ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® TO CELEBRATE 16TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC HONORS™ ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2023 AT NASHVILLE’S HISTORIC RYMAN AUDITORIUM

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ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® TO CELEBRATE 16TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC HONORS™ 

ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2023 AT NASHVILLE’S HISTORIC RYMAN AUDITORIUM

Winners of the ACM Special Awards, Songwriter of the Year Award, 

Artist-Songwriter of the Year Award, Studio Recording Awards, and 

Industry Awards to be Celebrated at the Annual Event

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WHAT: The 16TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC HONORS™ is an evening of live music and tributes 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 event, frequently described as “the Country Music industry’s favorite night,” will return to Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium for the thirteenth year.

WHEN: Wednesday, August 23, 2023

WHERE: Ryman Auditorium - 116 5th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37219

MORE: Additional details including this year’s winners, host, performers, and general event information will be announced in the coming weeks and months. For more information, please visit acmcountry.com. To stay up to date on upcoming announcements and receive exclusive access to ticket pre-sales, subscribe to the ACM A-List Newsletter.. 

Each year, the Academy recognizes Special Award winners voted on by the Academy’s Board of Directors for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the Country Music industry and ACM Lifting Lives. Special Awards categories include: 

• The ACM Icon Award is presented to a Country Music artist, duo/group, or industry leader who has advanced the popularity of the genre through their contributions in multiple facets of the industry. Notable winners from the past 16 years include Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, George Strait, and Conway Twitty.  
• The ACM Milestone Award is presented to a Country Music artist, duo/group, or industry leader with an outstanding achievement in the genre during the preceding calendar year. Notable winners from the past 16 years include Garth Brooks, Luke Combs, Merle Haggard, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Morgan Wallen. 
• The ACM Lifting Lives Award is presented to a Country Music artist, duo/group, or industry leader who is devoted to improving lives through the power of music. Notable winners from the past 16 years include Rascal Flatts, Dolly Parton, Darius Rucker, and Carrie Underwood. 
• The ACM International Award is presented to a Country Music artist, duo/group, or industry leader for outstanding contributions to the growth of country music throughout the world. Notable winners from the past 16 years include Eric Church, Dan + Shay, Kacey Musgraves, and Taylor Swift. 
• The ACM Lift Every Voice Award recognizes a Country Music artist, duo/group, or industry leader in recognition of their dedication to fostering, promoting, and increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion both in and beyond the music industry. This award will be presented at the 16th ACM Honors for the first time.
• The ACM Service Award is presented to a Country Music artist, duo/group, or industry leader in recognition of years of dedication and service to the Academy of Country Music. Notable winners from the past 16 years include RAC Clark, Bob Kingsley, Duane Clark, Reba McEntire, and Keith Urban. 
• The ACM Spirit Award is presented to a singer-songwriter who is continuing the legacy of country legend and 20-time ACM Award Winner Merle Haggard by following his/her own path, crafting great songs and epitomizing Merle’s spirit through genuine performances and great storytelling. Past winners include Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, and Chris Stapleton. 
• The ACM Poet’s Award is presented to a Country Music songwriter for outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their career. Notable winners from the past 16 years include Bill Anderson, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens, Hank Williams, and Shania Twain. 
• The ACM Film Award recognizes an outstanding television movie, series or feature film released during the preceding calendar year which prominently features country music. Notable winners from the past 16 years include Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors, Nashville, A Star Is Born, Ken Burns’s Country Music, and Yellowstone.

In addition to the Special Awards honorees, the 16^th Annual ACM Honors will recognize and celebrate 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. Notable winners of Songwriter of the Year from the past 16 years include Rhett Akins, Hillary Lindsey, Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna, and HARDY. The year after winner Songwriter of the Year, HARDY has become the first artist to win the Artist-Songwriter of the Year award. 

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.

ACM Industry Awards recognize venues and talent buyers/promoters who have bought or promoted a set number of country concerts (number varies based on category), is in good standing with all agents/vendors, and helps promote Country Music ticket sales. The various categories honored include Casino of the Year – Theater, Casino of the Year – Arena, Fair/Rodeo of the Year, Festival of the Year, Club of the Year, Theater of the Year, Outdoor Venue of the Year, Arena of the Year, Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year, and Promoter of the Year. Notable winners in the Industry Awards categories in the past 16 years include Billy Bob’s Texas, Brian O’Connell, Ed Warm, Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Ryman Auditorium, and The Beacon Theatre. For more information on Industry Awards eligibility and nominees, view here.

To search the Academy’s database and view the full list of previous winners for each category, visit here. 

About the Academy of Country Music
Founded in Southern California in 1964 as a regional trade organization, the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC (ACM) has grown in the almost-60 years since into a leading association for the country music industry. Now headquartered in Nashville, TN and boasting record-high membership of nearly 5,000 nationwide, the Academy serves as a powerhouse advocate for country fans, artists, and all facets of the business, as well as a supporter of philanthropic work through charitable partner ACM LIFTING LIVES, dedicated to improving lives through the power of music and providing aid in times of need, with a focus on health initiatives. 2023 looks to be another monumental year for the Academy, with the ACM Awards returning to Texas on May 11 and streaming live for a global audience on Prime Video, still the only major awards show to livestream. The Academy also remains relentlessly committed to creating a more inclusive environment for underrepresented groups in country music, from the boardroom to the stage, and over the last year has launched both ACM LEVel Up, a two-year professional development and enrichment curriculum for rising leaders, and OnRamp, a guaranteed income program for Black members of the Nashville music community, in partnership with the Black Music Action Coalition. For more information, log onto ACMcountry.com or ACMLiftingLives.org.