Lainey Wilson picked up the award on Thursday, May 16 in Frisco, Texas
Lainey Wilson is the Academy of Country Music Awards’ entertainer of the year!
The country star, 31, took home the coveted honor at the annual country music awards show, out of a category of nominees featuring Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen.
In an emotional speech, Wilson, who won female artist of the year earlier in the night, reflected on being a little girl and looking up at the sky as she dreamed of leaving her small hometown.
“I remember being a little girl and I would climb out on the top of our roof. I’d open my window and climb out and I would count all the stars,” she said. “I would look up and I’d see the planes flying over my little town of 200 people and I’d dream about being up there in one of those planes.”
Wilson continued: “And the funny thing is, I still feel like that little girl. I really do. I still climb out on the roof and I look at the stars, except I feel like I’m a little more eye level with them now.”
She concluded by thanking her fans and praising her fellow nominees, saying, “Everybody in this category has loved me… took me on the road, sang songs with me, wrote with me, encouraged me every step of the way. And I love y’all for that.”
Thanks for keeping us entertained all year long, @laineywilson #ACMawards pic.twitter.com/qfogl9aXXL
— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) May 17, 2024
Ahead of the show, Wilson told PEOPLE she’d be celebrating afterwards with her “boy” Jelly Roll and his wife Bunnie Xo, as well as her parents.
She also praised her boyfriend Devlin “Duck” Hodges.
“Duck is great. Duck is running around here too,” Wilson said. “He’s buddies with all the artists. When they see me and him together they’re like, ‘Duck!’ and I’m like… they choose him!”
Ahead of taking home the entertainer of year award, the “Heart Like a Truck” performer announced her plans to release her fifth studio album, Whirlwind.
“That’s what my life has been the last couple years. I hope this record brings peace to your ‘whirlwind’ and wraps its arms around you like it did me when I was writing and recording it. August 23,” Wilson shared in her Instagram announcement.
In addition to releasing a new record, the Grammy winner recently partnered with TC Restaurant Group to open Bell Bottoms Up, a three-story restaurant and bar in Nashville.
Along with releasing new music, she will also be the subject of the Hulu special Lainey Wilson: Bell Bottom Country, which will air on Wednesday, May 29. Two days after that, she’ll kick off her Country’s Cool Again Tour.
The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards are airing live from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas Thursday, May 11 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and stream live exclusively on Prime Video.
