Trisha Yearwood Pays Tribute To Mary Chapin Carpenter At ACM Honors

Mary Chapin Carpenter Recognized During 2023 ACM Honors, Trisha Yearwood Performs Tribute

Each year, the ACM hands out special awards during a ceremony called the ACM Honors. The 2023 ceremony was held on August 23 at the Ryman Auditorium.

The ACM Honors were filmed for a televised special that aired on September 18 on FOX. Carly Pearce served as the host of the event.

 

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One of the honorees was Mary Chapin Carpenter, who received the Poet’s Award. K.T. Oslin and Clint Black were also honored with the award this year.

What Is The ACM Poet’s Award?

According to the ACM’s website, the Poet’s Award:

“…is presented to a country music songwriter for outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their career, with special consideration given to a song or songs’ impact on the culture of country music.”

Carpenter is more than deserving of such an award. She’s known for singing and writing some of the most impactful songs in country music history, including “Passionate Kisses,” “Never Had It So Good,” “Down at the Twist and Shout,” “The Hard Way,” and “Shut Up and Kiss Me.”

Additionally, Carpenter wrote hits for other artists, including Wynonna Judd’s “Girls With Guitars” and “Where Are You Now”  by Trisha Yearwood.

Trisha Performs Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “This Shirt” During 2023 ACM Honors

Considering her connection to Carpenter, it made perfect sense that Yearwood was chosen to pay tribute to her at the 2023 ACM Honors. But instead of singing “Where Are You Now,” Yearwood opted to cover another one of Carpenter’s songs, “This Shirt.”

“This Shirt” is a lesser-known song from Carpenter’s catalog. But it’s one that Yearwood adores, which is why she picked it for the ACM Honors.

“She is funny. She is smart and you hear that in her songs,” Yearwood said, as quoted by American Songwriter. “Tonight we’re honoring Chapin with the Poet’s Award so this was important to me to sing a song that I think embodies that spirit perfectly. It’s a song that is one of my favorites of hers and I just want to send it out to Chapin.”

Trisha Yearwood delivered a subdued rendition of Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “This Shirt” during her tribute, and it was stunning. Watch her performance in the video below.

Congratulations to Carpenter on being named a recipient of the ACM Poet’s Award!