Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde In Shock After Winning First-Ever GRAMMY Award
“We won a GRAMMY,” Pearce shouted from the stage.
Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde; Photo Courtesy GRAMMY.com Livestream
Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde are officially GRAMMY winners. The pair took home the GRAMMY for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their chart-topping duet, “Never Wanted To Be That Girl.”
This marks the first GRAMMY win for Pearce and McBryde. They accepted the honor together during the GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony at Microsoft Theater.
After the duet partners entered the stage, Pearce spoke first and admitted she was shocked.
“I did not expect this. Oh my God. I’m still working on pulling my grass. I’m out of breath. Oh my goodness,” Pearce said with excitement. ”You know what? I was working on a record and I heard… I’ve known Ashley for a long time and I just wanted to sing a song with her and we wrote this song and it has just transcended so many of my wildest dreams. Real music. Real country music. Thank you, Scott Borchetta. Thank you, Big Machine Records. Thank you to Country Music fans and thank you to The Academy. Holy. This is my first nomination, so I was not expecting this.”
McBryde then took to the microphone to accept the prestigious award.
“It’s Carly’s first nomination. It was my first number one at Country Radio and we’ve performed the song so many times on stage together. It’s been so nice for our friendship,” McBryde said. ”We did it together. Thank you. Thank you.”
“We won a GRAMMY!” Pearce shouted, before McBryde added, “Holy shit!”
McBryde is also nominated for Best Country Album for her latest album, Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville.
“Never Wanted To Be That Girl” was a monumental song for Pearce and McBryde. It topped both the Billboard and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts in May of 2022, marking Pearce’s third No. 1 single and McBryde’s first.
The song, co-written by Pearce and McBryde with Shane McAnally, is the second female duet to top the country charts in 30 years.
“Never Wanted To Be That Girl” appears on Carly Pearce’s 2021 project, 29: Written In Stone.
The 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards will feature performances from Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Steve Lacy, Lizzo, Kim Petras, Sam Smith, Harry Styles, Chris Stapleton, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and more.
“Music’s Biggest Night” will also include an all-star 50th Anniversary celebration of hip hop, featuring performances by Big Boi, Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star, De La Soul, DJ Drama, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Missy Elliott, Future, GloRilla, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Mele Mel & Scorpio/Ethiopian King, Ice-T, Lil Baby, Lil Wayne, The Lox, Method Man, Nelly, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, Rahiem, Rakim, RUN-DMC, Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella, Scarface, Swizz Beatz, and Too $hort. LL COOL J will be on hand to introduce the segment and give a dedication to hip hop.
Several tributes will take place during the In Memoriam segment at the all-genre ceremony. Kacey Musgraves is set to take the stage to honor the late Loretta Lynn with a cover of Lynn’s signature hit “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” while Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood and Bonnie Raitt are slated to pay homage to late Fleetwood Mac member, Christine McVie, with a performance of McVie’s “Songbird.”
Maverick City Music and Quavo will remember the late Migos rapper, Takeoff, with a special tribute performance of “Without You,” a song that Quavo wrote after his passing.
First Lady Jill Biden, Cardi B, James Corden, Billy Crystal, Viola Davis, Dwayne Johnson, Olivia Rodrigo, and Shania Twain and more confirmed to present during the ceremony.
Beyoncé leads the pack with nine nominations, including the prestigious Album Of The Year (Renaissance). Following behind Beyoncé are Kendrick Lamar with eight nods, Adele and Brandi Carlile with seven nominations as well as Mary J. Blige, DJ Khaled, Harry Styles, Future, The Dream and Randy Merrill have six. For a full list of 2023 GRAMMY nominees click HERE.
Prior to the GRAMMY Awards, several winners are being revealed during the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in the City Of Angels. For a full list of winner, visit live.GRAMMY.com.
Co-hosted by GRAMMY-nominated comedian Trevor Noah, the 2023 GRAMMYs will air live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 5 at 8/7c on CBS. The coveted awards ceremony are also scheduled to stream live and on demand via Paramount+.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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