Singer and songwriter Hardy's ACM Honors speech left fans "ready to run through a wall." The inspiring, never-quit rally cry is one of the top moments from the 2022 FOX broadcast.

Watch the viral portion of Hardy's ACM Honors speech below. He accepted the Songwriter of the Year trophy for a second straight year and was fêted by Morgan Wallen during the telecast. Hardy (real name: Michael Hardy) has co-written several hit songs for Wallen, including "Up Down," "Sand in My Boots" and "Half of My Hometown." In addition, he's written hits for Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line and more.

At the ACM Honors, the 32-year-old told of performing at a songwriter's round in Nashville seven years ago. Someone put a napkin with the word "Quit" on it for him in the tip jar, and he kept it.

"Tonight, that 'Quit' napkin will be sitting right beside this f----r," Hardy says.

While not yet a mainstay on country radio, Hardy co-wrote and recorded one of the hottest Top 40 singles out currently. "Wait in the Truck" with Lainey Wilson was the No. 1 digital sales song last week and is flying up the Billboard Country Airplay chart (No. 34 on Monday, Sept. 12, after just three weeks). Previous Hardy radio singles include his debut "Rednecker" and the chart-topping "One Beer."

In March, Hardy told Taste of Country how important having success as an artist and songwriter was to him. He grew up in Philadelphia, Miss., and moved to Nashville after a 2012 visit. He'd quickly meet Florida Georgia Line and co-write their hit song "Simple." While he quickly became a coveted songwriter, his artist career was up and down.

To date, "One Beer" is his only single to crack the Top 10 and a breakout role on Thomas Rhett's 2020 tour was scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, it's taken a little longer than he might have liked to get to this stage.

This ACM Award is actually Hardy's second in the Songwriter of the Year category. He's previously been nominated for New Male Artist of the Year and Music Event of the Year. In 2020, "God's Country" won an ACM for Single of the Year. Hardy co-wrote that song for Blake Shelton.

attachment-hardy screen shot
Instagram/ACMAwards
loading...

In addition to accepting an ACM Honor during the telecast, Hardy paid tribute to his friend Wallen, who accepted the ACM Milestone Award.

2022 ACM Honors Red Carpet Pictures + More!

Miranda Lambert, Hardy and Dan + Shay were among the country singers at the 2022 ACM Honors who brought their significant others with them to the red carpet. Others like Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson and Shania Twain flew solo. See the best dressed from the Aug. 24 ceremony in Nashville. We also included several photos from the show that feature additional fashion statements.

More From Lonestar 92.3