ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® ANNOUNCES SPECIAL AWARD HONOREES INCLUDING MIRANDA LAMBERT, CHRIS STAPLETON, SHANIA TWAIN, MORGAN WALLEN, and YELLOWSTONE
THE 15TH ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC HONORS™ WILL TAKE PLACE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24 AT THE HISTORIC RYMAN AUDITORIUM IN NASHVILLE, TN
NASHVILLE, TN (June 1, 2022) – The Academy of Country Music® announced today the recipients of the Special Awards for the 57th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™. Honorees will be celebrated during the 15th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC HONORS™, frequently described as the “Country Music Industry’s favorite night,” during an unforgettable evening of live music and tributes. The event will take place Wednesday, August 24, 2022 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. City National Bank is the presenting partner of the evening. Performers, host, and ticket on-sale information will be announced in the coming weeks.
“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,” said Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside. “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.”
ACM POET’S AWARD – Sonny Throckmorton and Shania Twain have each been chosen as recipients of the ACM Poet’s Award. This award is presented to a Country Music songwriter for outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their career, with special consideration given to a song or songs’ impact on the culture of Country Music.
Sonny Throckmorton’s legendary songwriting career began in the late 1970s when he had 150 songs cut within a nine-month span. Between 1976 and 1980, a Throckmorton-penned song appeared on the charts almost every single week. Throughout his storied career, Throckmorton had more than 1,000 songs recorded by an astounding list of artists, including Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson, The Judds, George Strait, Tanya Tucker, and more. Among his cuts, Throckmorton notched No. 1 singles with Johnny Duncan, The Oak Ridge Boys, and T.G. Sheppard. He also co-wrote classics such as Merle Haggard's "The Way I Am," Jerry Lee Lewis' "Middle Age Crazy," George Strait's "The Cowboy Rides Away," and The Judds’ 1984 ACM Song of the Year, "Why Not Me." Throckmorton has received countless accolades for his contributions to the Country Music genre, including Songwriter of the Year recognition from organizations such as Cashbox Magazine (1978), Nashville Songwriters Association International (1978-1979), Broadcast Music, Inc (1980), and the DJs of America (1980). In 1985, Throckmorton was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.
International superstar Shania Twain has established her career as one of Country Music’s most versatile and invigorating songwriters, with instantly-recognizable hits and an undeniable crossover appeal that has earned her three ACM Awards and five GRAMMYs. The release of her album The Woman in Me in 1995, featuring her breakthrough hit single “Any Man of Mine,” was awarded ACM Album of the Year at the 31st ACM Awards, the same year Twain took home the title of ACM Top New Female Vocalist. Twain has released five total albums, becoming the first artist in history to release three consecutive diamond-certified albums. With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, Twain remains the top-selling female Country Pop artist of all time. Her incredible creative achievements led her to win ACM Entertainer of the Year in 1999. Twain’s first album in 15 years, NOW, was released in September 2017 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, making it the first female Country release in over three years to top the all-genre chart. Twain is currently performing at her second residency in Las Vegas, titled “Let’s Go!” at the Zappos Theater in Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
Previous recipients of the ACM Poet’s Award include Bill Anderson, Rodney Crowell, Dean Dillon, Kye Fleming, Merle Haggard, Tom T. Hall, Toby Keith, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Buck Owens, Eddie Rabbitt, Fred Rose, Don Schlitz, Billy Joe Shaver,Shel Silverstein,Cindy Walker, and Hank Williams, among others.
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.”
The ceremony will be held in Nashville at the Ryman Auditorium.
The fans make country music what it is. They believed in me from the very beginning and helped me to be taken seriously by the industry and for that I’ll be forever grateful. I’m honored to be receiving the @ACMawards Poet’s Award at this year’s #ACMHonors. This award is ours ❤️
The ACM Honors will air tape delayed on September 13 at 8:00pm ET/PT on FOX. It looks like Kelsea Ballerini and Avril Lavigne will be part of a Shania Twain tribute performance.
“ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC HONORS™” MAKES ITS DEBUT ON FOX FOR THE FIRST TIME ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
August 10, 2002
Carly Pearce to Host the Event Celebrating Special Honorees Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Shania Twain, Morgan Wallen and “Yellowstone”
Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, The Warren Brothers, Dan + Shay, Jordan Davis, ERNEST, Vince Gill, HARDY, Wynonna Judd, Avril Lavigne, Little Big Town, Carly Pearce, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson and More To Perform
Special Performance by Trace Adkins, Star of FOX’s New Country Music Drama “Monarch”
The 15th Annual ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC HONORS will air Tuesday, Sept. 13 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, marking its return to television and the first time the special will air on the network, it was announced today by Rob Wade, President, Alternative Entertainment and Specials, FOX Entertainment. The all-star event, dubbed “Country Music industry’s favorite night,” will recognize several special honorees, including ACM Triple Crown Award recipient Miranda Lambert, ACM Spirit Award recipient Chris Stapleton, ACM Poet’s Award recipient Shania Twain, ACM Milestone Award recipient Morgan Wallen and ACM Film Award recipient “Yellowstone.”
Reigning ACM Female Artist of the Year and four-time ACM Award winner Carly Pearce will return for a second year to host the ceremony. Pearce also will 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 Award winner and Grammy nominee Trace Adkins, performing his cover of “A Country Boy Can Survive,” from the upcoming FOX country music drama MONARCH, in which he stars alongside Susan Sarandon and Anna Friel. The series premieres on Sunday, Sept. 11, immediately following the FOX NFL doubleheader (8:00-9:00 PM ET, and simultaneously to all time zones). It then makes its time period premiere Tuesday, Sept. 20 (9:00-10:00 ET/PT). Other performers and presenters include Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, The Warren Brothers, Brooks & Dunn, Dan + Shay, Jordan Davis, ERNEST, Jesse Frasure, Vince Gill, Ashley Gorley, Mickey Guyton, HARDY, Wynonna Judd, Avril Lavigne, Little Big Town, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson and more. The full line-up of artists included in the FOX primetime special will be released in the coming weeks.
“Country music royalty reigns on FOX this fall, starting with the debut of Monarch, the network's new drama about the first family of country music, followed by one of country’s most special nights, ACM Honors,” said Wade. “This partnership with the Academy of Country Music marks the return to television for this beloved, star-studded event, giving country fans everywhere all the more reason to call FOX home.”
“We are thrilled to bring one of our industry’s favorite and most poignant nights back to primetime television and to kick off our first-ever ACM partnership with FOX,” said Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside. “Being our 15th anniversary show makes the return to television even more special and a great opportunity to bring ACM Honors to the fans to experience the admiration and respect that our Country community has for its own through emotional tributes and unique performances.”
The 15th Annual ACM HONORS will be held on Wednesday, August 24, at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Tickets for the iconic ACM HONORS are currently on sale to the general public at AXS.
Partners for the August 24th event at the Ryman Auditorium include presenting sponsor City National Bank, GEICO and 1000 Stories Wine.
The 15th Annual ACM HONORS will be produced for television by ACM Productions LLC. Damon Whiteside is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music, and Martin Fischer is executive producer for Opry Entertainment. Ben Roy is co-executive producer, and Sacha Mueller is producer.
Here is the actual picture that was used by the ACM in their "ACM Honors" Poet's Award announcement tweet.
Since the awards show isn't airing on TV until September 13, I wonder if the ACM will post or release any pictures and videos from the event on Wednesday night.
Also, I've seen a few of Shania's dancers posting on Instagram in Nashville. Shania isn't performing on Wednesday night so I guess they will be in the audience to support her.
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Tommy's #1 SHANIA TWAIN SuperSite shaniasupersite.com Our eyes are closed, but we're not asleep, We're wide awake beneath the sheets
REMINDER:The "ACM Honors" takes place tonight in Nashville. The show begins at 7:30pm ET (6:30pm CT in Nashville).
Since the awards show isn't airing on TV until September 13, I'm not sure if the ACM will post or release any pictures and videos during or after the event tonight.
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Tommy's #1 SHANIA TWAIN SuperSite shaniasupersite.com Our eyes are closed, but we're not asleep, We're wide awake beneath the sheets
Shania Twain Says She's 'Blown Away' After Kelsea Ballerini Wears Her 1999 GRAMMYs Dress (Exclusive)
By Paige Gawley | Entertainment Tonight | August 24, 2022
Shania Twain is all for giving her iconic dress a second life! On Wednesday, the 56-year-old stepped out for the 15th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors in Nashville, Tennessee, and was delighted to find Kelsea Ballerini wearing the gown she donned for the GRAMMYs in 1999.
"I am so blown away," Twain told ET's Cassie DiLaura of seeing Ballerini in the gown. "... She looks stunning. She looks like an absolute angel. It's very flattering to see her in the dress, and that she even wanted to wear it. I said, 'I hope it's not too dusty after being in the [GRAMMY Museum].'"
Twain wore the long-sleeved, white gown the year that she won Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song for her track, "You're Still the One."
"It was an incredible night for me at the GRAMMYs. That dress represented that experience, so I'm just happy to see it alive again," Twain said. "Now it has a new life, and it has new memories, and it's really great to be able to share that with other people, with another women. Obviously it's a huge compliment to be admired enough that someone would want to step into my dress."
And Ballerini certainly did want to wear the dress. The 28-year-old singer saw the gown as an opportunity to pay tribute to Twain, who's being honored with the ACM Poet’s Award at Wednesday's ceremony.
"It's Shania's night! When I was asked to be a part of it, to honor her, we were just thinking about every possible way that we can highlight every stage of her career," Ballerini told ET. "One of the things that I think she's an icon because of is her fashion, and the way she's always pushing boundaries. I wanted to honor that part of her too."
Ballerini was hopeful she'd be able to don the gown, but worried it may not happen since alterations were not allowed.
"It's only allowed to leave the museum for 48 hours, so I tried it on yesterday. I had back up just in case," she explained. "We're not allowed to obviously alter anything so I am. I am just a little bit taller, and so far that's the only thing we noticed."
Twain noticed the height difference too, recalling to ET, "I said, 'Isn't it too short for you?' She's quite a bit taller. And she goes, 'Oh, I just changed the shoes. I just wore lower shoes.'"
The dress fit and the shoes worked, but Ballerini was still "so scared" to wear the gown, especially because of how much Twain means to her personally.
"You grow up finding people that you're like, 'If I ever get the opportunity to be an artist, I wanna be like that.' Shania, she's that for me," she said. "To be able to honor her is one thing, but to be able to honor her and have her blessing, this kind of feels like she's continuing to be that. It's like, 'I like what you're doing enough to let you wear my dress that I won my GRAMMYs in.' It's just also very affirming and reassuring, so it's sweet."
The gown isn't the only way Ballerini is honoring Twain, she's also opening the ceremony by performing the superstar's 1997 hit, "Man! I Feel Like a Woman."
"I'm living my best fan girl life," Ballerini gushed. "I can't even. I am, like, out of body."
For Twain, earning the ACM Poet’s Award, a distinction that is presented to a country music songwriter for outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their career, is "a huge, huge honor."
"The song writing is everything to me, the storytelling. This is really where I began telling stories," she told ET. "... It's just probably the most meaningful compliment. It's at the depth of the work that I do."
The 15th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors will air Tuesday, Sept. 13 from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
Additional highlights included Kelsea Ballerini’s high-energy choreographed show opener of Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” complete with the costume Twain wore in the music video, Avril Lavigne’s cover of “No One Needs to Know” and Tiera’s spellbinding performance of “From This Moment.” Twain thanked each woman in her acceptance speech and reminisced of her first time on the Ryman stage in 1993.
“It’s just wonderful to be here and to be recognized for my songwriting,” Twain said. “And to be recognized in this historic Music City, in this building, it means a lot to me.”
“From the very beginning of my childhood, I grew up fantasizing about what this would look like in real life and what it must have been like for my music heroes, my songwriting heroes, to stand on this stage and play their music.”
What a great night! My heart is full from watching and hearing the tributes. Being acknowledged as a songwriter has always been my goal... thank you to the @ACMawards for honouring me with the Poet's Award. It's been a bumpy ride, I kept my chin up, developed a tough skin and got on with it!! I got to spend the night in the historical Ryman Auditorium surrounded by my friends, fellow songwriters and beautiful fans, what a gorgeous night ❤️
Receiving the @ACMawards 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-ass women(!!) made it even dreamier!! 😍💃 Thank you for all the love ❤️
Shania Twain on her role in music and more following the Academy of Country Music ACM Honors
The Tennessean Country music reporter Marcus Dowling interviews Shania Twain during the Academy of Country Music ACM Honors at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Avril Lavigne Honors Shania Twain With ‘No One Needs to Know’ Performance at ACM Honors: Watch
Lavigne celebrated Twain as an ACM Honors Poet's Award winner at this year's ACM Honors, airing Tuesday on FOX.
By Jessica Nicholson | Billboard | September 9, 2022
During the recent ACM Honors, held at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, ACM Poet’s Award recipient Shania Twain was feted by multiple artists, including Kelsea Ballerini and Avril Lavigne.
Twain, who has seen three of her albums certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America, is a co-writer on the bulk of her own hits, including “Any Man of Mine,” “From This Moment On,” and “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Twain was one of two recipients of the ACM Poet’s Award, along with Sonny Throckmorton (known for penning songs including Merle Haggard’s “The Way I Am” and George Strait’s “The Cowboy Rides Away”).
“Girlfriend” and “Complicated” hitmaker Lavigne — who, like Twain, is from Canada — honored Twain with a performance of Twain’s 1996 song “No One Needs to Know,” a No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts.
“You should have gone into country music,” Twain told Lavigne following the performance. Lavigne also paid homage to Twain’s signature leopard outfit from her “That Don’t Impress Me Much” video by donning her own hooded leopard-print ensemble for the performance.
Twain’s previous ACM Awards honors include top new female vocalist and album of the year (for The Woman in Me) wins, as well as taking home the coveted ACM entertainer of the year honor in 2000.
Others celebrated during this year’s ACM Honors included Miranda Lambert (honored with the ACM Triple Crown honor), Morgan Wallen (the Milestone Award winner), HARDY (ACM songwriter of the year) and Chris Stapleton (the ACM spirit award winner).
The ACM Honors will air Tuesday (Sept. 13) on FOX. Watch Lavigne’s tribute to Twain in the video above.
2022 ACM Honors celebrate passion and promise of country music's past, present, future
Shania Twain, Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, and more were honored for country music success on a FOX-airing special
By Marcus K. Dowling | Nashville Tennessean | September 13, 2022
...The evening was a christening of the next era of the career of country icon Shania Twain. In a season that finds her releasing a greatest hits album, being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and having a Nextflix documentary chronicling her career released, her receipt -- alongside Sonny Throckmorton, a vaunted Music City songwriter of over 1,000 songs -- of the Academy of Country Music Poet's Award offered a moment for reflection and consideration of her influence.
"Inclusion is everything, and I make my music for the world. I don't see limits; I don't see boundaries -- I see possibilities. So I'm a cheerleader for including diversity in the genre," noted the best-selling female artist in country music history.
The moments that celebrated her onstage reflected impressive social and sonic diversity.
The show kicked off with a spirited performance by Kelsea Ballerini of Twain's 23-year-old double-platinum-selling single "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" The chart-topping vocalist wore the dress Twain sported at the 1999 Grammy Awards on the ACM Honors' red carpet.
"When I released that song, it was [considered] controversial] in the Nashville music community," Twain told The Tennessean. She added that its continued acclaim proves how often the country music industry "underestimates" the progressive-minded nature of the genre's fanbase.
Pop superstar Avril Lavigne's introduction ("she redefined what a female artist could be," she noted) of Twain to the stage for a lengthy acceptance speech was preceded by the Ryman Auditorium debut of Big Machine Records and Songs and Daughters Publishing-signed Tiera Kennedy, who sang Twain's 1998 global pop-crossover hit "From This Moment On."
Twain gave Kennedy the earrings she was wearing before she hit the stage.
"Prior to her hitting the stage, we shared a sisterly moment in a supportive environment," Twain said. "I didn't have that when I was first coming into town. We all deserve that support."
I had the honor a few weeks ago to shoot the portrait booth for the #acmhonors event at @theryman for @gettyimages and @people. @shaniatwain was being honored that night. What a legend and a joy to work with.
Shania Twain on Wynonna Judd's 'Beautiful' Friendship, Bonding Over Their Musical Mothers (Exclusive)
By Sophie Schillaci | Entertainment Tonight| September 13, 2022
Shania Twain is opening up about her deep connection with Wynonna Judd. Speaking with ET backstage at the ACM Honors taping in Nashville, Tennessee, Twain reveals that the pair only became close in recent years -- despite rising to fame together in the '80s and '90s.
"Wynonna and I have become friends over time and not over music," Twain tells ET's Cassie DiLaura. "Obviously in our prime charting years we would pass in the hallways, but we never met or engaged at all during that time and now in the last several years we exchange what we're doing in the garden, how our kids are doing, and just our love and admiration for each other as human beings. She is a powerful force and a beautiful friend."
Twain says that the country icons' chat history is filled with photos of flowers and vegetables from their gardens, while they've also bonded over a shared history and growing up with musical mothers.
"It is the sweetest and we find happiness in the simple things," Twain says. "We have a lot in common in our childhood, music history and growing up with music -- our mothers being so involved with our music, and so we just have more in common than we'd ever imagined while we were in our prime of chart-topping music."
Twain is being honored by the Academy of Country Music this year with its Poets Award, alongside songwriter Sonny Throckmorton, for their "outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions."
"That's a huge, huge honor," Twain tells ET. "The song writing is everything to me, the storytelling. This is really where I began telling stories so, I mean, there's a lot to say about it. It's just probably the most meaningful compliment. It's at the depth of the work that I do."
To commemorate the occasion, Kelsea Ballerini, Avril Lavigne and Tiera Kennedy paid tribute to the "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" singer with a special performance.
"What I was really touched and moved by was the diversity of women and their styles that... were motivated or inspired somehow by my music. That really makes me happy," Twain says. "Avril is, you know, she’s really kick ass, she has rock edge; and then you've got Tiara, who’s a very soulful singer; and then you've got Kelsea who is pure, uplifting, much more of a pop edge. It was a good feeling to know that I've played maybe some little, tiny role in that influence."
The 15th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors will air Tuesday, Sept. 13 from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
Three great performances.
No One Needs To Know is one of my all time favorite songs, and the live versions are better than the studio album one.
And it's always great to see other artists performing MIFLAW. Another great song to hear live.
How wonderful it feels to be acknowledged for my songwriting. Thank you to the @ACMawards for honouring me with the Poet's Award 🖤 #ACMhonors (Are you ready to hear some more of my songwriting skills? 😉)