Lainey Wilson’s five-category sweep of the Coutry Music Association Awards last month signified both her ascent to stardom in the country music firmament and a before-and-after moment in the arc of her career. Nothing will be the same from here on out for the “Watermelon Moonshine” singer, with a four-night stand in Las Vegas being her first major move after spending her most recent tour opening for Hardy.
That tour was followed by the pair winning two CMAs for their smash hit, “Wait in the Truck,” which won for both Music Video of the Year and Musical Event of the Year. Bell Bottom Country took Album of the Year honors while Wilson was named both female Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year.
She’s won more CMAs in one year than Taylor Swift or Miranda Lambert, and tied Johnny Cash, Vince Gill and Alan Jackson for most wins in one year. Wilson is at the apex of a rise that began when she started playing parties as Hannah Montana. Now she’s like Hannah Montana in real life and all grown up, albeit with a voice that naturally inhabits Dolly Parton’s range and the no-compromises attitude of a cowgirl born and raised in Northern Louisiana.
The country music industry has witnessed the establishment of next phenomenon to carry the torch of tradition forward. It is Lainey Wilson’s time.
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