The 15th annual ACM Honors ceremony is set for this August at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The Academy of Country Music announces the ACM Special Award honorees on Wednesday morning (June 1).
“ACM Honors is truly a special and unique night as the entire Country Music community comes together to celebrate the achievements of artists, musicians, and industry executives that have made a positive impact on the industry during the prior year or over their careers,” Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside said in a press release Wednesday. “Being the 15th anniversary of this event also makes it a night to remember some of the Academy’s pioneers who originally inspired these honors.”
“These individuals have shaped Country Music in powerful ways and built phenomenal legacies, and we cannot wait to celebrate them at the 15th annual [ACM Honors] Wednesday, August 24 at [the Ryman Auditorium] in Nashville,” the academy noted in a thread on Twitter. Honorees include:
- Miranda Lambert — Triple Crown Award, achieving a “rare accomplishment by winning ACM New Female artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, & Entertainer of the Year!”
- HARDY — ACM Songwriter of the Year, an “exceptional writer, one of Country Music’s most distinctive and creative talents, who has co-penned 11 #1 singles since 2018.”
- Morgan Wallen — ACM Milestone Award, celebrating an “outstanding” and record-breaking year, and “winning Album of the Year at [the ACM Awards], and selling over 800,000 tickets so far in 2022.”
- Connie Bradley — ACM Icon Award, serving “more than 3 decades at
- [ASCAP], where she was quickly dubbed a ‘songwriter's best friend’ and helped sign countless superstars. Her creativity & dedication undoubtedly contributed to Country Music's global success.”
- Sonny Throckmorton — ACM Poet’s Award, “a songwriting legend behind iconic songs including [George Strait]'s ‘Cowboy Rides Away’ & [The Judds]'s ‘Why Not Me’ who once had 150 songs cut within a 9-month span. Congrats Sonny Throckmorton on a phenomenal Country Music legacy.”
- Shania Twain — ACM Poet’s Award, honoring “an international superstar and one of Country Music's most versatile and invigorating songwriters, with instantly-recognizable hits and the title of top-selling female Country Pop artist of all time.”
- Yellowstone — ACM Film Award, the honoree has “captivated audiences, introducing viewers to numerous Country and Americana artists beyond the mainstream while racking up record-breaking ratings, passionate audiences, & numerous spinoffs.”
- Chris Stapleton — ACM Spirit Award, whose “commanding presence and refreshing authenticity has made him one of the most respected and beloved musicians of Country Music today.”
- Duane Clark — ACM Service Award, to an “award-winning business manager & advisor who has dedicated himself to the Academy and played an instrumental role in major milestones.”
- Paul Barnabee — ACM Lifting Lives Award, from “serving 2 years as the [ACM Lifting Lives] Chair to helping launch the COVID-19 Response Fund, our ACM Lifting Lives Award honoree has truly made the Country Music community a better and warmer place through his dedication & generosity.”
- Dwight Wiles — ACM Lifting Lives Award, with “over a decade of service to [ACM Lifting Lives], our ACM Lifting Lives Award honoree built many of the core tenets of the organization that remain today, including [ACM Party] & Music Camp.”
See the full list of honorees here: