Top CMA Awards Nominee, Lainey Wilson Sets The Stage For ‘Fiery’ ‘Wildflowers And Wild Horses’ Performance
“There’s going to be some magic in it that I’m excited for y’all to see,” Wilson teased.
Lainey Wilson; Photo Courtesy CMA
Excitement for the 2023 CMA Awards is building and this year’s top nominee, Lainey Wilson is opening up about her mind-blowing nine nominations as well as her much-anticipated performance.
“This is year two of being nominated for anything for the CMAs. And we have the most nominations, which completely blows my mind, but nine is my lucky [number],” Wilson shared during CMA Awards rehearsals. “Number nine is the year that I wrote my first song, came to Nashville for the first time, got my first pair of bell bottoms, got my horse. So it’s looking pretty good. It’s feeling good. And I do feel like I’ve got a lot of love and support in this town and I’m feeling supported.”
What CMA Awards Is Lainey Wilson Nominated For?
The Louisiana native is vying for nine trophies: Entertainer Of The Year, Single Of The Year (“Wait In The Truck” with HARDY & “Heart Like A Truck”), Album Of The Year (‘Bell Bottom Country’), Song Of The Year (“Heart Like A Truck”), Female Vocalist Of The Year, Musical Event Of The Year (“Save Me” with Jelly Roll and “Wait In The Truck” with HARDY) and Music Video Of The Year (“Wait In The Truck” with HARDY).
History-Making CMA Awards Nominations
With these impressive nominations, Wilson became the fourth artist in CMA Awards history to receive nine or more nominations in a single year. She follows Merle Haggard and Miranda Lambert as well as Alan Jackson, who holds the record with 10 nominations in 2002.
Among the history-making nominations, the singer/songwriter is also the first artist in 14 years to secure double nominations for Single Of The Year in the same year with “Heart Like a Truck” and her collaboration with HARDY on “Wait in the Truck.” Miranda Lambert was the last artist to achieve such recognition in the category in 2010, when she was nominated for “The House That Built Me” and “White Liar.”
Performing “Wildflowers And Wild Horses”
Wilson is included among the star-studded list of CMA Awards performers set to take the stage during “Country Music’s Biggest Night.” For her performance, the chart-topping superstar will take to the CMA Awards stage with a performance of “Wildflowers And Wild Horses,” a song that she co-wrote alongside Trannie Anderson and Paul Sikes.
“I’m going to be performing ‘Wildflowers And Wild Horses,’ which is pretty much a nod to where I come from and the people who raised me,” she explained. “I would not be who I am without those folks. So it is just talking about being from a long line of hardheaded tough folks and the kind of people who teach you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and keep on going, keep your head down.”
While not disclosing too many details of her performance, the 31-year-old teased that it will be “fiery.”
“I’m excited to get out there and sing about the kind of people that I come from… It’s going to be fun. There’s going to be some magic in it that I’m excited for y’all to see with y’all own eyes,” Wilson hinted.
Excited To Reunite WIth Her Friends
She anticipates that the CMA Awards will be a memorable night as she gets to reunite with her fellow artists, many of whom have become her friends.
“I’m looking forward to spending the night with my friends. I mean, these people who I’ve been friends with in this town for as long as I can remember, and a lot of the artists who I am brand new friends with, but people who are lifting me up and supporting me and high fiving me and telling me that I can do it,” she explained. “And when you hear it from people like that, you really do feel like, ‘okay, maybe I really do have a shot at this.’”
A Dream Come True
Being a part of the CMA Awards is a dream come true moment for Wilson and it’s something she doesn’t take for granted.
“Watching the CMA awards was a big deal in my house as a child. I mean, we would sit around the TV, we knew when they were coming on, we would be, I mean, eyes glued to it,” Wilson added. “I would dream about just being a part of the industry and being down there on the floor with these people who I look up to and people who have paved the way.”
She continued, ”now it is crazy how life works because the truth is, I think sometimes you’ve got to envision yourself in certain places and sometimes pretend you are what you’re not really. So one day you can become that and just keep seeing it, seeing it, see it and now these people, they’re my friends, they’re my mentors. They’re people that I can call and get advice from. And I think it’s because I prayed about it and manifested it and put myself there because there was no other option for me.”
Co-hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, the 57th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 8 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC. The show will also be available to watch the next day on Hulu.
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.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
