Trace Adkins takes home 2009 ACM Award for "Single of the Year"

Country giant also delivers one of the more notable performances of the evening

Nashville, TN…Country star Trace Adkins walked away a winner at the 2009 ACM (Academy of Country Music) Awards last night in Las Vegas, Nevada, winning the “Single of the Year” Award for his 2008 multi-week #1 hit, You’re Gonna Miss This. The award marks his first ACM win since 1996, when he took home the trophy for Top New Country Male.

No one has been more surprised by the song’s success than the singer himself, who said in his acceptance speech, “I have to tell you the truth—[this song] was very personal to me, and I didn’t think other people would relate to it the way I did. So it was put on a greatest hits album as a bonus track—never gonna be a single, and Mike Dungan [President, Capitol Records Nashville] called one day and told me it was gonna be a single. And I said, ’Go ahead, but ain’t nobody gonna play it.’ I’m glad I’m an idiot”.

One of the most emotional and memorable highlights of the evening came when a young Marine Lieutenant who had lost both his legs while fighting in Iraq introduced Adkins’ performance of ’Til the Last Shot’s Fired, backed by the West Point Glee Club choir. The haunting and stunning performance moved many in the audience to tears and prompted a standing ovation. Fans were immediately able to download the song’s performance on iTunes, with funds benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), an organization that provides extensive support to troops who have been wounded in combat.

’Til the Last Shot’s Fired is also included on Adkins’ new album, TRACE ADKINS: “X” (TEN).