Country To Country (C2C) has been recognised on the global stage once again, receiving the prestigious ACM International Award, inspired by Jim Reeves: an honour that celebrates outstanding contributions to expanding country music’s reach worldwide.
The award places C2C alongside an elite group of past recipients including Dolly Parton, Luke Combs, Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves, further underlining the festival’s growing influence as a cornerstone of the international country music calendar.
Since its launch over a decade ago, C2C has established itself as the focal point for country music fans across the UK and Europe, bringing some of the genre’s biggest names across the Atlantic while also championing emerging talent. Accepting the award on behalf of the festival, organisers Jack Dowling (SJM Concerts) and Rachel Lloyd (AEG Presents) highlighted both the legacy and future of the event.
“C2C has become the focal point in the calendar for fans and artists in the UK and Europe,” they said. “The festival has been committed to bringing over the best in country music for over 10 years, as well as providing a platform for developing artists to showcase their songs to a global audience. To be recognised by the ACMs is a testament to everyone who has been involved.”
They also pointed to the festival’s role in nurturing the next generation, noting how artists who once played smaller stages at C2C have gone on to headline the event: a full-circle moment that reflects both the festival’s influence and the genre’s accelerating growth overseas.
Widely regarded as Europe’s premier country music festival, C2C now spans multiple cities including London, Glasgow, Manchester, Berlin and Rotterdam, with previous editions also taking place in Belfast and Dublin. Its 2026 edition saw headline performances from Brooks & Dunn, Zach Top and Keith Urban, while past line-ups have featured some of the genre’s most iconic names, from Luke Combs and Miranda Lambert to Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton and Eric Church.
With country music continuing to surge in popularity across Europe, C2C’s recognition by the ACMs feels both timely and deserved, a reflection of how far the genre has travelled beyond its traditional roots, and the role the festival has played in that journey.
C2C is set to return in 2027, once again taking in London, Glasgow, Manchester, Berlin and Rotterdam, with further line-up details expected in due course.
