Lainey Wilson’s ‘Bell Bottom Country’ Wins Best Country Album At The GRAMMYs: ‘This Is Absolutely Wild!’
Wilson became emotional when she took home her first-ever GRAMMY award.
Lainey Wilson at The 66th Annual Grammy Awards; Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.
Lainey Wilson took home her first-ever GRAMMY Award on Sunday evening (Feb. 4), clinching a win for Best Country Album for her Bell Bottom Country project.
The news was announced during the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards broadcast, which aired live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Seven-time GRAMMY winner, Kacey Musgraves was on hand to present the category, which also included Kelsea Ballerini’s Rolling Up The Welcome Mat, Brothers Osborne’s self-titled release, Zach Bryan’s self-titled project, and Tyler Childers’ Rustin’ In The Rain.
When Musgraves announced Wilson as the winner, she sprung out of her chair and hugged her manager and gave Luke Combs a high-five.
As she approached the stage, tears streamed down Wilson’s face, clearly showing she was deeply moved by her big win.
“This is absolutely wild,” Wilson admitted.
She went on to thank her producer, Jay Joyce, as well as other collaborators, including her co-writers, the musicians, and more.
“It has truly changed my life,” Wilson added. “I am from a farming community in northeast Louisiana, a little town of 200 people, and I’m a fifth-generation farmer’s daughter. And I would consider myself a farmer too. And everybody that I surround myself with, I think they’re farmers too, but they’re story farmers and it’s about getting up every single day and planting those seeds and watering ’em and watching ’em grow.”
“And sometimes,” she continued, “when you find the right farming community, you can have a harvest of a lifetime, and I truly believe that. And I think that’s exactly what this is tonight. God bless every single one of y’all. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you so much for the Recording Academy and thank you to my fans. I love y’all so much.”
Bell Bottom Country was previously crowned Album of the Year at the 58th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, and Album of the Year at the 57th Annual CMA Awards.
Ahead of the broadcast, Wilson turned heads on the GRAMMYs red carpet in a sleek all-black ensemble.
The country superstar didn’t shy away from her signature bell bottom style for Music’s Biggest Night. Styled by Karla Welch, Wilson opted for an all-black Balmain jumpsuit, complete with gold accents. She donned Casadei shoes, a bag by Tyler Ellis, and jewels from Pomellato. Her blonde hair appeared to be a bit shorter and was styled in loose waves by Renato Campora. Nikki DoRoest, Wilson’s makeup artist, achieved a flawless and exceptionally natural appearance for her on the red carpet.
In addition to her nomination for Best Country Album, Wilson was also nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Save Me” with Jelly Roll, however, Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’ “I Remember Everything” took home the win in that category.
Ahead of the show, the Louisiana native reflected on her nominations admitting, “It’s crazy” to think of herself as a GRAMMY-nominated artist.
Of her nominations, she told Apple Music’s Kelleigh Bannen, it felt like “a stamp of approval or respect from people in the industry as a whole.”
“Of course, I didn’t move to Nashville to just win awards. I moved here because this is what I love to do, but it’s like a cool thing that comes along with it,” Wilson admitted. “To think about a girl that grew up in a town of less than 200 people getting nominated for a Grammy… I hope that people who feel like, ‘Oh, there’s no chance in hell I would ever be able to do that,’ I hope that they can look at the story and be like, ‘Well, hey, you never know.’”
The 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards aired live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 4 (8:00-11:30 PM, live ET/5:00-8:30 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network. Hosted by Trevor Noah, Music’s Biggest Night is also available to be streamed live and on demand on Paramount+.*
The star-studded ceremony features performances by Burna Boy, Luke Combs, Billie Eilish, Billy Joel, Dua Lipa, Joni Mitchell, Olivia Rodrigo, Travis Scott, SZA and U2.
Presenters included Christina Aguilera, Lenny Kravitz, Lionel Richie, Mark Ronson, Maluma, Kacey Musgraves, Meryl Streep, Samara Joy, Taylor Tomlinson, and Oprah Winfrey.
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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