Maren Morris Blacked out During CMA Awards Acceptance Speech for Album of the Year
When Maren Morris took the stage at the 2019 CMA Awards to accept the trophy for Album of the Year [...]
When Maren Morris took the stage at the 2019 CMA Awards to accept the trophy for Album of the Year for GIRL, she gave a heartfelt and meaningful speech – not that she remembers it. The 29-year-old, who honored the late producer Busbee (who co-produced GIRL) in her speech, admits she blacked out while accepting the honor, and doesn't remember much of what she said.
"I kind of blacked out during my speech on stage," Morris shared with PopCulture.com and other media backstage at the CMA Awards. "I definitely wanted to make sure that respect was paid to Busbee. And we've been nominated for this before a couple of years ago with my album Hero and we didn't win that year, but we just had the best time kind of going as first-time nominees. And tonight is bittersweet, but more sweet than bitter."
The title track of GIRL almost didn't make it onto Morris' sophomore album, let alone become the title track. The tune was written as a message to Morris, unaware that it would become the cornerstone of her entire record.
"I wrote the song 'GIRL' on a really insecure day, and I wasn't trying to be empowering to anyone," Morris explained. "I was really just trying to tell myself to get my s–– together, and it's sort of become this empowering song. But I feel like it's sound-tracked the year in a really positive way for me. And then it feels so timely that it won tonight, of all nights, where the theme is celebrating these women and country music through the decades to now. So yeah, I'm happy that some of the risks have paid off."
Morris was nominated a total of six times, including for Female Vocalist of the Year, a category she shared with Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves, with Musgraves winning in that category.
"I walked away with the award that I really wanted," maintained Morris. "Kacey has had a huge year. So Female Vocalist, I feel like it should probably be called Female Artist of the Year, kind of like the ACM has changed it too, because I think it's not about who's the best singer. It's about who's just had the biggest year, and I think all of these women in this category have in their own way."
Photo Credit: Getty / Image Group LA