Jamey Johnson Delivers Stripped-Down Rendition Of Chris Stapleton’s ‘Whiskey And You’ At ACM Honors

Jamey Johnson was tapped to take the stage of the 2024 ACM Awards and perform in honor of the ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year Award recipient, Chris Stapleton. To commemorate Stapleton’s esteemed talent as an artist and songwriter, Johnson offered his baritone vocals to the famous tune, “Whiskey And You.”

The Kentucky native has built up a resume full of hits recorded by some of the biggest names in country music, and “Whiskey And You” definitely holds a high spot in that list as it was first recorded by Tim McGraw on his 2007 album, Let It Go. The song later gained even more momentum with fans when Stapleton cut his version for his debut solo album Traveller. 

Since this song has lived several different lives and seen a good amount of success each time, it was a great choice to honor him with it during the star-studded ceremony. Johnson took the crowd on a journey as he beautifully illustrates the painful comparison between the pain of heartbreak and the effects of alcohol. 

The Ryman Auditorium was packed but silent, allowing Johnson’s rich vocals to echo throughout the venue, accompanied only by the gentle strums of his acoustic guitar. 

“One’s a devil, one keeps drivin’ me insane/ At times, I wonder if they ain’t both the same/ But one’s a liar that helps to hide me from my pain/ And one’s the long gone bitter truth/ That’s the difference between whiskey and you,” he delivers on the chorus. 

Chris Stapleton could not be in attendance to accept his award because as Johnson joked, he had “an important fishing trip.” However, he did send in a heartwarming message via video that sums up his gratitude for the recognition he has received from the Academy of Country Music.  

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“Thank you so much for this award, ACMs, I’m so sorry I can’t accept you in person tonight. I’ve always considered myself a songwriter first, and so to get an award like this is very meaningful, but it’s also meaningful that tonight one of my favorite singer songwriters is there playing one of my songs, Jamey Johnson. So thank you Academy. I really appreciate it.”

The “Tennessee Whiskey” singer was previously announced as the winner of the 59th ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year Award, which marks his fourth ACM Award this year and his 20th ACM Award to date.

The trophy is presented to an individual known both as an artist and a songwriter and selected by a Professional Panel of judges whose members composed of songwriters, publishers, producers, and performing rights organization (PRO) representatives. The Panel submits five nominees, at which time ACM members in the Artist/Musician/Producer/Engineer, Songwriter, Music Publisher/PRO and Record Company categories vote for the winner.

HARDY was the first recipient of the ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year Award in 2023.

This adds to Stapleton’s collection of prestigious feats, including eight GRAMMYs and 15 ACM Awards. He is the reigning ACM Songwriter of the Decade, Triple Crown Award winner and now, the Artist-songwriter of the Year.

The 17^th Academy of Country Music Honors was pre-recorded in August and aired Tuesday, September 24 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. PT on Merit Street. Carly Pearce and Jordan Davis teamed up to host the star-studded night.

This served as the first time the special has aired on the network as part of a larger partnership between Merit Street Media and the Academy of Country Music.