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Tiera Kennedy delivered a breathtaking performance during her Ryman Auditorium debut — which happened to be during the 15th Annual ACM Honors. Kennedy took the historic stage for the first time to perform a tribute to country music legend Shania Twain, who was among the star-studded list of honorees that evening.
“From one Country Music trailblazer to another,” the Academy of Country Music wrote, sharing a clip of Kennedy’s powerful tribute. She honored Twain with a rendition of her 1990s smash hit “From This Moment On.” The ballad was included on Twain’s Come On Over album, which also included “Man! I Feel Like A Woman,” “Honey, I’m Home,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and other fan-favorite hits.
“From this moment, as long as I live/ I will love you, I promise you this/ There is nothing I wouldn't give/ From this moment on, oh”
“[Shaina Twain] it was an honor getting to sing ‘From This Moment On’ for you at the [ACM Honors]. Thank you for paving the way and for being such a champion of mine and so many others. Love you, Shania,” Kennedy wrote in a tweet with a heart emoji, she added, with a wink: “(P.S. thanks for my good luck charm earrings).”
Kennedy’s was one of several performances to honor Twain, who received the ACM Poet’s Award. It honors “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,” according to the Academy of Country Music. Kelsea Ballerini — who also wore Twain’s 1999 GRAMMY Awards dress on the red carpet — opened the show with a high-energy performance of Twain’s iconic “Man! I Feel Like A Woman.” Later in the show, pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne delivered her rendition of Twain’s 1990s song, “No One Needs To Know,” (a performance so good that Twain herself suggested the pop-punk princess “should’ve gone into country, honestly”). Twain previously gushed that Kennedy has the “voice of an angel.”
“Receiving the [ACM Awards] Poet’s Award was a dream come true... but getting to spend the night with so many of my friends - who might I add are inspiring, kick-a** women(!!) made it even dreamier!!” Twain exclaimed in an Instagram post on August 25, which included photos with Kennedy, Ballerini, Lavigne and others. “Thank you for all the love and the good times.”