Trisha Yearwood Pays Homage to Mary Chapin Carpenter at 2023 ACM Honors

Trisha Yearwood paid musical tribute to her good friend Mary Chapin Carpenter during the 2023 ACM Honors broadcast on Monday night (Sept. 18) on Fox. The country superstar took the stage to perform one of Carpenter's lesser-known songs, "This Shirt," as Carpenter received the ACM Poet's Award.

Yearwood identified the song as one of her own favorites.

She gave an understated performance that called attention to the qualities of the song, rather than her vocal performance, delivering a careful, studied reading of the song that would have been at home at a top-shelf songwriter's round in downtown Nashville.

Carpenter could not be present when the 2023 ACM Honors took place live at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium on Aug. 23, but she did record a video message that played at the ceremony, offering her humble thanks for the honor.

"This Shirt" originally appeared on Carpenter's second solo album, State of the Heart, in 1989.

Yearwood's performance was just one highlight of the 2023 ACM Honors.

Lee Brice, Lady A, Billy Ray Cyrus, Brett Young, Brandy Clark and the War and Treaty were among the other artists who paid tribute to the evening's honorees. Carly Pearce hosted the 2023 ACM Honors, which will be available to stream via Hulu beginning Tuesday (Sept. 19).

Chris Stapleton received the ACM Triple Crown Award at the 2023 ACM Honors, while Kane Brown won the ACM International Award. Clint Black also received the Poet's Award, and K.T. Oslin earned it posthumously. Charlie Daniels received a posthumous ACM Spirit Award at the 2023 ACM Honors.