Eric Church Talks About Music’s Impact During ACM Lifting Lives Award Acceptance
By Website Content Manager
“I’ve always believed that music was created by God as a language everyone can understand.”
Eric Church was recognized for his continued generosity at the 19th ACM Honors on Wednesday night. With his wife, mother, father, sister, and brother-in-law by his side, the country singer accepted the ACM Lifting Lives Award and used his speech to reflect on how music has shaped his life and inspired him to give back to others.
During his heartfelt remarks, Church discussed how his success in music has given him the opportunity to support people in need, especially in his home state of North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. He explained that being able to use his career and influence to help others has become one of the most rewarding aspects of his life in music.
Church also spoke about his belief that music has the unique ability to bring people together, regardless of their background. He described it as a universal form of communication and emphasized that its influence can reach people in ways that are sometimes easy to overlook.
He shared that music has helped provide homes for families affected by the devastation in Western North Carolina. According to Church, a 37th family is now receiving a home, with 41 additional families expected to receive homes in a nearby county. He stressed that the impact extends beyond the families themselves, affecting their children and giving them greater hope for the future.
The ACM Lifting Lives Award recognizes the legacy of Gary Haber, a former ACM Lifting Lives president and business manager. The honor is given to a country music artist, group, or industry professional who demonstrates exceptional generosity, serves others, and uses music to improve people’s lives. The recipient is selected by the ACM Lifting Lives Board of Directors.
Church received the honor in recognition of his years of charitable work and his dedication to helping communities facing hardship. Much of that work has focused on North Carolina’s recovery following Hurricane Helene.
His relief efforts included co-organizing the Concert for Carolina with Luke Combs to raise money for hurricane victims. Church also donated the royalties from his song “Darkest Hour” to relief efforts. However, his commitment did not end with fundraising. After seeing the need for continued assistance during the rebuilding process, he began seeking ways to provide long-term support to families and communities affected by the hurricane.