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Lainey Wilson laughed that “a prayer and a tequila shot” helped her to keep her cool as she attended the 2023 CMT Music Awards on Sunday (April 2).
The “Heart Like a Truck” powerhouse, who took home two awards that evening, told PEOPLE while she walked the red carpet: “A few cameras down, they gave me a tequila shot and that kind of helped. That'll help. A prayer and a tequila shot.” She added to the outlet that one of the highlights of the evening was meeting her longtime hero Shania Twain, who was honored with the Equal Play Award for helping to spotlight diverse voices in the genre. Wilson said Twain is “a huge influence of mine,” and as a little girl, she believed she could push boundaries the same way Twain has in her decades-long career.
Wilson took the stage with HARDY as the two artists accepted the Collaborative Video of the Year award for their powerful duet, “wait in the truck.” Wilson returned to the stage later to accept the Female Video of the Year award for “Heart Like a Truck,” which she also performed during the show (in addition to an all-star collaboration in honor of the 10th anniversary of CMT’s Next Women of Country, alongside Ingrid Andress, Madeline Edwards, Morgan Wade, and Alanis Morissette). The award-winning singer-songwriter previously explained that the empowering anthem “is all about self-discovery, growth and embracing scars as badges of honor. After all, a truck that has hit a few bumps and earned some scratches has proved itself and its tenacity—the shiny one on the lot can’t say that.”
“I cannot thank my fans and CMT enough for their ongoing support throughout my career,” Wilson said in a statement following the awards show. “To be able to perform alongside absolute trailblazers while also being nominated in the same category with some of Country music’s best is something I could have only dreamed of a few years ago.”
Watch Wilson’s CMT Awards performances again below.