Garth Brooks to Become 9th-Ever Recipient of Billboard Icon Award

Garth Brooks will be presented with the Billboard Icon Award at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards later this year. The country legend will become the ninth person to ever receive the honor, following such luminaries as Cher, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson, and Mariah Carey. Brooks is the bestselling solo artist in U.S. history, with more than 156 million albums sold. He’s also earned nine #1s on the Billboard 200, the most of any country artist, and is the first artist to appear on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart across five decades.

“Blame it all on his roots, he showed up in boots…to the #BBMAs! Say hello to Garth Brooks, our 2020 Icon Award recipient,” the BBMAs tweeted Wednesday, while Brooks’ team added in their own tweet, “Congratulations G, this marks your 20th BBMA in the year 2020, what a way to kickoff the decade.”

Brooks will also reportedly perform at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, which will be once again hosted by Kelly Clarkson and will air live from Las Vegas on Wednesday, April 29, at 8 p.m. ET.