Womack hosts ACM honors

Thursday, September 9, 2010 – The fourth annual ACM HONORS, an evening of musical tribute performances and special presentations celebrating special honorees and non-televised category winners from this year's 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, will be held Sept. 20 at the Ryman in Nashville.

Lee Ann Womack will host the event. Presenters are Kix Brooks, Luke Bryan, Kris Kristofferson and Frank Liddell special performers Buxton Hughes, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Larry & Steve Gatlin with Ronny Robbins, Martina McBride, John Rich, Kenny Rogers, The Secret Sisters, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives and Randy Travis. Tickets are available to music fans at Ticketmaster.com and cost $37 each.

Special Awards recipients are:

Rod Essig - recipient of the Mae Boren Axton Award

Don Schlitz & Cindy Walker (posthumously) - recipients of the Poet's Award

Mel Tillis & Marty Robbins (posthumously) - recipients of the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award

Keith Urban - recipient of the Jim Reeves International Award

Crazy Heart - recipient of the Tex Ritter Award (Produced by Scott Cooper, Robert Duvall, Rob Carliner, Judy Cairo and T Bone Burnett and executive produced by Jeff Bridges, Michael A. Simpson, Eric Brenner and Leslie Belzberg; directed by Scott Cooper. Studio production companies for Crazy Heart are Informant Media and Butcher's Run Films.)

Winners of the MBI (Musician/Bandleader/Instrumentalist) categories:

Stuart Duncan - Top Fiddle Player of the Year

Shannon Forrest - Top Percussionist/Drummer of the Year

Paul Franklin - Top Steel Guitar Player of the Year

Dann Huff - Producer of the Year

Brent Mason - Top Guitarist of the Year

Justin Niebank - Audio Engineer of the Year

Michael Rhodes - Top Bass Player of the Year

Michael Rojas - Top Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year

Randy Scruggs - Top Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year

Winners of the Industry Awards categories:

Todd Boltin, Variety Attractions, Inc. - Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year

Brian O'Connell, Live Nation - Promoter of the Year

Billy Bob's Texas (Ft. Worth, TX) - Nightclub of the Year

Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa and Casino (Las Vegas, NV) - Casino of the Year

Sommet Center- renamed Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN) - Venue of the Year