Avery Anna Opens Up About ACM New Female Artist Win And First-Ever ACM Performance [Exclusive]
“I still can’t believe I’m here,” she admits.
Photo Courtesy of Avery Anna
Fresh off her first ACM Awards win, Avery Anna is heading into country music’s biggest night feeling overwhelmed with gratitude, excitement, and nerves as she prepares for a major career milestone: her first-ever ACM Awards performance.
We caught up with the rising star backstage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena during rehearsals, where she opened up about winning ACM New Female Artist of the Year and how she’s feeling ahead of her ACM Awards debut.
Avery Anna Is Still Processing Her ACM Awards Win
“I am feeling like there’s so much going on I can’t even process it. I still can’t believe I’m here. I don’t even know how to feel,” she shared. “I’m just so excited and nervous all at the same time and getting to perform on the ACMs is way beyond my wildest dreams. I watched it all growing up and I mean I think I’m just honored to be embraced by the country music industry, especially because I lean a little outside of the genre sometimes and so to be taken in with love and understanding is just really beautiful.”
The Emotional Moment She Shared The News With Her Family
Late last month, fellow artist Sam Barber surprised Avery Anna with the news that she had won ACM New Female Artist of the Year during one of her concerts. Naturally, the first people she called were her family members, including her grandparents, who proudly celebrated the emotional moment alongside her.
She later shared the heartfelt moment on social media, giving fans a glimpse into just how meaningful the achievement was for her loved ones.
“My family foundation is so strong and they are all so supportive of me and they all also love country music so much. It’s a lifestyle it truly is and that’s how I grew up. And so to share that with them and like to win, to find out that I won and then just immediately tell my grandparents was, it was just really cool and they were very proud and I felt like I could kind of like take a deep breath and tell myself that I did good.”
Avery Anna Teases Her ACM Awards Performance
While Avery Anna stayed tight-lipped about the details surrounding her ACM Awards performance, she did say that fans can expect one of her favorite songs to perform live.
“It’s my favorite song to perform live and I think it’s a very good representation of my new sound and my roots,” she teased.
Fans can also expect to see the singer-songwriter walking the red carpet on Sunday night. Although she’s keeping the full look under wraps for now, she described her ACM Awards fashion vibe in three words: “desert, elegant, desert grunge.”
Hosted by Shania Twain, the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards will take place on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show will stream live exclusively on Prime Video beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT for viewers in more than 240 countries and territories.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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