Proud Texan Miranda Lambert Receives High Honor In The Lonestar State
“It’s really such an honor,” Lambert shared ahead of the gala.
Miranda Lambert; Photo by Tyler Schmitt
Miranda Lambert was honored during the 2023 Texas Medal Of Arts Awards on Wednesday evening (Feb. 23) in Austin, Texas.
The Lindale, Texas native was recognized for her contribution to the arts as a singer/songwriter alongside fellow Texas natives Luke Wilson (Dallas) for Film/Actor; Taylor Sheridan (Weatherford) for Film/Production, In Memoriam: Carole Cook (Abilene) for Lifetime Achievement/Musical Theatre, Christopher Cross (San Antonio) for Music; Center for Performing Arts Medicine (Houston) for Arts/Health, Deborah Roberts (Austin) for Visual Arts, Miró Rivera Architects (Austin) for Architecture, Lela Rose (Dallas) for Design, Benjamin Alire Sáenz (El Paso) for Literary Arts and Septime Webre (Brownsville) for Dance.
“All of us Texans are extra proud anyway, but the fact that this state really lifts up art and arts of all kinds and has a whole celebration for us to celebrate us, it’s really such an honor,” Lambert said, via Fox 7 Austin.
Red Carpet Look
Lambert dazzled on the red carpet ahead of the show. Styled by her longtime stylist Tiffany Gifford, Lambert turned heads in a black Ralph Lauren midi dress, black Manolo Blahnik heels, and Misahara jewelry.
During the awards show and gala dinner, the three-time GRAMMY winner performed “Two-Step Down To Texas” with her collaborators Jon Randall and Jack Ingram from their 2021 project, The Marfa Tapes.
Hosted by Peabody Award Winning Broadcaster, Producer, Director, and Texas native, Elliott Forrest (Midland), the event took place at Long Center for the Performing Arts. It was originally scheduled to take place in 2021, however, it was rescheduled due to the global health crisis.
Previous Recipients Include Willie Nelson and Lyle Lovett
Since its inception in 2001, the Texas Medal Of Arts Awards have honored 118 Texans “who have achieved excellence through their creative talents, as well as those whose generosity has opened doors to artistic opportunity for Texans of all ages.”
Willie Nelson, ZZ Top, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Eva Longoria, Lyle Lovett are among the 118 previous honorees.
In addition to being honored at the 2023 Texas Medal of Arts Awards, Miranda Lambert has been spending some time in her home state while taking a break from her Las Vegas Residency.
“Lately in Texas….🌮🍺☀️😎🧡,” Lambert captioned a carousel of photos on Instagram. “We Sunday Funday’d and Taco Tuesday’d our asses off.”
The series of images features Lambert in Texas writing songs with Wade Bowen and spending quality time with her brother Luke and brother-in-law Marc.
“Got to spend some time with little bro @lukelambert and bro in law @marc.allende and some good old friends,” Lambert explained. ”Me and @wadebowen have been friends for over 20 years and we finally sat down and wrote a song together for the first time yesterday in the Texas sunshine. Well actually 2 songs. And one of them we might have rhymed George Strait with chicken fried steak. Prolly my fav rhyme ever! 😂👏 I have a lot of new smile lines after these last few days in ATX! Sorry y’all some of these pics are blurry, but the memories won’t be.”
Velvet Rodeo
Miranda Lambert is currently celebrating nearly two decades as a country music superstar with a career-spanning set list in Sin City with her Velvet Rodeo Las Vegas Residency.
The 39-year-old hitmaker recently told Garden & Gun that she has been enjoying her time in Las Vegas as it’s giving her a break from the grueling day-to-day tour life.
“After twenty years of touring, it gets exhausting sometimes. That is one reason I’m so thankful for the Velvet Rodeo shows,” she shared with Garden & Gun. “It is a break from the road, but I still get to do what I love and connect with the fans. This show was so fun to put together because we can bring in some production elements [like pyrotechnics] we haven’t ever had on the road. I won’t be touring much while I’m doing the residency except for a few festivals here and there, so y’all gotta come to Sin City!”
Lambert’s show is a 90-minute celebration of Lambert’s artistry that features tunes from her entire discography from her debut album, Kerosene, to her current project, Palomino.
The “If I Was A Cowboy” singer’s residency kicked off on September 23, 2022 and is currently set to run through December of this year.
See a full list of Lambert’s upcoming Las Vegas Residency dates below:
March 2023: 24, 25, 30
April 2023: 1, 2, 6, 8, 9
July 2023: 7, 8, 12, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22
November 2023: 30
December 2023: 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 14, 16
Lambert, Live Nation Las Vegas and Caesars Entertainment are donating $1 of every ticket purchased to “Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency” at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino to Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit that has raised over $6 million since its inception in 2009. The Foundation’s mission is to promote the adoption of rescue pets, support animal shelters across the country, advance spay & neuter and assist with the transport of animals during times of natural disaster.
Y’all Eat Yet?
In addition to her Las Vegas concerts, Lambert is set to release her first book, Y’ALL EAT YET? Welcome to The Pretty B*tchin’ Kitchen, this spring. The book will offer fans a look into the ACM Triple Crown honoree’s life at home and on the road. Readers will also learn more about her Texas roots and how the strong women in her family influenced her life and career.
“Watching my mom and her friends, I saw the way pitching in, working together, loving music and being there for each other is the greatest gift you can have in life. I think my mom inherited that gift from her mom, because they both attracted the most awesome group of girlfriends,” she previously shared.
Y’ALL EAT YET? will also include 50 recipes from her personal kitchen such as Nonny’s Banana Pudding, Paw Paw’s Bar-B-Que Sauce, and Whiskey Cupcakes. The book will be released on April 25, 2023.
Miranda Lambert’s next scheduled tour date is set for March 24 in Las Vegas. For a full list of upcoming shows, click here.
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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