Lainey Wilson is still “holding on for dear life on this wild ride.” In 2022, she released her breakout album, Bell Bottom Country. Wilson’s star has continued soaring ever since, with eight No. 1 hits and a trophy case full of hardware. Tonight, Lainey Wilson took the stage during Thursday’s (May 8) 60th ACM Awards ceremony to perform her latest song.
Videos by American Songwriter
Lainey Wilson Is Up For 7 ACM Awards
Commanding the stage at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, Lainey Wilson treated ACM Awards viewers to a special rendition of her song “Whirlwind.” Decked out in a black studded leather getup, complete with fringe, Wilson (almost literally) set the stage on fire.
“Whirlwind” never sounded so powerful, @laineywilson! 🌪️
— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) May 9, 2025
Celebrate the best in Country Music with us on #ACM60 → https://t.co/H8DgKcESzm pic.twitter.com/w0KsajOm52
The title track off her fifth studio album, “Whirlwind” reads like a tribute to Wilson’s fiance, ex-NFL quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges. We’re a whirlwind / Cuttin’ through a Texas town, Wilson sings. Yeah, this funnel wouldn’t be near as fun / Without you spinnin’ ’round.
Lainey Wilson owning the award show stage, as always 🔥#ACMAwards pic.twitter.com/FnNkI71z6U
— The Country Wire (@TheCountryWire) May 9, 2025
Wilson, 32, earned seven nominations in six separate categories, including her fourth straight Song of the Year nod for “4x4xU.” Ahead of Thursday’s ceremony, the “Watermelon Moonshine” singer learned she had been named the ACM’s Artist-Songwriter of the Year.
“That means so much!” Wilson exclaimed before embracing her stage partners, Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert.
Her other nominations include Entertainer of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Whirlwind, and Visual Media of the Year for “4x4xU.”
[RELATED: Lainey Wilson Has Us All on Cloud Nine With This New Unreleased Song]
On Powerful New Single With Miranda Lambert and Reba McEntire
Earlier in the night, Lainey Wilson stood alongside Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert on the ACM Awards stage. Representing three generations of women in country music, the trio performed their new single, “Trailblazer.”
Opening up to Country Now about the powerful rehearsal, Wilson admitted, “We were all just trying to hold it together out there.”
“It just felt, we could just feel the energy and we were also happy to be able to share the stage with each other,” she said. “So I hope other little girls are watching at home and can just see that women who stick together get it done and that’s what it’s about.”
Featured image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ABA
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