The 2023 CMA Awards are still a few hours away, but we already know two of the winners. HARDY and Lainey Wilson just won two CMA Awards, for Musical Event of the Year and Video of the Year, both for their “wait in the truck” collaboration.
The news was announced on Good Morning America, ahead of the evening’s live broadcast. The No. 1 single is from HARDY’s the mockingbird & THE CROW album, released in January.
“wait in the truck,” written by HARDY along with Jordan Schmidt, Renee Blair and Hunter Phelps, is also nominated for Single of the Year and Song of the Year. Although “wait in the truck” has a powerful message about domestic violence, it actually began thanks to someone who was flirting with HARDY’s now-wife, Caleigh.
“There was a guy that made a really big pass at Caleigh at a Halloween party,” HARDY recalled. “She told him she was happily [dating] at that time. The guy was pretty persistent. I was actually in Atlanta playing a show, but she told me about it and I got really fired up, and I made a comment about waiting the truck. Like, I wish I knew where he lived so I could tell Caleigh to wait in the truck.”
“The more we talked about the idea with, the more we kind of thought it would be cool to write like a murder ballad, and really dig into that story and see how crazy of a story we can write,” he continued. “And so that’s exactly what we ended up doing. Jordan sent us the demo that night, and there was no question. I said, ‘This is not getting sent to anybody. I’m cutting the song for my record.’”
Wilson, who is the most-nominated artist at the 2023 CMA Awards, praised HARDY for the song after it was released.
“I’m so honored HARDY asked me to join him on a song that’s had an impact on so many people and shed light on a topic a lot of folks are scared to talk about,” Wilson said. “He is one of the most brilliant songwriters I’ve ever met and puts on one heck of a show.
Wilson is the most nominated artist of the evening, with a total of nine nods, including for Female Vocalist of the Year and the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year.
“It’s crazy,” Wilson admitted to the New York Post, speaking of being the most-nominated artist. “I mean, there’s a few categories where I’m competing with myself. It’s wild. If you would have told little Lainey that this would happen this soon into my career, I would have told you you were lying.”
Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning will host the ceremony, for the second year in a row. The 2023 CMA Awards will air live on Wednesday, November 8, at 8:00 PM ET on ABC.
