Country star Maren Morris has had one incredible year following the release of her sophomore album, GIRL. The record, which dropped in March 2019, was led by its first single “Girl,” before the behemoth crossover hit, “The Bones.”
In support of the project, Morris launched her headlining Girl World Tour, which wrapped in November. As if holding her own as a touring artist wasn’t enough, Morris and her husband Ryan Hurd announced they were pregnant in October. So, with such a massive past year, why did the newly-crowned ACM Female Vocalist of the Year not think her win was possible?
“Miranda [Lambert]’s clinched [it] for 9 years in a row, and she deserves it. So I just feel like I never saw myself winning this,” Morris shared in a press conference following her win. She noted further, “I feel like when I vote on that award in years past, it’s just for not the best singer of the bunch because that’s so subjective. But I feel like that goes to someone that your peers think had a massive, monumental year.
“So I’m just so humbled that my Nashville community and industry peeps think my year has been big, because part of it has been in 2020, which has been kind of a shit show. So I feel like someone saying that I had a good year is so much validation,” the new mom shared.
Receiving the acclaimed award is something Morris also doesn’t treat lightly. She’s grateful to the many trailblazing women who have paved the way for her to get to be where she is today.
“I feel like the Female Vocalist award is just so monumental. The women that have gone before me and won that awards, that’s who I really should have thanked [at the acceptance speech],” the singer said. “I am so inspired by every woman in that category. I’m friends with every nominee in that category, so I know how much we uplift and support each other in this community.”
She adds, “It just feels amazing to walk away with that, and to also walk away with Musical Event with Miranda, Caylee (Hammack) and Tenille (Townes) and Ashley (McBryde). It just feels like the night of the ladies. They haven’t announced Entertainer, but Carrie [Underwood]’s got my vote on that one.” And Morris’ vote came true, as Underwood won the ACM Entertainer of the Year award with Thomas Rhett.
While Morris has been homebound like most artists during this pandemic, her current single “To Hell And Back” has been climbing up the country charts. Listen below.
