CMT’s All-Female ‘Artists Of The Year’ Special To Honor Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn

In a year of celebrating the achievements of women in country music, CMT today announced that Loretta Lynn will be honored with the “Artist of a Lifetime” award presented by Ram Trucks at this year’s all-female CMT Artists of the Year event premiering live Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Academy Award winner and Coal Miner’s Daughter actress Sissy Spacek will bestow the award to Lynn, who joins previous recipients of the honor including Shania Twain (2016), Kenny Rogers (2015), and Merle Haggard (2014).

“I’m always so proud when I receive any awards for my music, but when I heard it was this year’s “Artist of a Lifetime” award it made me really happy,” says Lynn. “It’s an honor to be able to make music that people enjoy and I’m really excited to have a new album coming out. Thank you CMT for acknowledging me with this award and for honoring the women in country music at Artists of the Year.”

A self-taught guitarist and songwriter, Lynn was one of the most distinctive performers in Nashville in the 1960s and 1970s and has more than five decades of recording and touring to her credit. Her songs tackled boundary-pushing topics drawn from her own life experiences as a wife and mother. “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Fist City” and “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)” are just three of Lynn’s 16 country No. 1 singles. She has sold over 45 million records worldwide. Lynn’s latest studio album, Wouldn’t It Be Great, (Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment) will be released Friday, Sept. 28.

In 1980, Spacek starred as Lynn in the acclaimed biopic Coal Miner’s Daughter, winning the Oscar and Golden Globe Award for her performance. Spacek also swept the New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics, National Board of Review, and National Society of Film Critics Awards for her portrayal of the country music legend. Some of Spacek’s other film credits include A Home at the End of the World, The Straight Story, Affliction, JFK, The Long Walk Home, Hot Rod, Night, Mother, Four Christmases, Get Low, The Help and The Old Man and The Gun.

For the first-time ever the annual CMT Artists of the Year special is dedicated to the women of country music—past, present and future. This year’s all-female “Artists of the Year” celebration will honor Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman, and Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott.

As in past years, the event will feature surprise musical pairings and guests that will be announced at a later date. In addition, CMT will feature a day-long “Women of Country Music” takeover across all CMT platforms where music lives including music hours on CMT, the 24/7 digital channel CMT Music and CMT Radio’s widely-syndicated shows “CMT Radio LIVE” and “CMT After Midnite” to encourage and inspire increased female airplay on Oct. 17.

Former CMT Artists of the Year honorees include Blake Shelton (2015), Brad Paisley (2011), Carrie Underwood (2010, 2012, 2016), Cast of “Nashville” (2015), Chris Stapleton (2015, 2016, 2017), Eric Church (2012), Florida Georgia Line (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Hunter Hayes (2013), Jason Aldean (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Keith Urban (2017), Kelsea Ballerini (2016), Kenny Chesney (2011, 2012), Kenny Rogers (2015), Lady Antebellum (2010, 2011), Little Big Town (2015), Luke Bryan (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Merle Haggard (2014), Miranda Lambert (2012, 2014), Sam Hunt (2015, 2017), Shania Twain (2016), Taylor Swift (2010, 2011), Thomas Rhett (2016), Tim McGraw (2013) and Toby Keith (2012).