Article Contributed by Morris Public Relations
Published on January 16, 2026
Photo credit: David McClister
Some honors feel less like a trophy and more like a mirror held up to a lifetime of work — a way of saying that the songs, the stories, and the quiet craft of doing it right still matter. This spring, one of American music’s most trusted voices will be celebrated for exactly that.
Vince Gill, the Grammy Award-winning musician, songwriter, and Country Music Hall of Famer, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Ken Burns American Heritage Prize, presented by American Prairie. Gill will be formally honored on May 6, 2026.
Named for renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, the Ken Burns American Heritage Prize recognizes individuals whose achievements have advanced our collective understanding of America’s heritage and the indomitable American spirit. Nominees span visionary artists, authors, educators, filmmakers, historians, and scientists, with recipients selected by a National Jury representing communities across the country. Past honorees include David McCullough, Maya Lin, N. Scott Momaday, Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy Chin, Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, and Sylvia Earle.
“Vince Gill is most deserving of this prize, and he represents the enduring power of American music to tell us who we are,” said Burns. “Like the prairie itself, his songs are shaped by patience, humility, and a deep respect for the people… Vince has done this throughout his life and work, and in doing so, he has given us a truer understanding of our shared American heritage.”
Across more than four decades, Vince Gill has built a career defined by musical excellence, emotional honesty, and deep respect for tradition. A unifying figure across genres and generations, Gill’s influence stretches from bluegrass and country to gospel and rock, fueled by world-class guitar work, a warm tenor, and the kind of songwriting that feels stitched into everyday American life.
Gill broke through in 1990 with “When I Call Your Name,” earning CMA Single and Song of the Year honors and a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male. Over the years, he has amassed 18 CMA Awards, 22 Grammy Awards, and 8 Academy of Country Music Awards. In 2025, he received the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2009 he was presented with the Recording Academy’s President’s Merit Award recognizing his significant contributions to music and culture.
“The American Heritage Prize is an incredible honor and what inspiring company to be in,” said Gill. “The work American Prairie is doing to preserve America’s Great Plains is invaluable, and I’m grateful to be able to contribute to their efforts in any way I can. Over the years I have had the opportunity to collaborate and become good friends with Ken Burns, and that in itself has been a great experience. This new relationship is one I’m very much looking forward to.”
An exceptionally accomplished songwriter, Gill entered the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and was awarded BMI Icon status in 2014. He has released 21 albums, sold more than 30 million records, and charted 45 singles. In 2022, he was inducted into the Musicians’ Hall of Fame. Gill also continues to tour as a member of Eagles, joining the band on the road in 2017.
In 2025, Gill marked the 50th anniversary of leaving home to pursue music. To honor the milestone, he signed a lifetime recording contract with MCA and launched an EP series of brand-new music released monthly for a year, titled 50 Years From Home.
In 2026, American Prairie celebrates 25 years as a 100% donor-funded organization working to connect, conserve, and share Montana’s Northern Great Plains — one of the last remaining temperate grasslands in the world. Grasslands remain a vital yet vanishing biome, and American Prairie’s approach focuses on strategically purchasing private land to connect fragmented public lands, supporting wildlife corridors and long-term biodiversity across the prairie ecosystem.
About American Prairie
American Prairie’s vision is to create a vast and collaboratively managed prairie destination that serves as a fully functioning ecosystem for wildlife and offers visitors permanent access to the landscape that shaped our nation’s character. Learn more at americanprairie.org.
About Ken Burns
Ken Burns has been making documentary films for almost 50 years, directing and producing landmark works including The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, The War, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, Prohibition, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, The Vietnam War, Country Music, The U.S. and the Holocaust, The American Buffalo, Leonardo da Vinci, and most recently, The American Revolution. Future projects include Emancipation to Exodus and LBJ & the Great Society, among others.
About Vince Gill
One of modern country music’s most celebrated artists, Vince Gill is renowned for elite songwriting, guitar mastery, and a soaring tenor matched by quick wit and deep humility. A member of the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Musicians’ Hall of Fame, Gill’s career continues to bridge generations — on record, on stage, and across the broader American songbook.
