Last night, the ACM Honors Ceremony took place in Nashville, Tennessee, where Eric Churchwas presented with the ACM Icon Award, an award that’s presented to an artist who has “advanced the popularity of the genre through their contributions in multiple facets of the industry”:

“Presented to a Country Music artist, duo/group or industry leader who, throughout their career, has advanced the popularity of the genre through their contributions in multiple facets of the industry, such as songwriting, recording, production, touring, film, television, literary works, philanthropic contributions, and other goodwill efforts.”

Of course, Eric has done a ton of philanthropic work for his home state of North Carolina since last October when Hurricane Helene ravaged western North Carolina, so it’s great to see him being recognized for all he has done in this way, in addition to his obvious musical contributions to country music:

“Eric Church will be honored with the ACM Icon Award. Eric, who has received seven ACM Awards, has continually pushed the boundaries of the genre, blending elements of blues, rock, and outlaw country while continuing to explore new, unique sounds and inviting the genre to follow. As a prolific songwriter, Church has racked up numerous hits. His fearless approach to both his music and his career path has made him a lasting influence and a true icon of Country Music.”

And not only did Eric accept the very well-deserved award, but HARDY was also there to honor him with a performance of “Homeboy.”

Of course, the song was co-written by Eric with Casey Beathard about his son and artist, Tucker Beathard. It was released in February of 2011 as the 9th single of his career, and the first from his legendary 2011 album Chief. The song reached the Top 20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with a peak at number 13.

While it wasn’t necessarily a huge radio success, “Homeboy” quickly became a fan-favorite and beloved tune in Eric’s expansive catalog, and so it was a fitting tune for this night and one of Hardy’s favorites too, and you can watch here:

Another angle:

But the funniest part was when Hardy was introducing Eric, and he realized that Eric had been sitting right there in the front row in front of him the whole time he was performing, saying it would’ve “scared the s***” out of him if he would’ve known:

“Eric, I didn’t know you were sitting right there. That would have scared the s*** out of me. I swear to God, I just now realized it or I would have probably passed out.”

I mean, fair…

Even though Hardy’s a successful musician himself, I have to imagine it would be incredibly nerve-wracking to sing your heroes song right in front of them, on a night they’re being honored for a very prestigious award:

A huge congratulations to Eric for the award, and being honored for something that made a huge difference in so many lives, in addition to all the years of great music.

Turn it up…

“Homeboy”