Toby Keith will be honored with the Country Icon Award at the first-ever People's Choice Country Awards in September. The award will be presented to the longtime country singer by Blake Shelton.
"We're overjoyed to honor legendary artist Toby Keith with the first-ever country icon award," said Cassandra Tryon, Senior Vice President, Entertainment Live Events, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming."As a talented songwriter and powerhouse performer, Keith has touched the hearts of fans across the globe. His illustrious career and passion for philanthropy has cemented his place as an icon in country music history"
Keith built a successful career in country music throughout the late '90s, 2000s and beyond with hits such as "Should've Been a Cowboy," "Beer For My Horses," "I Wanna Talk About Me" and many others. He released his most recent album, Peso in My Pocket, in 2021. In 2022, Keith took a step back from the spotlight as he revealed a diagnosis of stomach cancer. The singer announced this summer that his cancer treatments are going well and he is preparing to step back onto the stage soon.
Keith has made a few public appearances throughout his cancer journey. The singer accepted the BMI Icon Award at the BMI Awards in November, and he hosted his annual charity golf tournament in Oklahoma in June. Keith has also appeared at a handful of pop-up performances, including one at his Hollywood Corners venue in Norman, Okla. on July 1. Keith also treated his Uber driver and fellow passengers to an impromptu karaoke performance recently.
The inaugural People's Choice Country Awards will air live from the Grand Ole Opry on Thursday, September 28, at 8PM ET on NBC and Peacock. Little Big Town will host the show. According to NBC, the two-hour show will "lean into the rich connection between country music and the Opry through chart-topping musical performances, genre-bending collaborations, and legendary tributes."
