During a sit-down interview on The Ty Bentli Show this week, Carrie Underwood was overcome with emotion after hearing Miranda Lambert’s praise regarding her nomination for CMA Entertainer of the Year.
Here’s a little backstory regarding Miranda’s praise.
Last month in a lengthy Instagram post, Miranda Lambert shared her personal thoughts about the five nominees for Entertainer of the Year—Keith Urban, Garth Brooks, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton and Carrie Underwood—at the upcoming CMA Awards on Nov. 13. While Miranda had positive things to say about each nominee, she stumped for Carrie to be recognized as Entertainer of the Year, saying, in part, “That iconic voice has been classin’ up our stages, charts and televisions for a decade and a half.”
During a follow-up interview with Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown, Miranda elaborated on her position that Carrie deserves the coveted award.
“To me, the Entertainer of the Year is who’s represented the genre in every way the best for that year,” says Miranda. “It just was kind of haunting me. I really felt compelled to say something and, you know, watching Carrie host the CMAs pregnant [last year], and also do the Monday Night Football campaign, and also have a brand, and also work with charity, and be a wife, and be a mother and then host [the CMAs this year] with two legendary country artists . . . and go on tour. She tours like a rock star—she does every other day while we’re weekend warriors over here. I just know how much work that is. She works harder than I do, and I work hard [laughing]. I just felt like, as a whole, with her tour and everything she encompasses and what she’s represented for country music, she deserves it. She just does.”
When Carrie visited The Ty Bentli Show, the titular host played Miranda’s audio from Kix’s show, letting Carrie hear it for the first time.
“It’s really cool,” says Carrie. “She’s always been just super supportive and super sweet.”
Ty followed up by asking Carrie about the prospect of winning CMA Entertainer of the Year, which elicited a heartfelt, genuine response from one of country’s biggest stars.
“First, I’m kind of emotional,” says Carrie. “It’s a nomination for all of us. It would definitely be, ya know, not just a win for all of the things that we’ve been doing, all that stuff that [Miranda] mentioned that I’m so lucky and blessed enough to do, but you know, you watch other women in this industry do the same thing, you know, it’s . . . I don’t know what I’m trying to say.”
Carrie turned her attention to her recent tourmates, Maddie & Tae and Runaway June, by singing their collective praises.
“I watched Maddie & Tae and Runaway June, and I saw all of the stuff that they did everyday just trying to move forward and trying to get more and more people to notice—they’re so stinking talented,” says Carrie. “They have great songs, and I’m like, ‘You guys work harder than anybody I’ve ever been around in this business.’ They did not have days off. They were out hustling. I feel like we have so much talent, we just need some more open doors, and I don’t want any woman to feel like they can’t do everything—they can’t have this life, and have a family and have all of the things going on together and do what they do. We’re all in it together. If there’s one incredible thing that’s happened from all of this talk about women in country music, it’s the fact that I feel like we’ve all banded together. We all understand—we’re the only ones that can understand because we’re women in this business. They don’t know what it’s like to be us. We lift each other up. We support each other. Miranda didn’t have to say any of that stuff.”
Carrie’s entire interview from The Ty Bentli Show will air on Nov. 13.
Watch the aforementioned clip of Carrie’s interview from The Ty Bentli Show below, and tune in to the CMA Awards on Nov. 13 to see who takes home the Entertainer of the Year trophy.
