ACM Winner Lainey Wilson Shares What She’d Tell Her Younger Self

ACM Winner Lainey Wilson Shares What She’d Tell Her Younger Self
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 07: Lainey Wilson performs onstage during the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards at Allegiant Stadium on March 07, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for ACM)

Singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson won big at last night’s ACM Awards, taking home the trophies for New Female Vocalist and Song of the Year for “Things a Man Oughta Know.”

The achievements marked Wilson’s first wins at a major awards show, and they signify her rising prominence in the country music genre. While Wilson may be a new name for some fans, the Louisiana-born singer has been working toward her dreams since she moved to Nashville more than 10 years ago. Now that she has a few ACM Awards under her belt, Wilson shared what she’d go back and tell her young, dream-filled self.

“If I could talk to Lainey who moved to Nashville in 2011 in a camper trailer, I would say, ‘A lot of people are going to think you’re crazy, and you might be a little bit, but put in the time, roll up your sleeves, elbow grease, and you’re going to be okay,'” she told reporters in the ACM Press Room. “‘Just tell the truth, write the truth, and let your light shine.'”

“I’d just say, ‘It’s going to work out the way that it’s supposed to,'” she adds. “I’m here and I deserve to be here and that’s a damn good feeling.”

In her acceptance speech for Song of the Year, Wilson thanked her team and her fans, saying that the reaction to her music has been a “prayer answered.” Of her award-winning song, Wilson stressed that “Things a Man Oughta Know” is for everyone.

“This song is about treating people right, and it’s not something just a man oughta know, it’s something that we all need to know,” she told the awards show crowd. “It’s about the golden rule.”

Wilson also took the stage to perform that hit song later in the night.

The 57th annual Academy of Country Music Awards were hosted by Dolly Parton, Gabby Barrett and Jimmie Allen. The two-hour, commercial-free show streamed live from Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. For fans who missed the show, it will be rebroadcast on IMDb TV starting March 8 at 8PM ET. Amazon Music Unlimited Subscribers can also watch the show on the Amazon Music App starting March 10 at 8PM ET. See the full list of winners here.