At the upcoming CMA Awards, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood are both vying for the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year. With Underwood the sole woman nominated in the category, which also includes Garth Brooks, Eric Church and Chris Stapleton, Urban says he is especially proud of Underwood, and all she did to make herself worthy of the nomination.
“I’m really proud of her, and she’s rightly so in that category, as are a lot others that aren’t in that category this year, every year,” Urban shared with PopCulture.com and other media. “But I’m really proud of her, particularly because of the massive tour. She did the 360 Tour. It’s a huge success everywhere. And we’ll see what happens this year.”
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Urban isn’t the only one endorsing Underwood for Entertainer of the Year. Miranda Lambert also spoke out about Underwood’s worthiness, in a lengthy post on social media.
“Carrie โ The Entertainer Of The Year. Because… Currently being on tour with all female artists, I’ve been thinking a lot about all the work that goes into what we do,” Lambert posted on Instagram. “The most amazing job in the world. But it ain’t for the faint of heart. [Carrie Underwood] is on an all female tour too. The Cry Pretty Tour 360. She put out her first single in 2005 and from then on country music was changed for good. That iconic voice has been classin’ up our stages, charts and televisions for a decade and a half. The Voice. The legs. The songs. The brand. The mom. The wife. The okie. The Jesus lover.
“The blonde bombshell that is Carrie,” Lambert continued. “She blows me away every time I hear her sing. She never wavers in who she is or what she stands for. She has stayed true & pushed herself to be better. If you have never heard her sing ‘How Great Thou Art’ do yourself a favor and listen. I have her back in this picture and I’ll always have her back. So for the sake of sequins, spanx and spray tans, take it home! You Carrie the torch!”
Urban is the reigning ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year. Urban and Underwood are both scheduled to perform during the live broadcast. The 2019 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Photo Credit: Getty / J. Merritt