Lainey Wilson and Parker McCollum are official ACM Awards winners! The two rising stars won New Female and New Male Artist of the Year, respectively, ahead of the March 7 live show. Miranda Lambert shared the good news with both singers, in a video shared on the ACM Awards YouTube channel.
“I’m so happy for you honey, and you deserve it,” Lambert told an emotional Wilson. “You’re my fave, and I love getting to be friends with you. When I heard [the news] yesterday, I was like, ‘This is so good.’ It made my heart happy.”
“I just want to say thank you for paving the damn way … This is the best news I think I’ve ever gotten,” Wilson told Lambert while wiping away tears.
The other nominees for New Female Artist of the Year were Tenille Arts, Priscilla Block, Lily Rose and Caitlyn Smith.
McCollum was equally surprised by the news, as well as by Lambert’s appearance on his video screen. The Texas native shared the New Male Artist of the Year category with HARDY, Walker Hayes, Ryan Hurd and Elvie Shane
“Are you joking? You’re dead serious,’ McCollum said when Lambert surprised him with the news,
“When I see you next, let’s toast and share a cold one, because I’m real proud of you, and so happy for you,” Lambert said.
Lady A has been added to the list of performers, joining a previously-announced list of performers that includes Dolly Parton alongside Kelsea Ballerini, as well as fellow hosts Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett. Carrie Underwood, Chris Young, Brittney Spencer, Brothers Osborne, Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Jordan Davis, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, and Mitchell Tenpenny.
Young leads the list of nominees with seven nods, including Male Artist of the Year, and Album of the Year, for Famous Friends.
“It’s always awesome to have a nomination, period, because there have been plenty of years in my career where there wasn’t one,” Young tells Billboard. “So I’m excited anytime there is a nomination, and especially what happened this year. I’ve never been the most-nominated artist at an awards show, and especially not one the caliber of the ACMs.”
The 2022 ACM Awards will stream live on Prime Video Monday, March 7 at 8:00 PM from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.