ACM Honors
ACM HONORS is a live event held after the ACM Award Show, dedicated to celebrating special award honorees, off-camera category winners, and ACM Industry and Studio Recording Awards.
The 16th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC HONORS™, frequently described as the “Country Music Industry’s favorite made a return to Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium for the thirteenth year on Wednesday, August 23 celebrating recipients of the Academy of Country Music’s Special Awards, Songwriter of the Year Award, Artist-Songwriter of the Year Award, Studio Recording Awards, and Industry Awards from the 58th ACM Awards cycle. The all-star event also made a return to FOX for a second year, airing Monday, September 18 at 8/7c.
Clint Black, BRELAND, Kane Brown, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Charlie Cook, Charlie Daniels, Mike Dungan, Ashley Gorley, HARDY, Bill Mayne, Tim McGraw, K.T. Oslin, Chris Stapleton, and Troy Vollhoffer will be celebrated during an unforgettable evening of live music and tributes. Four-time ACM Award winner Carly Pearce will host the event for the third straight year. Pearce will also grace the stage with a musical performance. Across the star-studded evening of live music and tributes, audiences will see additional performances from iconic country music artists, including ACM Lift Every Voice Award recipient BRELAND, ACM Award winner Chris Janson, 12-time ACM Award winning trio Lady A, 15-time ACM Award winner and 2018 ACM Entertainer of the Year Keith Urban, three-time ACM Award winner Trisha Yearwood, four-time ACM Award nominee Brandy Clark, eight-time ACM Award nominee Jordan Davis, ACM Award nominated duo The War And Treaty, ACM Award nominee Bailey Zimmerman, as well as Emily Shackelton, Anne Wilson, and more. The full line-up of artists included in the FOX primetime special will be released in the coming weeks.
In addition to the Special Awards honorees, the 16th Annual ACM Honors recognized and celebrated the achievements of this year’s Songwriter of the Year, Ashley Gorley, and the winner of the newly added award category Artist-Songwriter of the Year, HARDY. These awards are presented to individuals who stand out as the top wordsmiths of the past year, helping to create the stories that are shared with Country Music fans through song. The Awards are selected by a special Professional Panel of judges composed of songwriters, publishers, producers, and performing rights organization representatives.
The Academy’s Studio Recording Awards recognize the creators behind the music, with categories including Bass Player of the Year, Drummer of the Year, Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year, Piano/Keys Player of the Year, Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year, Electric Guitar Player of the Year, Audio Engineer of the Year, and Producer of the Year. The eligibility of each artist, musician, producer, and engineer recognized in their respective category is determined by a Professional Panel of judges chosen by the ACM Officers, with each honoree having achieved a Top 20 or better on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, Billboard’s Top Country Albums or Mediabase Country charts during the current eligibility period. Notable winners in the Studio Recording Awards categories in the past 16 years include busbee, Dann Huff, Jay Joyce, Jimmie Lee Sloas, Ilya Toshinskiy, and Charlie Worsham among others. For more information on Studio Recording Awards eligibility and nominees, view here.