ACM Honors —the Academy of Country Music's yearly celebration of country music and entertainment excellence— will make its broadcast debut on Fox. It'll air on Wed., Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. EST.
The 15th annual event will be filmed Aug. 24 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Reigning ACM Female Vocalist of the Year Carly Pearce will host for a second consecutive year.
"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," shared ACM CEO Damon Whiteside in a press release. "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."
Musical guests include Trace Adkins, who'll up anticipation for Monarch by performing his cover of "A Country Boy Can Survive" that'll be featured in the Fox series. Others taking the Ryman stage range from Wynonna Judd to Avril Lavigne.
Announced today, our incredible lineup of artists performing at #ACMhonors, August 24 at @theryman.
Don't miss this unforgettable night of Country Music, Tickets + VIP packages are on sale now at @AXS.
And mark your calendar for ACM Honors TV special, Sept 13 at 8/7c on @FOXTV. pic.twitter.com/sMMNDYRwdU
— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) August 10, 2022
Miranda Lambert —the eighth Triple Crown winner in ACM history after adding an Entertainer of the Year trophy to the same career haul as Top New Female Vocalist and Female Vocalist of the Year wins— and Spirit Award-winner Chris Stapleton highlight this year's list of honorees.
Additional honors include the ACM Film Award, which will recognize the Paramount Network's popular western series Yellowstone.
The ACM Film Award was first given to singing cowboy Tex Ritter, who was as well-known for his acting career as he was for making country music. This award recognizes an outstanding television movie, series or feature film released during the preceding calendar year which prominently features country music.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
In a press release, ACM officials shared the reasoning behind selecting Yellowstone as this year's winner.
"The dramatic scenes and compelling music heard on Yellowstone have captivated audiences, introducing viewers to numerous Country and Americana artists beyond the mainstream," the statement read. "Artists such as Zach Bryan, Hayes Carll, Turnpike Troubadours, Whiskey Myers and ACM award-winner Lainey Wilson have all had their music featured in the show. In addition to Kevin Costner, cast members Ryan Bingham and Luke Grimes' musical pursuits have cast a further spotlight on the Country Music genre."
Past recipients of the ACM Film Award include some of the biggest films centered around country music, such as Country Strong, Crazy Heart and Sweet Dreams. The TV series Nashville is also among past recipients as well as the films A Star is Born and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Winners of the ACM's Icon Award (Connie Bradley), Lifting Lives Award (Paul Barnabee, Dwight Wiles), Milestone Award (Morgan Wallen), Service Award (Duane Clark), Poet's Award (Shania Twain, Sonny Throckmorton) and Songwriter of the Year Award (Hardy) round out this year's honorees.
