All the JAW-DROPPING Moments from the 2023 People's Choice Country Awards _ E! N
All the JAW-DROPPING Moments from the 2023 People's Choice Country Awards _ E! N
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00:00 And I had a lot of dreams.
00:02 This was not one of 'em.
00:05 (audience laughing)
00:06 Country music's biggest stars showed up and showed out
00:09 at the Grand Ole Opry
00:10 for the 2023 People's Choice Country Awards.
00:13 And here are the must-see moments
00:14 we can't stop talking about.
00:16 Lainey Wilson was the night's golden girl
00:18 in style and substance.
00:20 First, she snagged the award for Female Artist of 2023.
00:24 I feel like I'm, I mean,
00:25 my heart is about to beat out of my chest
00:27 and I know a lot of it has to do with this award,
00:31 but also a lot of it has to do
00:33 with standing on this Opry stage.
00:35 Every single time I get to stand on this stage,
00:38 I just, I feel overwhelmed.
00:40 I feel honored and humbled
00:42 and I feel like I got some very big shoes to fill.
00:47 She also took home the trophy for the music video of 2023
00:50 for her and Hardy's visual for "Wade in the Truck."
00:53 I knew this song was special when you sent it to me
00:56 last summer in the middle of a Nashville airport,
00:58 but I knew it was really special.
01:00 Top of the year, we were in, it was January,
01:03 we were somewhere out West, we were doing our club tour
01:06 and this lady on the front row,
01:08 as I was singing that chorus over and over again,
01:11 she just kept saying, "Thank you, thank you,
01:12 "thank you, thank you."
01:13 And in that moment, I knew that this song
01:14 was bigger than we were
01:16 and I'm so proud to be a small part of it.
01:18 So, and thank y'all so much for loving this song.
01:21 Then she took the winner's stage again
01:22 for collaboration song of 2023
01:25 for the track "Save Me" with Jelly Roll.
01:27 But I just wanna say, Jelly is one of the purest souls
01:32 I have gotten to know and I think it is so cool
01:35 that he has fans who love him for him
01:38 and he makes people feel like they can be true
01:41 to themselves and their stories.
01:43 And I tell you what, that right there is special in itself.
01:45 So this is for Jelly Roll, y'all.
01:47 Jelly Roll also won for male artist of 2023
01:50 and accepted his award during a show in Cincinnati.
01:53 Right now, live in Nashville, Tennessee,
01:56 they are doing the People's Choice Country Awards
01:59 right now as we speak.
02:00 (audience cheering)
02:03 And I thought when I was here
02:05 that I didn't have a chance at winning,
02:06 but the losers won again, baby!
02:09 (audience cheering)
02:12 This speech has absolutely nothing to do with me
02:15 and it has everything to do with y'all.
02:17 This was fan voted, this is for the fans,
02:20 it's always for the fans first, baby!
02:23 The Lunderdogs are back on top, baby!
02:26 Group or duo of 2023 went to Dan and Shay.
02:31 I honestly, a year ago if you would ask me,
02:33 I didn't know if we'd ever stand on stage together again,
02:36 let alone winning an award together.
02:38 But we know that we have a responsibility
02:41 because you guys have put us here.
02:42 Country music changes our life every single day.
02:45 We are so grateful for you guys
02:46 and the country music family who has let us be here
02:49 and literally live out our dreams.
02:50 We were those kids that grew up listening
02:53 to Toby Keith and Wynonna and Little Big Town, man.
02:56 This is truly a dream come true
02:59 and you guys change our lives every single day
03:00 and God bless you guys and God bless country music.
03:03 I love you guys.
03:04 (audience cheering)
03:05 Blake Shelton snagged the trophy
03:07 for Social Country Star of 2023.
03:10 Wow.
03:11 (audience cheering)
03:17 I moved to Nashville in 1994
03:21 and man, I had a lot of dreams.
03:23 This was not one of 'em.
03:26 (audience laughing)
03:28 I don't even know what this means
03:30 but if the fans want me to have it,
03:31 I'm damn well gonna put it on my mantle.
03:33 Thank you so much, country music fans.
03:35 (audience cheering)
03:36 That's right.
03:37 That's right, social media.
03:40 And he later introduced
03:42 the Country Music Icon Award to Toby Keith,
03:44 reminding Toby of the time he dissed Blake back in the day.
03:48 And man, I was out there with Toby for,
03:52 it was a long time, like almost two years, I think.
03:55 And I finally got to the point
03:58 where I was comfortable enough being around him.
04:02 And I remember one night, it was after an award show,
04:07 a different award show,
04:09 and Toby, he had been up for like four or five awards
04:13 and man, he didn't win crap that night.
04:17 (audience laughing)
04:19 And I was talking to him after that
04:21 and I had the nerve, I was so excited
04:23 to be able to get under his skin.
04:25 I said, "Man, Toby, if I ever make it big enough one day
04:30 "and I get nominated for some awards,
04:33 "I hope it's against you."
04:35 (audience laughing)
04:38 Toby looked at me and he said,
04:43 "You know why I brought you out on tour with me?"
04:46 And I said, "No."
04:47 He goes, "I wanted to prove to this industry
04:50 "that I don't really need an opening act."
04:52 (audience laughing)
04:55 I love my Oklahoma brother, everybody.
05:00 The Country Champion Award went to another legend,
05:03 the one and only Wynonna Judd.
05:05 And during her acceptance speech,
05:06 she dropped some serious Wynonna wisdom
05:08 that everyone could take to heart.
05:11 But back in 1990, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,
05:14 Tim McGraw opened for me.
05:16 (audience cheering)
05:19 Four weeks ago, I opened for Tim.
05:30 (audience laughing)
05:33 The highs are high and the lows are low, baby.
05:38 But don't ever let them tell you who you are.
05:43 Good night.
05:44 To see full performances
05:47 from the 2023 People's Choice Country Awards,
05:49 visit eonline.com.
05:51 (upbeat music)
05:54 (upbeat music)
05:57 (upbeat music)
06:00 (upbeat music)