ERNEST is still celebrating after he teamed up with HARDY to pay tribute to Morgan Wallen at the 15th Annual ACM Honors on Wednesday night (August 24). The Academy of Country Music hosted the event at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Wallen was the ACM Milestone Award honoree, 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,” the academy previously announced. ERNEST and HARDY took the stage to perform some of Wallen’s biggest hits in his honor: “Sand In My Boots,” “Wasted On You” and “More Than My Hometown.”
“Last night was such privilege getting to honor our buddy [Morgan Wallen] or the Milestone award. A special night with special people…” ERNEST wrote in an Instagram caption as he celebrated his friend. “Mo, u deserve the world and have worked ur a** off to be here. The hard work is noticed by all and ur constantly raising the bar to heights that ain’t been touched… the standard is different these days… honored to call ya a friend.”
HARDY also received an award that night, becoming the ACM Songwriter of the Year. He was hailed an “exceptional writer, one of Country Music’s most distinctive and creative talents, who has co-penned 11 #1 singles since 2018.” Other honorees included Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain, Chris Stapleton and more. The 15th Annual ACM Honors will make its return to television with its debut on FOX, set to air on Tuesday, September 13 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET, according to the Academy of Country Music.
Wallen will be performing at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Festival this September, and fans can tune in and watch live via an exclusive stream each night on September 23rd and 24th on The CW app and CWTV.com. The CW Network will also broadcast a two-night television special this October. Additionally, the festival will be broadcast live for fans via iHeartRadio stations throughout the country across more than 150 markets, and on the iHeartRadio app. Find available tickets.