Toby Keith To Receive The First-Ever Country Icon Award, Presented By Blake Shelton

Toby Keith is further cementing his place in country music history. For the first time ever, NBC is hosting the People’s Choice Country Awards, which is celebrating a category known as the Country Icon Award, and it’s Toby Keith who is going to win this inaugural honor.

Keith exploded onto the scene with his debut single “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” which released in early ’93. Several of his albums have produced number-one hits and have been certified 4× Platinum. But the newly minted Country Icon Award celebrates more than just sales and replay numbers.

Welcome to the first People’s Choice Country Awards

The People’s Choice Country Awards is airing on NBC and Peacock for the first time on September 28 at 8 pm. The venue will be hosted at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and serves as an offshoot of the broader People’s Choice Awards.

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Little Big Town is hosting the event. “We are honored to host the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards, especially on one of our most beloved stages in the entire world,” said the band. “We look forward to welcoming so many of our talented peers to take the Opry stage for this magical night of music.”

The award show will also feature a prominent appearance with The Voice coach Blake Shelton, tasked with presenting the Country Icon Award to Keith, celebrating his stellar sales and his work outside of the music industry.

Toby Keith is going to win the Country Icon Award

“We’re overjoyed to honor legendary artist Toby Keith with the first-ever Country Icon Award,” said Cassandra Tryon, senior vice president of entertainment live events for 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.”

Keith is a supporter of Ally’s House, an Oklahoma-based non-profit organization based on helping kids with cancer.

“This is a special charity to me. I saw firsthand how a child’s cancer diagnosis can devastate a family,” said Keith.

Keith has also felt firsthand the toll cancer can reap on a person’s body, having battled stomach cancer since late 2021. He called the struggle, which involved chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, “pretty debilitating.” As such, his impending award is in recognition of his efforts in cancer research as well as his musical accomplishments.

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