Toby Keith will receive a special award at the upcoming People’s Choice Country Awards. Blake Shelton will present the country legend with the Country Icon Award.
“We’re overjoyed to honor legendary artist Toby Keith with the first-ever Country Icon Award,” says Cassandra Tryon, Senior Vice President, Entertainment Live Events, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.
“As a talented songwriter and powerhouse performer, Keith has touched the hearts of fans across the globe. His illustrious career and passion for philanthropy has cemented his place as an icon in country music history.”
According to a press release, the award will salute Keith’s “decades-long career as a groundbreaking musician, humanitarian and entrepreneur.” The news release also calls Keith a “pioneer in country music and one of the most influential artists of all time.”
The inaugural two-hour People’s Choice Country Awards ceremony will air live from Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium on September 28 at 8PM ET on NBC, and will also stream on-demand via Peacock. Little Big Town are slated to host the show.
Back in May, Keith shared his six-song America EP, featuring songs with themes held dear by the country music figurehead, from a catalog that has sold some 40 million albums. The recordings of the Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee have generated global streams of some 10 billion.
All six of the tracks are among a weighty list of new gold and platinum single certifications for Keith, newly awarded by the RIAA, comprising a total of 20 certifications across 17 titles. Fifteen of those songs were written by Keith, of which five are solo compositions. He also wrote or co-wrote all six songs on the America EP. The tracklist for that project is as follows:
1. Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)
2. Should’ve Been A Cowboy
3. American Soldier
4. As Good As I Once Was
5. I Love This Bar
6. Beer For My Horses
Visit the People’s Choice Country Awards’ official website for more information.