ACM Lifting Lives Raises $225,000 At 17th Academy Of Country Music Honors

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Pictured (L-R): Taylor Wolf, Lyndsay Cruz, Storme Warren Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ACM

ACM Lifting Lives raised a record $225,000 at the 17th Academy of Country Music Honors, held at Ryman Auditorium on Aug. 21, with all proceeds going to the organization’s initiatives.

Kicking off the show, Storme Warren took the stage to auction off two autographed Gibson guitars donated by Gibson Gives. The first guitar went to Garth Brooks who bid $70,000 for a 2021 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop signed by this year’s Icon Award recipient and Brooks’ wife, Trisha Yearwood. The second guitar, a 2022 Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s Heritage Cherry Sunburst, was purchased by Live Nation’s Brian O’Connell for $55,000 after a bidding contest with Brooks.

Live Nation’s Brian O’Connell and Garth Brooks celebrate as the highest bidders in the evening’s auction

Later in the night, Luke Bryan was honored with this year’s Lifting Lives Award for his charitable efforts, including his “Farm Tour” which has provided more than 80 scholarships and over 8 million meals since 2009. The award was presented to Bryan by Jason Aldean following a performance of Bryan’s “Someone Else Calling You Baby.”

In honor of the late Glen Campbell, whose legacy is celebrated on the Big Machine release Glen Campbell Duets: Ghost On The Canvas Sessions, Scott & Sandi Borchetta’s Music Has Value Fund pledged $100,000 to support the ACM Lifting Lives 2024-2025 grant cycle. Artist Jackson Dean performed Campbell’s song “Strong” to mark the occasion.

The 17th Academy of Country Music Honors premiered Tuesday (Sept. 24) on Merit Street and will re-air multiple times in the upcoming week. Fans can check the schedule or watch on demand via the free streaming service, Merit+.

John Nix Arledge
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