Brandi Carlile to Accept CMT’s Next Women of Country Impact Award
Carlile is an advocate for her fellow female artists.
Grammy winning country/Americana star Brandi Carlile will be honored with this year’s Impact Award at the 2019 CMT Next Women of Country event, an annual celebration of female country stars on the rise held just before the CMA Awards.
The seventh annual Next Women of Country celebration will be co-hosted this year by Martina McBride and CMT’s Leslie Fram, and is set to take place in Nashville at the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum November 12.
Carlile is the fourth artist to receive the honor, and now joins a group that includes Maren Morris (2018), Kelsea Ballerini (2017) and Brandy Clark (2016). It’s presented to a country female for “outstanding achievements and contributions to women in the industry,” taking into account impacts made through songwriting, recording, radio airplay, record sales, streams, media impressions, awards and touring in the past year.
By spearheading the all-female country supergroup The Highwomen (which also includes Morris, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires), co-producing Tanya Tucker’s While I’m Livin’ comeback album, winning three Grammys for her By the Way, I Forgive You, curating an all-female revue at this year’s Newport Folk Festival (which featured Dolly Parton and many others) and her tireless advocacy on behalf of female voices, CMT’s Fram says Carlile was the obvious choice for this year’s award.
“Not only is she one of the greatest performers of our time, she’s an incredible advocate and champion for her fellow female artists, lending her support and starpower to up-and-coming artists in the genre,” explains Fram, CMT’s Senior Vice President, Music Strategy & Talent. “We are truly thrilled to celebrate her monumental achievements, both as a solo artist, producer, and as a member of the groundbreaking group The Highwomen, with this Impact Award.”
Carlile will be presented the award by singer-songwriter Lucie Silvas and Change the Conversation co-founder, Tracy Gershon. CMT’s Next Women of Country began in 2013 and has now expanded to include CMT Next Women of Country tours, a Next Women of Country Live digital series and more.
