled to be standing here accepting these honors and I want to acknowledge the other nominees. You’re the ones who set the standard in this industry. At Joe’s Live we try to do things the right way, with passion, integrity, and a deep love of country music,” Warm said.
Over 130+ years, the Ryman Auditorium has transformed from a tabernacle to one of the most revered venues. The Ryman earned its eighth win for ACM theater of the year. Ryman Auditorium director of concerts Chrissy Hall accepted the honor, saying, “We don’t do this alone at all and most of the people that make this place so special are working for you all tonight. I dedicate this to the crew here at the Ryman.”
Fellow Nashville venue Bridgestone Arena earned its sixth win for ACM arena of the year. AEG promoter Adam Weiser earned his first ACM Award for ACM promoter of the year. “This is all about community,” Weiser said. “I’m truly blessed to work with the best people.”
Among the studio recording artist winners were steel guitar player Paul Franklin, producer Dann Huff, bass player Jimmie Lee Sloas, electric guitar player Rob McNelley, piano/keys players Jim “Moose” Brown and David Dorn, audio engineer Jim Cooley, guitar player Charlie Worsham and drummer Jerry Roe. A Gibson Les Paul guitar signed by many of the honorees was auctioned off to benefit ACM Lifting Lives. Among the bidders were Luke Bryan and Garth Brooks, with $125,000 raised through the auction.
From there, the performance portion of the evening began, with music from Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Davis, Jackson Dean, Kameron Marlowe, Carly Pearce, Lee Ann Womack, Eric Church, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Tyler Hubbard, Jamey Johnson, Ashley McBryde, Terri Clark and Keith Urban.
Alan Jackson and Walt Aldridge were honored with the ACM’s poets award, presented to a songwriter for outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their career. Davis and Pearce launched the musical events, honoring Alan Jackson, with Davis performing “Chattahoochie” and Pearce performing “Don’t Rock the Jukebox.” Marlowe feted Aldridge with a blistering version of “Modern-Day Bonnie and Clyde.” Aldridge’s credits include Ronnie Milsap’s “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me” and Earl Thomas Conley’s “Holding Her and Loving You.”
Lainey Wilson, who will release her new album Whirlwind on Friday (Aug. 23), was honored as this year’s triple-crown winner, earning a coveted accolade Wilson qualified for by winning the ACM’s new female artist of the year, female artist of the year, and entertainer of the year honors. It’s an honor only nine others have won, including Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood. Wilson also wins this year’s milestone award, presented to an artist, duo/group or industry leader for a specific, unprecedented or outstanding achievement in the field of country music during the preceding calendar year. In May, Wilson was named the ACM’s entertainer of the year.
Trisha Yearwood and producer/musician/industry executive Tony Brown were honored with the ACM Icon Award, which fetes an artist, duo/group or industry leader who has advanced the popularity of the genre through contributions to different areas of the industry, including songwriting, recording, production, film and more. Harris and Alaina feted Yearwood with a duet of “The Song Remembers When.”
More performances followed, as Chris Stapleton was honored as artist-songwriter of the year, with Jamey Johnson delivering a somber, convicting rendition of Stapleton’s “Whiskey and You.”
The evening also highlighted the ACM Lifting Lives grant cycle, fueled by Music Has Value. As part of this segment, Jackson Dean, who was wearing a shirt owned by the late Glen Campbell, honored Campbell with a rendition of Campbell’s “Strong.” Luke Bryan was honored with the ACM Lifting Lives Award for his various charitable endeavors through the years, most notably his Farm Tour, which helps create scholarships for students in rural areas to attend agricultural colleges. Since the tour’s inception in 2009, he has awarded more than 80 scholarships.
“Over the years I’ve watched him give 110% to whatever he does, especially when it comes to helping others,” Bryan’s fellow country artist Jason Aldean said in honoring his friend.
“I’m so blessed to be part of this industry where every day, people go the extra mile to help,” Bryan said, noting the work that ACM Lifting Lives does to help others.”
The 17th ACM Honors will air Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. ET on Merit Street, marking the first time the special will air on the network, as part of a larger partnership between Merit Street Media and the Academy of Country Music. Below, we look at five top musical moments from this year’s ACM Honors:
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Lainey Wilson’s Triple-Crown Moment
A trio of artists honored reigning ACM entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson in winning the triple crown and the milestone award. First up, Terri Clark honored Wilson with a version of Wilson’s “Hang Tight Honey.”
“You wrote a lot of words there, Lainey,” Clark quipped. Wilson appears on Clark’s recent album, Take Two. Dolly Parton appeared via video to congratulate Wilson on earning her Triple Crown Award, saying, “You know I will always love you,” while Post Malone surprised the audience to honor Wilson.
“This guy right here is a part of country music,” Wilson told the crowd of Post Malone, before reflecting on her time working towards these milestones. “I got so many thoughts running through my mind. Terri Clark that was so cool and Dolly, thank you for the sweet words.”
She looked back at some of her career milestones, from her first shows in Louisiana and her early days in Nashville, to having her first sold-out show: “I don’t think the milestones ever end, and I’m believing and receiving that it don’t. Every night at my shows I get to crown someone cowgirl of the night and that means… recognizing what makes them special and making them feel they can do anything they want to do. And that is what y’all have done for me. Thank you for helping me make my dreams come true… Wow, have those 13 years paid off here in this town.”
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Keith Urban Celebrates Songwriter Jessie Jo Dillon
Jessie Jo Dillon, the daughter of country music songwriter Dean Dillon, has written over 900 songs, including hits such as Jelly Roll’s “Halfway to Hell” and Megan Moroney’s “Girl in the Mirror.” She was tributed by fellow singer-songwriter Brandy Clark, while Keith Urban performed a stripped-back, soulful rendition of “Messed Up as Me,” which Dillon wrote with Shane McAnally, Michael Lotten and Rodney Clawson.
“We strive to cut to the heart of the matter and make real music for real people,” Dillon said, and thanked her music publishing family at Big Machine Music, as well as supporters at Big Machine Label Group.
Dillon also took the opportunity to plead for songwriters to be paid justly: “We are not being fairly compensated for our works… what about the [future] Dean Dillon that moved to town and can’t make enough to stay here? We have to save the music, y’all.”
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Vince Gill, Ashley McBryde Honor Tony Brown
Tony Brown’s multi-faceted career includes time in Elvis Presley’s TCB band, Emmylou Harris’s Hot Band, and time spent as a producer shaping the sounds that would define ’90s country music, through his production work for artists including George Strait, Reba McEntire and Vince Gill. He has eight ACM Awards, including wins for producer of the year. He also served as a top exec at MCA Nashville before co-founding Universal South Records in the early 2000s.
Strait sent in a video congratulating Brown, before Gill and McBryde teamed up to perform the first song Brown produced for Gill back in 1989, “When I Call Your Name.”
“A drummer once told me the song was so slow I should count it off with a calendar,” Gill quipped before performing the song, with McBryde offering a sterling, husky harmony. The crowd gave them the first standing ovation of the night.
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Lee Ann Womack, Fisk Jubilee Singers Honor Shannon Sanders
Shannon Sanders, who serves as executive director, creative at BMI, was celebrated with the ACM Lift Every Voice Award. Sanders serves on the ACM board of directors, as well as chairing the ACM Lifting Voices Council.
Womack is known for her traditional country bona fides, but she also offered up some country soul during the ACM Honors, by honoring Sanders with a rendition of “Home,” alongside the Fisk Jubilee Singers, making for a soaring, powerful performance.
“I stand before you tonight deeply humbled and immensely grateful,” Sanders said in accepting the accolade — thanking his family, the Academy of Country Music, BMI, Nashville Music Equality and others who are “amplifying underrepresented voices in country music. Let this voice serve as a reminder to us to lift every voice and lift every story.”
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Eric Church Offers a Soulful Take on an Alan Jackson Classic
Country Music Hall of Famer Jackson has earned 26 Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 hits and is a co-writer or sole writer on most of those. During the ACM Honors, he was celebrated with the ACM Poet’s Award and was honored by Eric Church.
“Alan Jackson is an institution and an American treasure. It’s my honor to be here and play for him,” Church said, also offering up a story about at one time being on the road with another country music luminary.
“I was touring with Hank [Williams], Jr. and every night he would play ‘Family Tradition.’” Church recalled that after he tried putting his own spin on the song, “Hank tolerated me for about 30 seconds and he pulled his glasses down and said, ‘Brother, don’t paint on the Mona Lisa.’ So tonight I’m going to try to paint around the Mona Lisa, okay?”
Church performed a slowed-down, soulful rendition of Jackson’s 1990 hit “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” drawing the night’s biggest response and earning an immediate standing ovation from the crowd.
Walking onstage with his wife Denise, Jackson himself praised Church for his unique rendering of the song, and accepted the honor — thanking fans for their support over the years, and expressing how his love of songwriting has been the center of his career.
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