Miranda Lambert is the latest recipient of The Country Icon Award, given to her for extraordinary contributions in country music. The 40-year-old, who was given the award by fellow Texan, Parker McCollum, reflected on the significance of being recognized in such a monumental way.

“It is so weird standing up here receiving the Country Icon Award,” Lambert admitted. “To me, an icon is who I grew up listening to my daddy play — Jerry Jeff Walker, Merle Haggard, John Prine. Those are my icons, So the fact that I’m getting this award tonight is just blowing my mind. It’s a lot of years, tears, beers and Titos, if I’m being honest.”

Lambert went on to thank her fans, with many of them being with her since her debut Kerosene album came out in 2005.

“You all allow me to keep creating all these years, 20 years later,” Lambert said. “Some days I feel like I’ve done it 200 years, and some days I feel like I’m just getting started. So thank you so much.”

Lambert just released her latest album, Postcards from Texas. The 14-track record, which includes a duet with McCollum on a song called “Santa Fe,” is her first on Republic Records, after leaving Sony Music Nashville, where she had been for 20 years.

“This record, because I have had so much full circle happen lately, with turning 40 and a new record label, and I felt new freedom,” Lambert said on Apple Music Country’s Today’s Country Radio with Kelleigh Bannen. “And with that freedom, all I wanted to do was go home to reset so I could get strong to take on a whole new journey. And so I think this record is a snapshot of more like two decades versus the last two years… There’s emotions that I’ve felt for the last two decades as a woman, as an artist in this album.”

When Lambert released the albums, she said it was because of her fans that she was able to create the entire project.

“I mean, the fans are the reason that have stuck it out from Kerosene, and now they’re bringing their daughters to my shows and they’re 16,” Lambert reflected. “And they’re like, ‘We grew up on your music.’ But that encouragement helped me keep telling the truth, and helped me not be afraid. Whatever the story I was telling, it was their story too. And it’s like, ‘Okay, I’m going to keep doing that then.’ Because you’re validating, ‘I’m not in this alone and neither are you. Let’s do it together.’”

Photo Credit: NBC/Tibrina Hobson