Sam Hunt, Alan Jackson and More Set for 2018 ACM Honors
Some of country's most notable names are set to receive special accolades at the 2018 ACM Honors. Alan Jackson, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker and Sam Hunt are just some of the acts who will be honored by the Academy of Country Music at a special ceremony in August.
The ACM Honors take place every year in Nashville to recognize the special honorees and off-camera category winners from the ACM Awards, and in 2018, Jackson has been designated the winner of the Cliffie Stone Icon Award for his efforts in expanding the popularity of the country genre.
Hunt's massive hit "Body Like a Back Road" has earned him the Gene Weed Milestone Award, honoring his record-breaking streak at the top of the Billboard country charts, in addition to setting a variety of streaming records and becoming the most-played song on country radio in 2017.
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Bentley has been selected to receive the esteemed Merle Haggard Spirit Award, honoring his ability to create impactful songs and produce memorable performances. Throughout his 15-year career, Bentley has earned multiple chart-topping singles with career-defining tracks like "What Was I Thinkin,'" "Home," "I Hold On," "Drunk on a Plane" and many more, in addition to scoring half a dozen No. 1 albums.
Rucker will take home the Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award at the 2018 ACM Honors, which honors a member of the country music community who uses the power of music to help others and "has a generosity of spirit and is committed to serving others." Rucker certainly fits the bill, as he has remained a longstanding supporter of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, raising more than $1 million with his annual Darius Rucker & Friends concert.
Additional ACM Honors will be awarded to "Strawberry Wine" writer Matraca Berg and the late producer and songwriter Norro Wilson, who will both receive the ACM Poet's Award. Other categories include the ACM Mae Boren Axton Service Award, recognizing "years of dedication and service to the Academy of Country Music," which is going to Mickey Christensen, Chris Christensen and Eddie Miller. Rob Potts will posthumously receive the ACM Jim Reeves International Award for "outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world."
Rhett Akins has been named the 2018 ACM Songwriter of the Year, and he'll receive his trophy at the 2018 ACM Honors along with other winners of industry awards and studio recording awards.
The 2018 ACM Honors take place at Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium on Aug. 22. The ceremony will air on CBS at a later date that is to be announced.
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