Kacey Musgraves, Eric Church, Ella Langley & More Named Special Award Honorees For 19th ACM Honors

The Academy of Country Music has announced the list of special honorees set to be recognized at the 19th ACM Honors, taking place this summer in Nashville.

The 2026 ceremony will once again unite members of the country music community to celebrate a wide range of artists, songwriters, industry leaders, and projects on Wednesday, August 19 at The Pinnacle, marking another year of the “Country Music Industry’s Favorite Night.”  Celebrations will include unforgettable performances and tributes to legendary artists and industry members.

Returning for her sixth year as host is four-time ACM Award winner Carly Pearce, who will be joined for the first time by co-host and three-time ACM Award winner, Parker McCollum.

Honorees for this year’s event will include Bill Anderson, Brett James, C2C: Country to Country, The Carter Family, Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves, Paramount + Hit Television Series: “Landman”, Leslie Fram, Mike Curb and Scott Zolke.

ACM Songwriter of the Year Jessie Jo Dillon and ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year Ella Langley, who were previously announced as 2026 honorees, will also be celebrated during the evening, along with other industry and studio recording award winners that are set to be announced the week of July 6.

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Additionally, two awards will be presented posthumously, one to the legendary The Carter Family and the other to songwriter Brett James, who passed away on September 18, 2025.

ACM A-List subscribers and ACM Members will have access to a special pre-sale to purchase tickets for the 19th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® HONORS™ before the general public. This pre-sale begins Wednesday, June 24 at 10:00 AM CT.

To gain this early access, fans must sign up for the ACM A-List free email newsletter. From there, a code will be sent that will grant access to purchase tickets in advance of the public on-sale.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10:00 AM CT  on Friday, June 26 through AXS.

Special Award Honorees:

ACM POET’S AWARD – Brett James and The Carter Family will each be honored posthumously with the ACM Poet’s Award. This award recognizes a Country Music songwriter whose work has had an enduring impact on shaping the Country Music genre with exceptional lyrical and musical contributions.

Brett James’ prolific songwriting and producing career includes working with the top names in Country Music, with 79 career entries on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. The four-time ACM Awards nominee has written hits for Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Dierks Bentley, Brantley Gilbert and more. James also won a GRAMMY for Best Country Song as a co-writer on Carrie Underwood’s classic hit “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” is a two-time ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. His impressive music catalog and relationships with the top names in Nashville have made a lasting impression on both the creative and business side of the industry.

The Carter Family, also known as “The First Family of Country Music,” is known for pioneering the sound of Country Music as we know it today. The Carter Family, which includes A.P. Carter, Sara Carter and Maybelle Carter, was discovered by a talent scout at the 1927 Bristol Sessions and quickly rose to prominence with their unique harmonies and guitar sound that became the backbone of modern day Country Music. They were the first group to record commercially produced Country Music, with hits including “Keep on the Sunny Side,” “Wildwood Flower,” “I’m Thinking To-Night of My Blue Eyes,” and more. The Carter Family has previously won ACM’s Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award, as well as received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 GRAMMY Awards and was the first group to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970. The Carter Family trailblazed the foundation of Country Music and their influence has established them as key architects of the genre.

Previous ACM Poet’s Award recipients include, Bill Anderson, Clint Black, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rodney Crowell, Dean Dillon, Kye Fleming, Merle Haggard, Tom T. Hall, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Mac McAnally, Willie Nelson, K.T. Oslin, Buck Owens, Eddie Rabbitt, Fred Rose, Don Schlitz, Billy Joe Shaver, Shel Silverstein, Sonny Throckmorton, Shania Twain, Cindy Walker, and Hank Williams, among others.

ACM INTERNATIONAL AWARD – C2C: Country to Country will be honored with the ACM International Award, inspired by Jim Reeves. This award is presented to a Country Music artist, group or industry leader for outstanding efforts in expanding Country Music’s influence worldwide. 

C2C: Country to Country, is widely recognized as Europe’s biggest Country Music festival, spanning multiple cities including London, Glasgow, Manchester, Berlin and Rotterdam as well as past editions in Belfast and Dublin. The festival’s 2026 headliners included Country Music icons Brooks & Dunn, Zach Top and Keith Urban, with previous headliners including the likes of Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Old Dominion, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves, Reba McEntire, Eric Church and more. 

C2C’s commitment to Europe’s Country Music fans and trailblazing a path for Country Music artists to bring their work to international audiences has been invaluable to the growth of the genre and further cementing it as a global genre.

Past recipients of the ACM International Award include Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Alan Jackson, Lady A, Kacey Musgraves, Dolly Parton, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban, among others.

ACM FILM AWARD – Paramount + Hit Television Series: “Landman”, will be honored with the ACM Film Award, inspired by Tex Ritter, which honors a television series, television movie, or feature film released within the past calendar year that prominently showcases Country Music. 

“Landman” is Taylor Sheridan’s hit Paramount+ television series starring Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Michelle Randolph, Sam Elliott, Jacob Lofland and Demi Moore. Set deep in the oilfields of Texas, the drama explores the ups and downs of the oil business, family dynamics, wealth and power. The show’s rich soundtrack and official playlist includes Country and Americana hits as well as original songs created for the show, with featured artists including George Strait, Tyler Childers, Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Flatland Cavalry, Parker McCollum, Lainey Wilson, Luke Grimes, Zach Bryan and more.

Past recipients of the ACM Film Award include  “A Star Is Born,” “Country Strong,” “Nashville,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” “Sweet Dreams,” “Twisters,” and “Walk The Line” among others.

ACM ICON AWARD – Bill Anderson and Mike Curb will each be honored with the ACM Icon Award, inspired by Cliffie Stone, which honors a Country Music artist, duo/group, or industry leader whose multifaceted contributions across songwriting, recording, production, touring, film, television, literary works and philanthropic efforts have positively impacted the Country Music genre and community. 

Known as “Whisperin’ Bill,” Bill Anderson rose to fame in the late 1950s with writing the song “City Lights,” which was first performed by Ray Price and quickly became a massive number one hit. He went on to become one of Country Music’s most successful songwriters and artists, with songwriting credits including George Strait’s “Give It Away,” Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss’ “Whiskey Lullaby,” Kenny Chesney’s “A Lot of Things Different,” and more. He won an ACM Award in 2007 for co-writing “Give It Away,” and was the first recipient of the prestigious ACM Poet’s Award in 2008. Other accolades over the course of his remarkable career include multiple GRAMMY nominations and inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the longest-standing member of the Grand Ole Opry. Beyond songwriting and performing, Anderson is also known for being an acclaimed author, television personality and radio personality, bringing Country Music to wider audiences and influencing multiple generations of Country Music artists, songwriters and fans. 

Mike Curb is an acclaimed producer and songwriter, as well as the founder and owner of Curb Records, a powerhouse independent record label. Since entering the music industry in the 1960s, Curb has worked with the likes of Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes, Lyle Lovett, Wynonna Judd, Rodney Atkins, Lee Brice, Dylan Scott, Kelsey Hart, Hank Williams Jr., Jo Dee Messina and more. As a songwriter, he has co-written hits and themes for countless major films and television series, including films starring Clint Eastwood, Jimmy Stewart, Frank Sinatra, Jack Nicholson, Mike Myers, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow and more. Outside of music, Curb has served as the Lieutenant Governor of California and established the Mike Curb Foundation, which provides funds to support music education, preserve historical music sites, aid homelessness initiatives and more. He has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a star on the Music City Walk of Fame and was elected to the ACM Board of Directors in 1991 and served for multiple years. Through his longtime record label work, public service and commitment to bringing Country Music to screens with some of the biggest stars in the world, Curb’s versatile contributions have solidified his legacy.

Past recipients of the ACM Icon Award include, Alabama, Brooks & Dunn, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Eric Church, Charlie Daniels, Mike Dungan, Joe Galante, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Alan Jackson, George Jones, The Judds, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, George Strait, Conway Twitty, Ben Vaughn, Hank Williams, Trisha Yearwood, and Dwight Yoakam, among others.

ACM SPIRIT AWARD – Kacey Musgraves will be honored with the ACM Spirit Award. Inspired by 20-time ACM Award recipient Merle Haggard, this award is presented to an honoree that exemplifies Merle’s dedication to Country Music and passion for storytelling through music and performance. 

Middle of Nowhere, the sixth studio album from 7x time ACM Award winner Kacey Musgraves, is made for two-stepping. The collection draws from a love of Texas dancehall classics, humorous takes on the human condition, and the space where traditional Country borders many sounds including Norteño and Zydeco. Fresh yet familiar, and classically Kacey: honest, fearless, immersive, and always ready to wink at life’s twists and turns. Middle of Nowhere debuted at #1 on the Top Album Chart, with Musgraves’ biggest sales week to date. The album follows 2024’s Deeper Well, which launched a sold-out global tour and earned Musgraves a Grammy Award for Best Country Song with its acclaimed single, “The Architect.”

In 2023, Musgraves earned her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with “I Remember Everything,” her duet with Zach Bryan. The song became the first country duet in nearly 40 years to top the chart since Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, and went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. With that win, Musgraves became the first artist to receive Grammy Awards for Best Country Album, Best Country Song, Best Country Solo Performance, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

Over the course of her career, Musgraves has earned eight Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for Golden Hour. She has been recognized by Time as one of its Women of the Year, honored with the Vanguard Award at the GLAAD Media Awards, celebrated by Billboard’s Women in Music and Variety’s Power of Women, received the Songwriter Icon Award from the National Music Publishers’ Association, and was the subject of the comprehensive Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit, Kacey Musgraves: All of the Colors.

Previous recipients of the ACM Spirit Award include Cody Johnson, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Charlie Daniels, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, and Chris Stapleton.

ACM SERVICE AWARD – Scott Zolke will be honored with the ACM Service Award, inspired by Mae Boren Axton. This award recognizes a Country Music artist, duo/group, or industry leader that has served the Academy of Country Music.

Scott Zolke is one of the entertainment industry’s most respected attorneys. As a partner at Loeb & Loeb LLP, he has represented a variety of television, media, radio, sports and music clients, including the Academy of Country Music.

Recently, Zolke represented ACM in negotiations with Amazon Prime Video, securing a multi-year renewal agreement for the ACM Awards to exclusively livestream on the platform. Zolke’s guidance and dedication to ACM throughout the process was key to the groundbreaking deal, which continues to elevate the ACM Awards’ presence and viewership globally.

Past recipients of the ACM Service Award include Lori Badgett, Mickey Christensen, Chris Christensen, Eddie Miller, RAC Clark, Duane Clark, Bill Mayne, and Charlie Cook.

ACM LIFTING LIVES AWARD – Eric Church will be honored with the ACM Lifting Lives Award, honoring the contributions of Gary Haber, known as a business manager and past president of ACM Lifting Lives. This award is presented to a Country Music artist, duo/group, or industry professional who is devoted to improving lives through the power of music, has a generosity of spirit, and is committed to serving others. It is voted on by the ACM Lifting Lives Board of Directors. 

Eric Church is receiving the ACM Lifting Lives Award for his immense support of others throughout his career and his notable contributions to large-scale disaster relief fundraising and rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Helene.

Church’s  Helene efforts started with the Concert for Carolina that he co-organized with Luke Combs, then donating all royalties from “Darkest Hour,” and he remains active in helping NC rebuild after identifying there was a gap of support in the community following the devastation. His charitable fund – Chief Cares – was created in 2013 to serve those in need and strengthen communities through compassion, action, and long-term investment. Through Chief Cares, Eric is currently helping North Carolina rebuild with a housing initiative (Blue Haven) to build rent-free, mortgage-free homes to restore the community. Additionally, he has given millions in support, including helping orphanages in Nepal, relief efforts in Haiti, and humane society no-kill shelters.He has supported ACM Lifting Lives directly, participating in the 2021 Ad Council and COVID Collaborative public service advertisement (PSA) during the 56th ACM Awards. 

Past recipients of this award are: Jelly Roll, Luke Bryan, Troy Vollhoffer, Dwight Wiles, Paul Barnabee, Ross Copperman, Lady A, Gayle Holcomb, Darius Rucker, Dolly Parton, and Carrie Underwood.

ACM LIFT EVERY VOICE AWARD – Leslie Fram will be honored with the ACM Lift Every Voice Award. This award is presented to a Country Music artist, duo/group, industry leader or affiliate/partner who plays a pivotal role in elevating underrepresented voices throughout the Country Music genre, transcending demographics and geography.

Throughout her career at CMT, Fram has challenged industry norms, championed emerging talent, and created platforms that have transformed opportunities for women and diverse artists across the genre. Recognizing that women were not being adequately represented in Country Music, Fram launched CMT’s Next Women of Country franchise in 2013 with the goal of making CMT “a vehicle to support these artists on all of our platforms” and provide opportunities for performers who often lacked access to tours, exposure, and industry support. The initiative has since helped amplify the careers of artists including Maren Morris, Kelsea Ballerini, Mickey Guyton, Ashley McBryde, Brittney Spencer, and many others.

Fram’s advocacy extends far beyond gender equity. As a co-founder of Change the Conversation, Nashville Music Equality, and Equal Access, she has worked to create greater opportunities for people of color both on stage and within executive leadership. Under her leadership, CMT also launched Equal Play, a groundbreaking commitment to equal representation of male and female artists across its music platforms. Reflecting on that work, Fram has said, “We had to ask ourselves, ‘What more can we do?’” and challenged her team not to wait for artists to find them, but to actively seek out and champion voices that help move the format forward.

Just as importantly, Fram has dedicated herself to mentorship and cultivating the next generation of industry leaders. She has often cited Nashville’s culture of support and her belief that “a little encouragement goes a long way,” making herself available to mentor artists, executives, and advocates who are helping shape a more inclusive future for the genre.

For more than a decade, Leslie Fram has used her platform, influence, and leadership to ensure that Country Music better reflects the breadth of talent and perspectives within its community. Her commitment to creating space for all voices to be heard and to actively opening doors for those who have too often been left outside them. This embodies the spirit and purpose of the ACM Lift Every Voice Award.

Past Recipients of the award are: BRELAND, Shannon Sanders, and Rissi Palmer.