Lainey Wilson has made CMA Awards history, and she can’t believe it. “Holy moly y’all. Someone pinch me,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “I can’t believe my eyes.”
The country singer racked up nine nominations when the 2023 noms were announced earlier this morning (September 7), including Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Song of the Year, and more.
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That makes her the only artist to get the most nods in her first two appearances on the Final Ballot. In other words, she made CMA Awards history. That’s likely why she took to social media to try to capture what the moment means to her — and how it feels “absolutely surreal.”
[RELATED: 2023 CMA Awards: Lainey Wilson Tops the List With 9 Nominations]
“I’m so proud of everything we’ve done this year for my own music and these collabs with my brothers @hardy and @jellyroll615,” she wrote. “Thank y’all for having me on these songs.”
Jelly Roll earned five nominations himself, and HARDY got four, along with Luke Combs. Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde, Chris Stapleton, and Morgan Wallen each were nominated three time.
At last year’s CMA Awards, Wilson got six noms and ended up winning two: Female Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year.
“Being nominated in each of these categories amongst my friends means the world to me. And the coveted Entertainer Of The Year category?! It’s absolutely surreal,” she continued on Instagram. “We bust our butts out there on the road every dang night to give y’all the best show possible and I have the time of my life doing it.”
She ended the note with a truth that any fan already holds to be self-evident: “All I gotta say is thank y’all. I love country music 🤘🏻.”
[RELATED: Lainey Wilson’s Long Road to Success is Paved in Authenticity and Heart]
Wilson has had to take time to steady herself throughout her rise, as she told American Songwriter earlier this year. “It honestly feels like a whirlwind,” she said. “I’m trying to keep one foot on the ground and stay rooted in who I am and me. We’re going 90 miles an hour at this point. A lot has happened in a short amount of time. Don’t count the 12 years I’ve actually been in Nashville, planting those seeds and building everything brick-by-brick. But the last two years, it’s hard to explain.”
The CMA Awards will air live from Nashville on November 8 from 7-10 p.m. CT on ABC.
Photo by Josh Brasted/FilmMagic