Danielle Bradbery on Surprising ACM Nomination: 'It's Unbelievable'

Danielle Bradbery is enjoying her first time as an ACM nominee, nominated for New Female Vocalist of the Year, alongside Lauren Alaina, Carly Pearce and RaeLynn. Although she is grateful for the industry recognition, the Texan admits she was totally unprepared for the acknowledgement.

"When I first heard I was nominated for an ACM, I actually had just woken up, and I heard buzzes from my phone," Bradbery recalls. "I was like 'What is going on?' I was getting calls and texts, and as soon as I opened my phone it was nothing but congratulating me on my first ACM nomination, and I absolutely couldn't believe it. Just thinking about it right now makes me speechless and not even know what to say. It being my first nomination and for something like New Female Vocalist of the Year, I'm pinching myself and I won't believe it until I'm on the red carpet that day and in that moment. So, it's unbelievable."

Bradbery won Season 4 of The Voice in 2013, releasing her self-titled freshman album shortly after her victory. But it wasn't until her sophomore I Don't Believe We've Met record, released last December, that Bradbery felt comfortable making music that was authentic to her.

"The difference between the first album and this one is a huge difference, which is crazy even personally for me to think," Bradbery says. "It's really cool too, to lay it all out, whether I'm by myself or with my management or whoever. I just feel like, 'Wow, this is a huge change.'"

"I was 16 on The Voice," she continues. "No one knows who they are at 16. I'm trying to know who I am at 21, but 16 is a young age. You're going through that awkwardness. Mine was documented, so that was kind of weird. On The Voice, I learned a lot about myself. Then as soon as I got off, I didn't do the songwriting thing. I was just trying to figure out life and what the music industry was."

Purchase I Don't Believe We've Met on Amazon and iTunes.

The 2018 ACM Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, at 8:00 PM ET on CBS.

Photo Credit: Instagram/DanielleBradbery