Vince Gill, the Grammy-winning Country Music Hall of Famer, officially accepted the Ken Burns American Heritage Prize this May, honoring his work in helping understand the American spirit. “With a grateful heart, thank you for this amazing honor,” said Gill upon receiving the award. “I think the world of Ken Burns and I think the world of what you’re doing – and you’re trying to make this place better, trying to make it matter, trying to make us have some reverence for what’s been around for a long, long time.”
Leaving his home and starting his musical career in 1976, this award comes on the 50th anniversary of Gill’s professional beginning. To mark the occasion, the musician signed a lifetime contract with MCA and will release an EP of new music every month for a year, called 50 Years From Home. Gill also treated fans to a performance of his new song “The Whole World.”
“I couldn’t be more pleased to help honor one of the truly great musicians and human beings, Vince Gill, someone who is affectionately known as the ‘nicest guy in Nashville.’ I got to know Vince when he graciously helped us in making our 2019 documentary series Country Music, and it wouldn’t have been what it was without him,” said Burns while presenting Gill with the award. “In Country Music, we explored the idea that this quintessentially American art form is simply ‘three chords and the truth.’ But every once in a while, an artist comes along who elevates that truth into something transcendent. He is a master of his craft, a keeper of the flame, and quite simply, one of the finest souls I’ve had the privilege to work with, document, and learn from. It is my distinct honor to present this year’s American Heritage Prize to a man whose heart is as big as the Montana sky.”
Gill is one of the most Grammy-winning musicians in history, racking up 22 awards, in addition to eight Academy of Country Music awards and 18 CMA awards. His most recent album, Sweet Memories, came in 2023 and saw him collaborate with steel guitarist Paul Franklin in tribute to Ray Price.
