The Academy of Country Music has announced the recipients of their honorary awards and a few of the individual categories for their ACM Awards. The balance of the awards will be given out on Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Reba McEntire will receive the Career Achievement Award, given to "an individual artist, duo, group or multiple artist collaboration who have advanced the popularity and acceptance of country music through their endeavors in the entertainment industry in multiple areas during the preceding calendar year."
McEntire was chosen for her ongoing activity, after over thirty years in the industry, in the promotion of country music. She is hosting the awards show, this year with Blake Shelton, for the 13th time and had her biggest chart hit in 2010 with
Consider Me Gone.
Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers and Garth Brooks will both receive the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award, given to artists who "are pioneers in the country music genre."
The Gatlin Brothers have been together since the mid-70's turning out 34 top forty country hits including three that went to number one. They also hosted a successful variety show.
Garth Brooks established himself as one of the most important country artists of all time with a string of hit singles and albums that crossed over into pop and made him the third biggest selling artist in U.S. recording history behind only the
Beatles and
Elvis Presley. He is a six-time winner of the ACM Entertainer of the Year.
The Poet's Award will go to both
Tom T. Hall and
Hank Cochran, honoring them for their "outstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their careers in the field of country music."
Tom T. Hall has been both a successful recording artist (
I Love,
Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine) and as a songwriter for others such as
Jeannie C. Riley (
Harper Valley P.T.A.) and
Little Bitty (Alan Jackson).
Hank Cochran, who passed away last year, was a successful songwriter for over 50 years, penning such classics as
Make the World Go Away, I Fall to Pieces and
She's Got You. His hits continued right up to the time of his passing with songs like
Ocean Front Property and
The Chair, both recorded by
George Strait.
Other special awards will go to Taylor Swift (Jim Reeves International Award for promotion of country music around the world), John Dorris (Mae Boren Axton Award for outstanding work with the ACM) and the movie Country Strong (Tex Ritter Award for best movie utilizing country music).
The following Musicians, Bands and Instrumental Awards were also announced:
- Producer of the Year - Paul Worley (worked in 2010/11 with Lady Antebellum, Jo Dee Messina, James Otto, Band Perry)
- Audio Engineer of the Year - Chuck Ainlay (Patty Larkin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jewel, Taylor Swift)
- Bass Player of the Year - Glenn Worf (Sarah Buxton, Easton Corbin, Alan Jackson, Mary Chapin Carpenter)
- Percussionist/Drummer of the Year - Eddie Bayers (Alan Jackson, Jimmy Webb, Alan Jackson, Juice Newton)
- Guitarist of the Year - Tom Bukovac (Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts)
- Fiddle Player of the Year - Aubrey Haynie (Josh Turner, Blake Shelton, Toby Keith, Darius Rucker)
- Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year - Gordon Mote (Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley)
- Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year - Bryan Sutton (Dierks Bentley, Josh Turner, Blake Shelton, Johnny Mathis)
- Steel Guitar Player of the Year - Dan Dugmore (Little Big Town, Sugarland, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts)
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