Luke Combs, Dan + Shay celebrated by peers at ACM Honors

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Dan + Shay, Luke Combs, Rascal Flatts and much more state artists were celebrated alongside notable songwriters, producers and business leaders at the Academy of Place New music Honors awards show.

In front of a limited group at the Ryman Auditorium on Wednesday, artists paid tribute to other writers, bands and even a documentarian for their perform in the genre of state new music.

“Without the songwriters in this town, we would have none of this. We have none of the shows, none of the report profits,” stated Dan Smyers of the Grammy-successful duo Dan + Shay, who had been presented the Jim Reeves Global Award.

Combs’ increase to stardom in the past number of decades has been unparalleled. He is the first artist to have his 1st 11 singles hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Region singer Ashley McBryde tore as a result of a rowdy version of his track “She Received the Very best of Me,” prior to presenting him with the Gene Weed Milestone Award.

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“There’s a whole helluva large amount a lot more region tunes in this boy right listed here, and I are not able to hold out for you to listen to it,” Combs stated as he elevated the award in the air.

Carly Pearce, Alan Jackson and Lee Ann Womack sang tributes to region icon Loretta Lynn, who gained the Poets Award. Lynn, who spoke in an audio information but did not show up, named it finest award she could get.

PBS filmmaker Ken Burns recognized the Tex Ritter Film Award for his multipart series termed “Country Music” that aired in 2019.

“We have been very pleased to deliver this tale of this uniquely American music to tens of hundreds of thousands of viewers,” Burns mentioned in a online video assertion. “And we had been in particular gratified that our film arrived at so a lot of folks who earlier imagined they failed to like country audio, but swiftly grew to become admirers.”

Place group Rascal Flatts have been honored with the Cliffie Stone Icon Award. The trio declared their retirement in 2020 just after two decades together.

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“20 decades fly by like that. It really is fleeting,” reported Joe Don Rooney, of Rascal Flatts. “We have been blessed.”

Jay DeMarcus nonetheless joked that when the band may have retired, he was however wanting for operate. “I am unemployed. If you guys have to have a bass player, Woman A, I have acquired a precise skill established,” DeMarcus stated to laughs from the crowd.

Keith City performed in honor of strike producer and songwriter Ross Copperman, who acquired the Gary Haber Lifting Life Award together with Girl A. Brittney Spencer carried out the typical Martina McBride hit “Independence Day” to honor songwriter Gretchen Peters, who been given the Poet’s Award. Toby Keith was also given a Poet’s Award, and Trace Adkins performed Keith’s hit “Love Me If You Can.”