NASHVILLE – November 7, 2019 – Today CMT revealed that GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter and performer Brandi Carlile will be honored with the 2019 CMT Next Women of Country “Impact Award” at this year’s celebration recognizing the next class of rising female country stars. The 7th annual celebration, co-hosted by Martina McBride and CMT’s Leslie Fram will take place in Nashville on November 12 at the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.
Carlile will be the fourth recipient of CMT’s “Impact Award,” joining the ranks alongside previous recipients including Maren Morris (2018), Kelsea Ballerini (2017) and Brandy Clark (2016). The illustrious award is presented to a female artist for outstanding achievements and contributions to women in the industry, while impacting songwriting, recording, radio airplay, record sales, streams, media impressions, awards and touring in country music over the past year. The honor will be presented by singer-songwriter Lucie Silvas and Change the Conversation co-founder, Tracy Gershon.
“Not only is she one of the greatest performers of our time, she’s an incredible advocate and champion for her fellow female artists, lending her support and starpower to up-and-coming artists in the genre,” said Leslie Fram, Senior Vice President, Music Strategy & Talent. “We are truly thrilled to celebrate her monumental achievements, both as a solo artist, producer, and as a member of the groundbreaking group The Highwomen, with this Impact Award.”
A staunch advocate for country music’s female artists, CMT first launched its “Next Women of Country” campaign in 2013 in an effort to support and expose developing female talent, both signed and unsigned, in a male-dominated format. The campaign showcases emerging female artists across all CMT screens throughout the year, and in si years since its launch, CMT has expanded the initiative to include six CMT NEXT WOMEN OF COUNTRY Tours, anchored by superstar acts including Jennifer Nettles, Martina McBride and Sara Evans, a CMT.com digital series, NEXT WOMEN OF COUNTRY LIVE, and more.
For updates and to join the conversation, visit NextWomenCMT.com, follow @CMT on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube and use #CMTNextWomen to join the conversation.
# # #
ABOUT BRANDI CARLILE
Three-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, performer and producer Brandi Carlile is in the midst of a monumental year following the release of her GRAMMY Award winning album, By The Way, I Forgive You. Produced by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings and recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, the album includes ten new songs written by Carlile and longtime collaborators and bandmates Tim and Phil Hanseroth, including “The Joke.” Of her performance of the song on the GRAMMY broadcast, The New York Times proclaimed, “Carlile’s vocals were robust, ragged, full of sneer and hope. On a night curiously light on impressive singing, it was an uncomplicated, genuine, cleansing thrill.”
Following her breakthrough success at the GRAMMYs, Carlile recently debuted the acclaimed collaborative movement, The Highwomen, with fellow members Maren Morris, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby. Of their acclaimed self-titled album, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chartoLow Country Sound/Elektra Records, Stereogum declares, “The Highwomen are the country supergroup this moment demands…the album is a creative triumph and a meaningful cultural artifact; the joy and resilience emanating off it is worth a fortune,” while Rolling Stone praises, “a country album for the ages, filled with joy, laughter, tears, pain, and shit-kicking honky-tonk soul.” Adding to her monumental year, Carlile also co-produced Tanya Tucker’s critically acclaimed new album While I’m Livin’ with Shooter Jennings.
In September, Carlile made her sold-out headline debut at Madison Square Garden and, in January, will perform six sold-out shows at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium as well as return to Mexico for her second-annual “Girls Just Wanna Weekend” all-female festival.
ABOUT CMT
CMT is the leading authority on country music and lifestyle, offering a mix of original series, music events and specials. CMT is everywhere its fans are including two cable channels (CMT and the 24-hour music channel, CMT Music), radio (CMT Radio), digital (CMT.com) and social (CMT on Facebook, CMT on Instagram and CMT on Twitter). CMT is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB). For more information, please visit CMTPress.com.
