George Strait, Garth Brooks To Perform at ACM Awards

George Strait and Garth Brooks, the two most recent ACM Artist of the Decade Award recipients, will perform together for the first time in history to pay tribute to Dick Clark at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. The performance will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 7 (8 p.m.-11:00 p.m., live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. The ACM Artist of the Decade Award will be renamed the ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award, in honor of the iconic figure and longtime producer of the Academy of Country Music Awards.

“Dick helped make country music accessible to a larger fan base and his efforts will not be forgotten,” said Strait. “Garth and I were so grateful when we each received the ACM Artist of the Decade Award, so it’s only fitting that we’ll be honoring him with this tribute performance at the ACMs.”

“I commend the Academy on naming the ACM Artist of the Decade Award after Dick Clark,” said Brooks. “Although there is no award the entertainment industry has that can match the magnitude of the star Dick Clark was, and still is, it is an honor to get to be a part of the Academy’s tribute to him. There may be others who have contributed as much to the music industry, but there is definitely no one that has contributed more than Dick Clark. He was music’s best friend, and a dear friend to me.”

“He was a friend to all of us and helped shape our organization. There’s no doubt the Academy of Country Music wouldn’t be one of the highest-rated and watched awards shows without Dick’s vision and commitment,” commented Bob Romeo, CEO of the Academy of Country Music.

Clark, who passed away last year, began producing the Academy of Country Music Awards in 1979 and helped introduce audiences all over America to the most talented artists in country music. Clark had long been an ambassador for a wide-range of musical genres and with his guidance, ushered the Academy of Country Music Awards through the decades to become one of the industry’s biggest events.

Recipients of the ACM Artist of the Decade Award include Strait in 2009, Brooks in 1998, Alabama in 1988, Loretta Lynn in 1979 and Marty Robbins in 1969.