Shania Twain Calls for 'all-inclusive country music' at CMT Awards

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By Nasima Khatun

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Shania Twain has called on the country music industry to be more inclusive.

Making an appearance at the CMT Music Awards which took place on Sunday at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, the 57-year-old was awarded the 'Equal Play Award', which recognizes artists who are vocal about issues such as diversity and representation in country music.

Rapper and singer Megan Thee Stallion introduced Twain, referring to her as her "new bestie."

"I just met her and that's my new bestie," the rapper said. "She's been an outspoken ally against every hate of all kind… gender gaps, ageism, impacting inequalities against the LGBTQ+ community, and more. She's an inspiration to me and millions of others."

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Megan Thee Stallion (R) and Shania Twain (L) winner of the CMT EQUAL PLAY award, speaks onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards. Credit: Imagespace / Alamy

"Let me start by saying, let's go girls," she said to Stallion in an iconic crossover, which elicited wild cheers from the crowd.

"Now, listen, when I wrote the phrase 'Man I feel like a woman'," she continued, referring to her 1997 hit, "I had no idea at the time that it would become an undercurrent of a decades-long career."

Check out what Twain had to say:

"It's amazing how just one statement can empower so many. And 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman' has been adopted by an array of fantastic communities all around the world and become such a genuine path of power, which brings me so much joy," she explained. "Thank you to CMT for pushing the Equal Play agenda and always supporting me."

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Shania Twain (L) winner of the CMT EQUAL PLAY award, speaking on stage. Credit: MediaPunch Inc / Alamy

The singer then went on to explain the significance of her winning this award at the CMTs in particular saying that it had "a very special place in [her] heart" because it was where she was recognized as a 'Rising Star' in 1993.

Twain continued with a promise to "continue to champion the many outstanding country artists that are not currently played... streamed, toured or awarded at the level they deserve."

"I believe in an all-inclusive country music," she said. "This is a genre of music with a rich history that raised and nurtured my own songwriting and performance and recording career from childhood. Currently, the industry standard does a real disservice to this."

The star also urged the industry to "close the gap and provide an equal workspace for all talent," before shouting out the many rising stars who she will be bringing out on her Queen of Me tour which is set to commence later this month, including the likes of Lindsay Ell, Hailey Whitters, and Mickey Guyton as well as many others.

"My hope is this opportunity and spotlight impresses you much and lights up the careers of these very talented people on their journey," she concluded. "I will continue to do my best as a trailblazer. Together, let's ensure all our fellow artists get equal play regardless of gender, age or race."

Twain has always been vocal about issues affecting marginalized groups in society, but a massive part of her career has been dedicated to advocating for women's rights, and this was ultimately the inspiration behind her sixth studio album, Queen of Me.

Speaking of her latest work during an episode of the British YouTube series Chicken Shop Date, hosted by Amelia Dimoldenberg, the 57-year-old said: "Queen of Me means I am my own boss. I drive my own bus," she said, to which the host asked her to clarify whether or not she actually drives her own tour bus.

"Well, I have — I can drive a bus," explained Twain. "I don't drive my own tour bus. I could drive my [bus]. I can drive a lot of things. But what I really mean is that I take charge of myself. I take responsibility for myself."

We can't help but stan!

Featured Image Credit: Imagespace / Alamy

Shania Twain Calls for 'all-inclusive country music' at CMT Awards

vt-author-image

By Nasima Khatun

Article saved!Article saved!

Shania Twain has called on the country music industry to be more inclusive.

Making an appearance at the CMT Music Awards which took place on Sunday at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, the 57-year-old was awarded the 'Equal Play Award', which recognizes artists who are vocal about issues such as diversity and representation in country music.

Rapper and singer Megan Thee Stallion introduced Twain, referring to her as her "new bestie."

"I just met her and that's my new bestie," the rapper said. "She's been an outspoken ally against every hate of all kind… gender gaps, ageism, impacting inequalities against the LGBTQ+ community, and more. She's an inspiration to me and millions of others."

wp-image-1263204562 size-large
Megan Thee Stallion (R) and Shania Twain (L) winner of the CMT EQUAL PLAY award, speaks onstage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards. Credit: Imagespace / Alamy

"Let me start by saying, let's go girls," she said to Stallion in an iconic crossover, which elicited wild cheers from the crowd.

"Now, listen, when I wrote the phrase 'Man I feel like a woman'," she continued, referring to her 1997 hit, "I had no idea at the time that it would become an undercurrent of a decades-long career."

Check out what Twain had to say:

"It's amazing how just one statement can empower so many. And 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman' has been adopted by an array of fantastic communities all around the world and become such a genuine path of power, which brings me so much joy," she explained. "Thank you to CMT for pushing the Equal Play agenda and always supporting me."

wp-image-1263204563 size-large
Shania Twain (L) winner of the CMT EQUAL PLAY award, speaking on stage. Credit: MediaPunch Inc / Alamy

The singer then went on to explain the significance of her winning this award at the CMTs in particular saying that it had "a very special place in [her] heart" because it was where she was recognized as a 'Rising Star' in 1993.

Twain continued with a promise to "continue to champion the many outstanding country artists that are not currently played... streamed, toured or awarded at the level they deserve."

"I believe in an all-inclusive country music," she said. "This is a genre of music with a rich history that raised and nurtured my own songwriting and performance and recording career from childhood. Currently, the industry standard does a real disservice to this."

The star also urged the industry to "close the gap and provide an equal workspace for all talent," before shouting out the many rising stars who she will be bringing out on her Queen of Me tour which is set to commence later this month, including the likes of Lindsay Ell, Hailey Whitters, and Mickey Guyton as well as many others.

"My hope is this opportunity and spotlight impresses you much and lights up the careers of these very talented people on their journey," she concluded. "I will continue to do my best as a trailblazer. Together, let's ensure all our fellow artists get equal play regardless of gender, age or race."

Twain has always been vocal about issues affecting marginalized groups in society, but a massive part of her career has been dedicated to advocating for women's rights, and this was ultimately the inspiration behind her sixth studio album, Queen of Me.

Speaking of her latest work during an episode of the British YouTube series Chicken Shop Date, hosted by Amelia Dimoldenberg, the 57-year-old said: "Queen of Me means I am my own boss. I drive my own bus," she said, to which the host asked her to clarify whether or not she actually drives her own tour bus.

"Well, I have — I can drive a bus," explained Twain. "I don't drive my own tour bus. I could drive my [bus]. I can drive a lot of things. But what I really mean is that I take charge of myself. I take responsibility for myself."

We can't help but stan!

Featured Image Credit: Imagespace / Alamy