Country music star Ella Langley drew attention online after pausing a recent concert to credit God for her rapid rise in the industry just hours after receiving a career-high nine CMA Award nominations.
Langley, 27, made the remarks during her Sept. 10 performance at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, where she reflected on the year that has transformed her career and thanked fans for supporting her music.
“God has been so good to me, has been just so, so good to me,” Langley told the crowd.
The “Choosin’ Texas” singer said she still found the recognition difficult to process after watching the CMA nominations announcement earlier that morning.
“I’m just a poor girl from a small town with a big dream,” Langley said. “Pretty cliche, I know, but it’s true.”
She added that despite mistakes she has made in her life, she remained grateful for the opportunity to perform songs she cares about before large audiences.
“I don’t feel like I always deserve it, but I am so grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to stand up here and sing songs that I love,” she said.
The Newark concert was part of Langley’s sold-out Dandelion Tour. The Prudential Center said ERNEST and Gabriella Rose were among the supporting performers for the Sept. 10 show.
Langley’s nine CMA nominations are the most received by any artist this year and include her first nomination for Entertainer of the Year.
She is also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year for “Dandelion.”
Two of her songs, “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas,” earned nominations for both Single of the Year and Song of the Year. “Choosin’ Texas” was also nominated for Music Video of the Year.
Her collaboration with Morgan Wallen, “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” received a nomination for Musical Event of the Year.
The nine nominations tied the record for the most CMA nominations earned by a female artist in a single year, matching totals previously reached by Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson. Alan Jackson holds the overall record with 10 nominations in 2002, per the Conservative Brief.
Langley has also enjoyed major commercial success with “Dandelion.”
According to the Prudential Center, “Choosin’ Texas” became the first song by a woman to simultaneously top the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. “Be Her” also became one of the fastest solo female singles to reach No. 1 at country radio in the past decade.
Her latest CMA recognition follows a strong showing at the Academy of Country Music Awards earlier this year, where Langley won all seven categories in which she was nominated.
The Newark speech was also not the first time Langley has discussed her Christian faith publicly.
Earlier this year, video circulated showing Langley telling another concert audience that her relationship with God had changed the way she viewed and treated herself. She described faith as an important source of stability and encouraged fans to recognize their own value.
The 60th annual CMA Awards are scheduled for Nov. 18 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and will air on ABC and Disney+.
