Lainey Wilson & Jessie Jo Dillon Nab Early ACM Wins

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Lainey Wilson is surprised by Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert

The winners of the ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year and Songwriter of the Year categories were revealed yesterday (May 7), ahead of tonight’s 60th Academy of Country Music Awards, which airs live at 7 p.m. CST from Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas.

Lainey Wilson, who is one of the night’s top nominees with seven nods, earned her first ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year Award in a backstage surprise from Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert. The three will debut their forthcoming collaboration, “Trailblazer,” at the ACM Awards.

Kelsea Ballerini and Jessie Jo Dillon

Wilson, who penned this new track with Lambert and Brandy Clark, also co-wrote every track on her latest album, Whirlwind, a 14-track project that is not only nominated for the coveted ACM Album of the Year Award this year but also features her hit single “4x4xU,” which earned her two nominations in this year’s ACM Song of the Year category as a songwriter and artist. This marks Wilson’s 13th ACM Award win.

For the second year in a row, Jessie Jo Dillon earned the ACM Songwriter of the Year Award in an on-stage surprise from her frequent collaborator and ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee, Kelsea Ballerini, during ACM Country Kickoff. This honor arrives after Dillon co-penned multiple tracks on three of the five projects vying for Album of the Year at tonight’s ceremony.

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