“I Am Absolutely Speechless”: Kelsea Ballerini “Can’t Stop Crying” Over Monumental Milestone

Just over the last year, Kelsea Ballerini not only released her newest album Patterns but she also made her debut on The Voice. Helping others achieve their dreams while also expanding her own career, the singer spent the last decade working to find her footing in country music. And when the Academy of Country Music announced their nominations for the 2025 ACM Awards, Ballerini was once again shocked when she was nominated for Entertainer of the Year.

On May 8th, the ACM will kick off its annual awards show hosted by Reba McEntire. Already hosting the event in the past, yubi the country icon will travel to The Star in Frisco, Texas for the awards. But besides the host for the ACM Awards, country singers clamored to see the full list of nominations and if their name appeared in any category.

Finding her name under the Entertainer of the Year Award section, Ballerini shared the news on Instagram, writing in her stories, “I am absolutely speechless. Being nominated for ENTERTAINER OF THE FREAKING YEAR has been one of my biggest dreams and goals from the very start of this journey.”

While still needing some time to let the news fully sink in, Ballerini added how grateful she felt for just being nominated. “I feel so incredibly grateful, and I feel seen by the genre and community I love so dearly. This continues to feel like my ten year town year and I can’t stop crying happy tears. Wow wow wow.”

Kelsea Ballerini Not The Only One Nominated

Quickly making a name for herself in country music thanks to songs like “Miss Me More”, “I Quit Drinking”, and “Peter Pan”, Ballerini has the makings to become the next big name in the genre. With stars like Lainey Wilson helping usher in a new era of country music, Ballerini found herself alongside the singer on the nomination list.

Winning the Entertainer of the Year award in 2024, Wilson hoped to add another Entertainer of the Year award to her collection. But for both Wilson and Ballerini, they will have to beat out other stars including Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, and even Morgan Wallen.

With the category featuring some amazing talent, Ballerini simply enjoyed being recognized by country music for her talent and contributions to the genre.

(Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)