Let’s recap the last several years for Lainey Wilson. The Louisiana native has taken home seven Country Music Association Awards, brought back bell bottoms, and made country cool again. But the “Watermelon Moonshine” singer hasn’t let success get to her head. (She credits FaceTime sessions with her nephews for keeping her “real humble.”) That down-to-earth charm was on display recently when Wilson sent a thank-you gift to CMT Music Awards host Kelsea Ballerini.
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Kelsea Ballerini Shares the Gift Lainey Wilson Sent Hr
On Sunday (April 7), Ballerini took the stage at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas to host this year’s Country Music Television awards. Fans have grown accustomed to seeing the “Penthouse” singer at the helm. This was her fourth (and, she says, final) year of hosting.
The “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” singer commemorated Ballerini’s final hosting appearance with a bouquet of flowers and a handwritten note.
“Kelsea, you were the ultimate host last night. Congratulations!!” wrote Wilson, 31. “We’re so lucky to experience the love and light you put into this world. Sending you lots of love sister!”
Ballerini and Wilson were among the night’s most-nominated artists, as well as performers. Ballerini, 30, put a new spin on her 2014 debut single “Love Me Like You Mean It.” Wilson took the stage twice — once for a solo performance of “Country’s Cool Again,” and then to join a star-studded tribute to the late Toby Keith.)
Lainey Is All About Sisterhood
Wilson is far from the only successful woman in country music — and that’s the way she likes it. The 2024 GRAMMY winner has frequently emphasized camaraderie among her colleagues.
Wilson topped the Female Vocalist category at the 2023 Country Music Association Awards, beating out Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Ashley McBryde, and Carly Pearce. The “Heart Like a Truck” singer told Country 102.5 that both Lambert and McBryde congratulated her with “tears in their eyes.” “They are just as excited for me as I would have been for them,” Wilson said.
Wilson added that she looked up to “every single girl” in the category. “A lot of the girls have given me advice, they have pointed me in directions, I mean they have listened to me cry,” she said.”It’s really a sisterhood, it truly is.”
Featured image by Hubert Vestil/Getty Images
