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Lainey Wilson is gearing up for the 56th annual CMA Awards, where she’s the most-nominated artist with her name in six categories. The “Heart Like A Truck” artist is sharing the experience with her father, Brian Wilson, who will walk down the red carpet with her when she arrives at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
Wilson, 30, opened up about her father’s health issues earlier this year. The reigning iHeartRadio Music Awards Best New Country Artist winner canceled some performances in July because of a “family emergency,” assuring fans that she “would not be backing out if it weren’t critical.” Later that evening, Wilson posted a photo of the father-daughter duo, writing in the caption: “My deddy. My cowboy. Please keep lifting him up in prayer. Toughest man I know. ❤️” Though the Wilson family shared that he was “fighting hard,” he’s been doing better in his recovery.
“This is a big moment for me and my family,” Wilson said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, ahead of the CMA Awards. “He went through some medical issues this year and we thought we were gonna lose him. And he's been working really hard so he could get back up on his feet and do this with me. Because crazy thing is, this was actually his dream when he was a little boy. …So he's been living a little bit vicariously through me and it's gonna be an exciting moment for me to be able to share that with him and my family. We've got tons of things to celebrate.”
Wilson is up for awards in six categories, the Country Music Association previously announced: Female Vocalist of the Year, New Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’), Song of the Year (“Things A Man Oughta Know”), Musical Event of the Year (“Never Say Never” with Cole Swindell), and Music Video of theYear (“Never Say Never” with Cole Swindell). The Bell Bottom Country artist is also set to take the stage as a performer and as a presenter throughout the star-studded evening.
“This is my first time being cordially invited to the CMA Awards as a nominee and what a wonderful invitation it is,” Wilson previously said in a statement. “It has been such a challenging but beautiful journey up until this point and to see the Country music community and the incredible fans be so receptive to me and my music is such a blessing. I’m so grateful for this moment.”
Watch the 56th annual CMA Awards live on ABC on Wednesday, November 9 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. The show will be available to watch the following day on Hulu. Listeners can also tune in on iHeartRadio Country stations. Find more info on how to watch the CMA Awards here.