Lainey Wilson has won the ACM Award for Female Artist of the Year! The Louisiana native, who kicked off the ceremony with a performance of “God Blessed Texas” and her current single, “Hang Tight Honey,” also won in the same category in 2023.
Wilson was nominated in the category along with Megan Moroney, Ashley McBryde, Kelsea Ballerini and Kacey Musgraves. It was the show’s host, Reba McEntire, who gave Wilson the award, making it even more meaningful for her.
“Reba McEntire just gave me this thing,” Wilson gushed from stage. “Speaking of Reba McEntire, I just want to take a minute, and I just want to talk about the women in country music. A lot of the women who were in this category specifically are some of my best friends, and people who have helped pull me over that wall. And there are so many women in country music who have guided me without even knowing it, before I ever even got the chance to shake their hand and get to know them, they have taught me so much.”
A true #CountryMusic queen 👑 , Congrats on winning Female Artist of the Year, @laineywilson! #ACMawards pic.twitter.com/ytndw2L8nU
— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) May 17, 2024
Wilson mentioned one artist in particular, Wynonna Judd, who has been especially important to Wilson throughout the higihs and lows of her own career.
“It’s crazy to think that, me and Wynonna Judd, we talk every week,” Wilson shared. “She sends me devotionals, she lifts me up, she encourages me. She gives me advice, and she just asked me how I’m doing and how’s my heart, and that’s what it’s about right there. It’s about lifting each other up and speaking life over each other, all of us. We gotta do that for each other. Iron sharpens iron, and so this one right here is for all those women who do that.”
“Hang Tight Honey” is the debut single from Wilson’s forthcoming new Whirlwind album, out on August 23.
“I’ve been runnin’ the roads nonstop for a few years now and I ain’t gonna lie to y’all, sometimes it can be tough being away from home that much,” Wilson said of the new track. “At the same time, remembering what ‘home’ is and the things that I get to do for the ones I love because of the work I put in, is what keeps me going and makes it all worthwhile.
“This one’s an anthem for the hard working men and women that get up every dang day and put in long hours to make a life worth living for the ones they love most,” she continued. “Love y’all! Crank ‘er up loud and proud.”
The title for her next record came from how she has been living her life ever since her debut single, “Things a Man Oughta Know,” was released.
“The word that I keep using to describe what these past few years have been like is ‘whirlwind,’” Wilson said ahead of the ceremony. “It has been a crazy ride. I feel like, I’ve been in Nashville for 13 years, and the last three — the ten before that prepared me for the last three, I guess you could say. It’s fast-paced, it keeps you on your toes, but it’s fun.”
Wilson will spend part of the year headlining her own Country’s Cool Again Tour. Find all of Wilson’s music and upcoming shows at LaineyWilson.com.
Read ‘Lainey Wilson: 11 Things to Know About Her Extraordinary Life and Career’ here.
