Most Vanderbilt students have a first-day-of-class tradition. For some, it might be getting a sweet treat at Jeni’s or having an FDOC photoshoot in front of their Commons House. However, to fully embrace being in Nashville and my love for country music, my FDOC tradition is attending the ACM Honors, which I have been lucky to attend for the past two years.
Held at the historic Ryman Auditorium, the ACM Honors are the Academy of Country Music’s event to honor industry professionals and artists making a significant mark on the genre. This year’s event was the 16th of its type and certainly held up to the standards set by previous years.
Although award shows aren’t the most commonly watched event within the college student demographic, the show had many memorable moments and heartfelt performances that will capture the heart of any viewer. The taping of the ACM Honors will air on FOX on Sept. 18.
My night at the Ryman began with Hailey Whitters announcing the winners of the ACM Industry Awards and ACM Studio Recording Artist Awards. Both are not officially part of the ACM Honors but are still included in the special night. Whitters announced awards, including Theater of the Year, which went to none other than Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, which she described as the “home of country music.” She continued to announce other awards to honor venues, musicians and other industry professionals.
After this portion of the night, Whitters left the stage to allow Carly Pearce to take her place as host for her third year. However, Whitters shortly returned as a performer to grace attendees with her song “Everything She Ain’t.” After Whitters left the stage, Keith Urban and BRELAND continued the night by venturing into the crowd to perform their hit “Throw it Back.”
After their performance ended, Urban presented BRELAND with the first-ever ACM Lift Every Voice Award, an award presented to someone who helps diversify country music by “lifting up” underrepresented individuals. When Urban presented the award, he described what a fantastic artist and person BRELAND was. Urban specifically noted that he “loves it when the good guys win.”
The night continued with many other incredible performances, such as Lady A to honor Clint Black (ACM Poet’s Award), Bailey Zimmerman to honor HARDY (ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year Award) and Trisha Yearwood to honor Mary Chapin Carpenter (ACM Poet’s Award). There were also many outstanding collaborations, such as Billy Ray Cyrus, Travis Denning and FIREROSE joining forces to honor Charlie Daniels (ACM Spirit Award).
The passionate performances, amazing accomplishments of award winners and sincere acceptance speeches left me feeling inspired and hopeful for the future of country music. Stay tuned for Sept. 18 to watch the show for yourself and enjoy other exclusive performances and special moments.
