Lainey Wilson’s ‘Whirlwind’ Wins Album of the Year CMA Award, Presented by Steve Martin & Alison Brown

Lainey Wilson has been all over Wednesday night’s (Nov. 19) CMA Awards. Not only is she hosting, and not only did she kick the awards into high gear with a big country covers medley, but she’s also one of the night’s big winners, taking home album of the year for her acclaimed Whirlwind set.

“Mama, daddy, look, check it out!” Wilson exclaimed as she accepted the award from banjo picker and occasional comedy legend Steve Martin, along with his collaborator Alison Brown. “I was absolutely not expecting this,” the country great attested about the win, also shouting out her Granny “somewhere” in the audience.

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Wilson went on to thank fans who showed up to her Whirlwind Tour, and to salute herself for staying true to her artistic process throughout the turbulent recording of the award-winning album. “I remember being that little 11-year-old girl who would come home from school and pick up my guitar and pour my heart and soul into that guitar,” she testified. “And that’s how I navigated and communicated. And that’s exactly what I did these last two years of my life, when I felt like my life was changing, but I still felt exactly the same.”

Before awarding her the album of the year, Martin and Brown performed some dueling banjos for the audience, and even bantered a little comedy — quipping about how they were excited enough to be presenting at the CMAs to even do it for free, which was apparently all they were being offered. Martin and Brown released the bluegrass album Safe, Sensible and Sane earlier this year.