NC country singer (+ huge UNC fan) picked to deliver 2026 commencement speech
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Eric Church will deliver UNC-Chapel Hill commencement at Kenan Stadium on May 9, 2026.
- Church was among performers who helped raise about $24.5 million for Hurricane Helene relief in 2024.
- Church is a lifelong Tar Heel fan, Hornets investor and multi‑award nominee.
The country music star Eric Church will give the commencement speech at UNC-Chapel Hill in the spring, the university announced.
Church, who is from Granite Falls, North Carolina, is scheduled to speak at the ceremony Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Kenan Stadium.
“A true legend, he has shaped the music industry and inspired generations of artists and audiences alike,” Chancellor Lee Roberts said in the university’s announcement. “His significant efforts to help rebuild western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene reflect his steadfast commitment to his hometown and our state.”
Church — who has released eight studio albums, including one earlier this year — joined Luke Combs, James Taylor, Billy Strings, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Scotty McCreery and other artists at the Concert for Carolina in October 2024. The Charlotte event raised about $24.5 million for Hurricane Helene relief efforts in North Carolina.
“Being asked to be the commencement speaker at North Carolina is one of the greatest honors I’ve ever had,” Church said in the announcement. “Being a Tar Heel ‘born, bred, dead’ and knowing what the school has meant to me and my family, it’s surreal.”
Past UNC commencement speakers
Previous UNC commencement speakers have included soccer player and former Tar Heel Mia Hamm, and Madeleine Albright, America’s first female secretary of state. In 2021, Dr. Anthony Fauci, then-director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, gave a virtual commencement speech, along with Carolina alumna Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett.
Who is Eric Church?
Church didn’t graduate from UNC; he attended Appalachian State University. However, he has been a lifelong Tar Heel fan.
In September, at Carolina’s home opener and Bill Belichick’s first game leading the Tar Heels, Church attended and sat next to Michael Jordan. Church was among a group of investors who acquired a stake in the Charlotte Hornets, the professional basketball team in which Jordan previously held majority ownership.
In 2022, Church canceled a concert to watch a Final Four game against rival Duke University. (UNC won the game but then lost the championship against the University of Kansas.)
His debut album, “Sinners Like Me,” was released in 2006, and he is known for several hits including “Springsteen” and “Drink In My Hand.”
Church has won many awards, including the Academy of Country Music’s Album of the Year award for his 2011 album “Chief.”
He has been nominated for 10 Grammy awards.
This story was originally published October 1, 2025 at 12:34 PM.
