Russell Dickerson And Carly Pearce Host The 18th Annual ACM Honors
The Academy of Country Music (ACM) presented the 18th annual ACM Honors celebration on August 20th at The Pinnacle in Nashville. The event promised to be “an unforgettable evening of live music and tributes from some of the biggest names in Country Music” – and it delivered.
Carly Pearce returned to host the ceremony for the fifth consecutive year, and was joined by first time co-host Russell Dickerson. The evening featured performances by Ashley McBryde, Jamey Johnson, Karen Fairchild, Luke Bryan, and more.
This years honorees were announced ahead of the ceremony and included Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Randy Travis, Lainey Wilson, Eric Church, and Jelly Roll, as well as other industry professionals.
- Luke Combs – ACM International Award
- Cody Johnson – ACM Spirit Award
- Randy Travis – ACM Milestone Award
- Lainey Wilson – ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year
- Eric Church – ACM Icon Award
- Jelly Roll – ACM Lifting Lives Award
The event brought together pillars of the industry for a celebration of what makes country music great. For those who were not abke to attend in person, ACM Honors will be highlighted during a special episode of CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown on September 27th, 2025.
According to the ACM, the episode will feature “exclusive backstage conversations with honorees and performers, memorable moments from throughout the night, and exclusive performances to air only in the broadcast.”
ACM Honors Hosts Deliver Special Performance Of “Jackson”
Russell Dickerson and Carly Pearce took a break from their hosting duties to treat the ACM Honors audience to a playful performance of “Jackson.”
Written in 1963, “Jackson” has been recorded by many artists in its lifetime. The song reached its most notable popularity in 1967 when Johnny Cash and June Carter released their rendition which reached number-two on the Billboard Country Singles Chart. The following year, it won the pair the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Performance Duet, Trio or Group.
Coincidentally, this is not the first time that two soloists have performed together on this particular stage. In March, Carly came out as a surprise guest during Russell’s Russellmania headlining show at the same venue.
Watch a clip of Russell Dickerson and Carly Pearce’s performance of “Jackson” at the ACM Honors below!