Carrie Underwood Praises Lauren Alaina’s ACM Awards Win on Instagram

Carrie Underwood is sending some love to first-time ACM Award winner, Lauren Alaina! Underwood took to Instagram to share how proud she is of Alaina’s accomplishment.

“I love everything about this!” Underwood shared on Instagram. “Congrats, girl! ❤️ you so much! I know you’re on cloud a million right now…and you should be!”

Alaina found out she won by a personal phone call by Reba McEntire, telling Alaina that she beat out Danielle Bradbery, Carly Pearce and RaeLynn to become the reigning ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year.

“While I’m sitting there getting ready on the bus, [my manager] Trisha [McClanahan’s] phone rings,” Alaina recalls. “I’m just getting ready, not paying any attention. She’s talking on the phone and she says, ‘OK, here she is. Lauren, there’s a call for you.’ She puts it on speaker, and I’m like, ‘Hello.’ And it sounds like Reba! She says, ‘Tell me where you are,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m in Kentucky. Who is this?’ She said, ‘It’s Reba McEntire calling to tell you you’ve won the ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year.’”

Alaina admits that she is still struggling to believe that she is an ACM Awards winner.

“I can’t still even form words,” Alaina says of the honor. “Honest-to-God, it’s the most speechless I’ve ever been. I was on the phone with Reba McEntire and could not formulate words. I was really feeling dumb, but I sobbed. I’ve cried ever since. It’s the biggest deal ever, and it’s just an accomplishment because my peers voted for it and the people that I respect in this industry voted for it. It’s like a different level of confirmation or something.”

Underwood won in the same category in 2006, one year after winning Season 4 of American Idol. She is nominated this year for Female Vocalist of the Year, along with Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, McEntire and Maren Morris.

Brett Young also won for New Male Vocalist of the Year, and Midland won for Top New Duo or Group of the Year.

McEntire will return for her 15th time to host the ACM Awards, which 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/CarrieUnderwood