11th ACM Honors Highlights ‘Nashville,’ Kelsea Ballerini and Others

"It's kind of mind-blowing because here we are at the Ryman Auditorium, surrounded by these icons of country music," Nashville's Charles Esten told SLN on the blue carpet.

Written by Lauren Laffer
11th ACM Honors Highlights ‘Nashville,’ Kelsea Ballerini and Others
Pictured L-R: Charles Esten, Clare Bowen, and Cassadee Pope; Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for ACM

The stars were out in full force for the special Academy of Country Music Awards, dubbed the ACM Honors, on Wednesday (Aug. 23). Taking place for the 11th year, country acts including Kelsea Ballerini, Dolly PartonToby Keith, Reba and others were honored for their special contributions to the genre.

Receiving the Tex Ritter Film Award was the show Nashville, with Charles Esten and Clare Bowen in attendance as representatives.

“It’s kind of mind-blowing because here we are at the Ryman Auditorium, surrounded by these icons of country music,” Esten told Sounds Like Nashville on the blue carpet.

Singer Cassadee Pope took part in the festivities to present the Tex Ritter Award to Nashville, a show she previously guest-starred on, and couldn’t help but be giddy to share the same space as Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award recipient Dolly Parton.

“I’m just excited to hear Dolly speak,” she said with a laugh. “Anytime she gets on a stage or is just in a room, she just captures everybody’s attention and that’s all anybody cares about in that moment and that is a very special quality to have, so I’m just looking forward to everything that she has to say.”

Like Pope, Brett Young, Bobby Bones and Hunter Hayes were excited to see many of the guests attending the 11th ACM Honors and give the spotlight to those who don’t normally see it, like studio musicians, producers and venue owners. See what they had to tell us about the event in our blue carpet recap video above.

The television broadcast of the 11th ACM Honors will air on Sept. 15 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.