Canadian country star Tenille Townes has been named the Academy of Country Music’s 2020 New Female Artist of the Year – and she got the news from a country superstar.
Townes was in her Nashville home waiting to start what she thought was going to be an interview via Zoom when Keith Urban popped up on her screen.
“Congratulations, you are the ACM New Female Artist of the Year,” Urban, the host of the ACM Awards on Sept. 16, told Townes.
“For real?,” Townes replied, before saying: “Wow. That’s so cool.”
Townes told Urban she was going to call her parents to give them the news. “I will never forget this day as long as I live,” she said. “Thank you so much.”
Later, Townes tweeted: “I’m still not even believing this…"
Townes performed with Urban in February at a benefit show in Nashville.
The 26-year-old Alberta native released her first album in 2011 but made her major label debut in 2018 with the EP Living Room Worktapes. Her album The Lemonade Stand was released this past June.
Last year, Townes won four Canadian Country Music Association Awards, including Female Artist of the Year.
Watch the special moment below: