Kacey Musgraves, Dolly Parton, Eric Church & More to Be Saluted at 2026 ACM Honors: Updated List
The Academy of Country Music has confirmed presenters, performers and a growing list of honourees for the 19th ACM Honors, taking place on Wednesday 19 August at The Pinnacle in Nashville. The ceremony recognises leading artists, songwriters and industry figures, with Kacey Musgraves receiving the ACM Spirit Award and Dolly Parton, Brett James and The Carter Family sharing the ACM Poet's Award, the latter two posthumously.
Additional honourees include Eric Church, Bill Anderson and the Paramount+ series Landman, alongside industry figures Leslie Fram, Mike Curb and Scott Zolke, and the C2C: Country to Country festival. Carly Pearce returns for a sixth year as host, joined for the first time by Parker McCollum, while performers announced include Dierks Bentley, Trisha Yearwood, Megan Moroney and Brenda Lee as a special guest; Parton, 80, will accept her award via video message.
– ACM Honors airs live from Nashville on 19 August 2026 – Kacey Musgraves wins the ACM Spirit Award; Dolly Parton, Brett James and The Carter Family share the Poet's Award – Carly Pearce and Parker McCollum co-host; performers include Bentley, Yearwood and Moroney
Explained simply
The ACM Honors is an annual awards ceremony held in Nashville that recognises artists, songwriters and industry figures who have made significant contributions to country music. The ceremony celebrates both legendary performers and people working across the creative and business sides of the industry.
This year's honourees include Dolly Parton, an 80-year-old country music icon whose career spanning six decades has also encompassed acting and philanthropic work, as well as contemporary artists like Kacey Musgraves and Eric Church. The ceremony also recognises people posthumously, honouring legacy artists like The Carter Family and songwriter Brett James.
Beyond individual performers, the ACM Honors acknowledges the full ecosystem of country music by recognising songwriters, industry executives, festival organisers and even television productions that have shaped the genre. This reflects how country music is sustained by many different creative and professional contributions.
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