Your cart is currently empty!
“I Can’t Believe This Is Real Life”: Sam Barber Surprises Avery Anna With ACM Award at Texas Festival
Back in 2021, at just 17 years old, Avery Anna took a leap of faith by moving to Nashville. Like countless artists before her, Anna hoped to add her name to the timeless history of country music. And not even a year later, she signed a recording contract with Warner Music Nashville. Having released two studio albums, with her last, Let Go Letters, hitting shelves in 2025, Anna received a special gift while on stage when it was announced she was the Academy of Country Music’s latest winner of the New Female Artist of the Year award.
Videos by American Songwriter
Over the weekend, Anna took the stage at the Lonestar Smokeout festival in Texas. But during her set, Sam Barber surprised her when announcing, “I’ve had the amazing honor to tell Miss Avery Anna that she is the winner of an ACM New Female Artist of the Year.”
Visibly shocked by the award, Anna needed a minute to compose herself. Working years for this moment, the singer watched in real time as one of her dreams came true. And to make it better, another person told the crowd, “Today, Avery Anna joins the ranks of Ella Langley, Megan Moroney and Lainey Wilson. She is this year’s ACM New Female Artist.”
Avery Anna Thanks Family, Faith, And Fans For Making Her Dream Possible
Adding her name to such a powerful list of female singers, Anna considered the moment nothing short of perfect. With her family by her side, she insisted, “Everybody that I love dearly is on this stage and this is my family right here. And my manager, David, he’s fought this fight with me this whole time and I’m just so grateful for this. I’m so honored.”
Anna wasn’t about to end her speech by highlighting the ones that mattered the most – her fans. “I thank God every day that I get to do this and that he put this passion on my heart. And I’m so grateful for people like you that show up for artists like me and embrace the things that we have to say.”
Giving all the praise back to the fans and her faith, Anna concluded, “Thank you guys so much. This is such an honor. Thank you, Jesus Christ. And thank you, Sam. You just faced your fear speaking on stage. Thank you so much.”
Currently on her Girl of Constant Sorrow Tour, Anna will travel to the 61st ACM Awards on Sunday, May 17, to not just celebrate being the New Female Artist of the Year but also perform. Don’t miss the ACM Awards, streaming live on Prime Video at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT from Las Vegas.
(Photo by Amy E. Price/Getty Images)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.