Why Miranda Lambert Should Win ACM Entertainer Of The Year
By Erin Duvall
Miranda Lambert had a year of extreme highs and lows in 2015. She took home the Female Vocalist of the Year title at the ACM Awards for the sixth consecutive time and saw her tune "Little Red Wagon" hit the Top 5 and be certified gold by the RIAA for sales exceeding 500,000 units. And then, there's the elephant in the room: as everyone knows, she also went through a very public divorce from Blake Shelton.
As a result of her personal life, Lambert seemed to pull back from the spotlight around the announcement of the end of her marriage. However, she didn't pull away from entertaining her fans. Instead of walking red carpets, she held intimate charity shows. For instance, in July she held a writer's round with some of Nashville's biggest tunesmiths and donated the proceeds to a scholarship fund. The Miranda Lambert Women Creators Fund granted $40,000 in awards to female students at Music City's Belmont University who are majoring in music business, songwriting or entertainment industry studies.
Lambert also channeled her emotions into her music. Without giving up her privacy, she was able to share the pain she was going through with her fans through performances. While performing at the Grand Ole Opry she covered Jessi Colter and Waylon Jennings's duet "Storms Never Last." She also shared a new original tune, "Scars," during a live event. While the songs aren't open confessions, they gave fans a glimpse at what she must be going through privately.
Related: It’s Time for Miranda Lambert to Win ACM Entertainer of the Year [2015]
It's understandable that this wasn't her most creatively prolific year; but any year that Lambert releases anything should qualify her for Entertainer of the Year. Lambert has spent her career making cutting her own path, and doing it successfully: all of her five albums have been certified platinum by the RIAA for sales exceeding a million units a piece. That said, most fans would be surprised to learn that only four of singles have held the top spot on the chart.
This is an important point. Lambert has amassed a legion of loyal fans who come out to her shows and who buy her records. From her first appearance on Nashville Star to every charity event she's participated in to her various businesses and charities, Lambert built her passionate fanbase with diligent work and relatable songs. And like her fan base, we can't wait to see what she does next; we're sure her next songs (whether they're on a solo album or with her sisters-in-arms in the Pistol Annies) will pack a solid emotional punch. Here's to a more creative 2016; we're sure she'll be nominated for Entertainer of the Year next year as well.
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