OK, let's put aside the whole "first female to ever blah blah blah" and cut right to the chase; Country star Ashley McBryde is the first ARTIST to ever receive award nominations for the Country Music Association, the GRAMMYs, and the Academy of Country Music in the same award year.
Nominated for ACMs this year for Album, Song , and Female Artist of the Year, Ashley says she hadn't actually put all of the math together herself, like Audacy hosts Rob + Holly have, and honestly finds the whole thing simply "crazy."
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"I can tell you it feels good," Ashley says about the major milestone, "but that's not a big enough word. Somebody put it on a certificate or something so I can hang it up." Ashley has still not even told her mother about all of the good news, who always adorably scream-repeats her daughter's nominations over to her stepfather in the next room.
After receiving the CMA for New Artist of the Year in 2019, McBryde says she has accepted that graciously and is now looking forward to seeing other amazing females carry the torch. Ashley was beyond proud to receive the award from the previous year's winner, Lauren Alaina, and to then pass it on to Tenille Townes. "We were at the Opry house that night when I gave Tenille her award," Ashley says. "I even went to her dressing room to sing one of her songs to her. It was actually a really cool rite of passage I think, for both of us."
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Her name always on the lips of other Country singers when asked who their favorite artist is, Ashley was asked to name some of the singers and musicians that she's continually enamored by. Caylee Hammack was at the top of Ashley's mind. "Her talent, her songwriting," McBryde says, "her grasp of lyrics, if I didn't like her so much, I'd hate her, you know? The same thing with Carly Pearce. Her voice is so great and it's so effortless. She's another one of those that, if I didn't like her, we probably wouldn't be getting along so well."
Continuing to list some favorites among her contemporaries Ashley admits, "of course Miranda [Lambert] has been a favorite of mine forever and ever and I love to listen to Jimmie Allen's voice. You know who also cracks me up no matter what he's doing and he's also so talented? Travis Denning. He sent me one of those voice-thingies... and it was just him honking like a goose. No caption, no explanation... I knew what it was. He found out that I did that to Morgan Stapleton one time on accident while trying to say hello."
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Some of this year's ACM winners have already been announced and there are going to be a TON of performances to catch, including one from Ashley! Join us for complete coverage of the 2021 ACM Awards -- broadcasting live on Sunday, April 18 at 8PM ET on CBS --and stay tuned for more conversations with your favorite artists right here on Audacy.
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