Eric Church used his moment at the 19th annual ACM Honors in Nashville to deliver a heartfelt message about the power of music, while sharing a major update on his ongoing efforts to rebuild communities in western North Carolina.
The country star received the 2026 ACM Lifting Lives Award on a star-studded night at The Pinnacle. The honor recognized his extensive charitable work, particularly his response to Hurricane Helene and his continued commitment to helping families affected by the disaster.
Eric Church Honored For His Work After Hurricane Helene
The ACM Lifting Lives Award recognizes artists whose work has made a meaningful impact beyond their music careers.
Church’s response to Hurricane Helene played a major role in his selection. He co-organized Concert for Carolina with Luke Combs, donated all royalties from his song Darkest Hour and has remained involved in reconstruction efforts across North Carolina.
His nonprofit, Chief Cares, has also provided millions in support over the years, including assistance for orphanages in Nepal, relief efforts in Haiti and humane society no-kill shelters.
Sheryl Crow, who performed Drink In My Hand in his honor, joined Church on stage as he accepted the award.
Remembering Concert For Carolina
During his speech, Church reflected on the immediate response to Hurricane Helene and how the idea for Concert for Carolina came together.
He recalled reaching out to several fellow musicians, including Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, James Taylor, Luke Combs and Billy Strings. Together, they created a concert aimed at supporting those affected by the devastating storm.
Church described it as one of the most meaningful performances of his career.
He said the concert was the most pure-intentioned concert he had ever played, despite having performed countless shows throughout his career.
For Church, the event demonstrated that music could become much more than entertainment when people come together around a common purpose.
Church Calls Music God’s Universal Language
The singer then turned his attention to what he believes makes music so powerful.
Church said he believes God made music the universal language, referencing King David and the earliest traditions of songwriting.
His message was simple: music can reach people in ways that words alone sometimes cannot.
That belief has become especially significant during the rebuilding work following Hurricane Helene, where music helped generate the support needed to make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
37 Families And Counting
Church also provided an update on the reconstruction efforts in western North Carolina.
The team is currently preparing to put its 37th family into a new home in the region. Church revealed that another project will begin next month, involving the construction of four additional homes in a neighboring county.
That would bring the total number of homes to 41.
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He emphasized that the impact extends beyond the families receiving new homes. The work is also affecting their children and their future.
Church credited his wife Katherine and his manager John Peets for playing important roles throughout the effort.
A Final Message About The Power Of Music
Church closed his ACM Honors speech by returning to the central theme of the evening: music’s ability to create change.
He thanked the Academy for the award and Sheryl Crow for her role in Concert for Carolina.
More importantly, his speech served as a reminder that the influence of a musician can extend far beyond the stage. For Church, the work sparked by Hurricane Helene has become another example of how music can bring people together and turn goodwill into something tangible.
His ACM Honors appearance ultimately became about much more than receiving an award. It was a celebration of what can happen when artists, fans and communities use music as a reason to come together.
Source: Compiled from various sources
