Miranda Lambert First To Receive Inaugural Merle Haggard Award

AFF/CurtisHilbun

Country superstar Miranda Lambert is set to receive the monumental “Inaugural Merle Haggard Spirit Award” at the 2016 ACM Honors award show. 

The award, named after the late and great country-music legend, honors “uncompromising artists in the spirit of Merle Haggard, while acknowledging a man who has figured prominently in ACM history” says the Academy. 

The country artist has built a career on going against the norm’s of the genre while never wavering in quality of content or falling from grace. The star continues to push the boundaries of the traditionally old-fashioned genre while never straying from the roots that make country music so great. 

Lambert has looked to Haggard for inspiration, often performing his country classic’s during her concerts such as “The Bottle Let Me Down” and has essentially built her career on the grounds of her performance of the legend’s “The Fightin’ Side Of Me” on reality show Nashville Star back in 2003. 

The ACM Honors is set to air Friday, September 9 on CBS and will be hosted by country music group Lady Antebellum. Other noteworthy recipients to keep an eye out for include Glen Campbell receiving the “Career Achievement Award,” Carrie Underwood to receive the “ACM Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award,” as well as Keith Urban bringing home the “Mae Boren Axton Award.”