Just to be nominated, and especially as a new artist and a female artist, is a feat. Winning anything is just a bonus.

There's Kelsea Ballerini, myself... Lauren Alaina, Raelynn, and there's been this influx of really amazing artists who happen to be women. I think I'm not really attached to the females in country conversation as much anymore, but I think, you know, we're here to stay, and we've always been here, and we've always been good.

I care about women's rights and reproductive rights and my gay friends being able to keep their marriages official. You don't want your genre to disown you for it - and I don't think they would now - but you still see that sort of hatred and vitriol that comes with disagreeing with the conservative agenda.

Ever since the Dixie Chicks, the female perspective on country radio has been love songs. I love love songs, but we do have more to talk about, so it's nice that other perspectives are coming back.

I knew after my first lesson what I wanted to do with my life.

You have to be really willing to embrace life and life's turns, and play that for your audience, because there is value in every moment of that journey.

When we look at what has the strongest statistical relationship to overall evaluation of your life, the first one is your career well-being, or the mission, purpose and meaning of what you're doing when you wake up each day.

Being president of too many well-meaning organizations put my father into an early grave. The lesson in this was not lost on me.