Lainey Wilson was the most-nominated artist at the 2022 CMA Awards on Wednesday, scoring six nods in her first year as a nominee – so it's not surprising she walked away with a few.
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The Hold My Halo singer was named New Artist of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year, meaning she had reason to celebrate following the ceremony at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. However, instead of rubbing shoulders with the who's who of country music at an after-party, Lainey revealed her surprising plans to mark her big wins.
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Speaking to HELLO! US, Lainey said she planned to "celebrate with our teams in Nashville - with all the people who have helped get this thing off the ground".
Lainey also credited award shows like the CMAs for shining a light on the "talented" people behind the scenes who play important roles in helping her create her much-loved music.
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"I feel like award shows bring light to the talented folks behind the artists like video directors, producers, and all the folks on the creative teams," she added.
Lainey struggled to contain her emotions when she was announced as the New Artist of the Year winner. Fighting back tears, she said: "If you know me you know I am rarely speechless, and I am speechless right now."
© Photo: Getty ImagesLainey was overcome with emotion after her big wins
She added: "This right here is for everybody who believed in me and a little bit for the ones who didn't."
And she was even more stunned to beat the likes of Carrie Underwood, Carly Pearce, and Miranda Lambert to win Female Vocalist of the Year.
With tears in her eyes, Lainey dedicated her win to her father, Brian Wilson, who she revealed she thought she might lose just a few months ago after he ended up in the ICU.
© Photo: Getty ImagesLainey walked the red carpet with her dad
Following her big wins, Lainey proudly shared the stage and showed her support for Richard Casper of CreatiVets, a non-profit that flies veterans out to Nashville to write about their combat experiences with hit songwriters to help them cope with service-related trauma.
It was an eventful night at the CMAs, with the likes of Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, and Chris Stapleton taking home awards.
There were also performances by Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and Reba McEntire who opened the show with a tribute to Loretta Lynn. Kelly Clarkson and Carly Pearce joined Kelsea Ballerini on stage, while Katy Perry collaborated with Thomas Rhett.
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