Mac McAnally Honored with ACM Poet's Award at ACM Honors 2025
(117) Beloved musician, singer-songwriter, and producer Mac McAnally was honored with the ACM Poet's Award at the 18th ACM Honors on Wednesday night, honoring a Country Music songwriter for outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their career. As part of the ceremony, Amy Grant performed McAnally's song "All These Years" and presented him with the award.
"I have this wonderful circle of family and friends and great storytellers that believed in me before I believed in myself," McAnally said as he accepted the ACM Poet's Award, adding a message for "anybody else that tries to navigate life with their imagination like me."
"Somewhere between belief and doubt and what it might be all about,
And failed attempts to figure out what living is to dying,
And games and battles lost and won and work and love and dreams and fun,
'till all of that gets said and done, my ass is gonna keep on trying." - Mac McAnally
The Academy of Country Music called McAnally "one of Nashville's most respected and humble songwriters of the generation," which has come through his passion for music, his musicianship, and his writing both for other artists to record as well as himself.
McAnally started his career in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in the early 70s, playing on recording sessions, and sharing the music he had written, which led to his first record deal. The three-time ACM Award nominee wrote his own music, and also had his songs recorded by his good friend Jimmy Buffett, Sawyer Brown, Kenny Chesney, Alabama, Shenandoah, and many more. His songwriting ability led him to be inducted into The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, amongst countless other honors, and he shows no signs of slowing down as he continues to write, produce, and perform music, selling out shows across the nation.
Garden & Gun spoke to McAnally about ACM Honors this week, in addition to his current projects, including playing with The Coral Reefers on tour with The Doobie Brothers and producing an upcoming Amy Grant project.
The Poet's Award has previously been awarded to top songwriters including Alan Jackson, Jimmy Webb, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Shania Twain, Toby Keith, and Willie Nelson, among others.
Fans will be able to watch a special episode of CMT's Hot 20 Countdown on September 27, which will highlight moments from the ACM Honors show.
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