Backstage at the 2020 CMA Awards, Carly Pearce was all smiles as she posed with her brand-new trophy. The singer won Musical Event of the Year ahead of the Wednesday night (Nov. 11) broadcast for “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” her hit duet with Lee Brice.
It’s a first win for both Brice and Pearce, and by the time she appeared backstage at the awards show to discuss her win, the singer was still reeling from the surprise.
“It’s my date this year!” she joked, cradling the trophy in her arms.
Of course, 2020 was also a very difficult year for Pearce, who filed for divorce from her husband, fellow artist Michael Ray, this summer. The couple got married in October of 2019, just eight months before their split.
Pearce recently opened up about the heartache that followed her breakup, even saying that at some moments, “I truly thought I was gonna die.” She shared that in the aftermath of her divorce, she leaned on friends, family and faith, found solace in therapy and a new shih tzu puppy named June. Of course, songwriting was also a major part of her healing process.
At the 2020 CMAs, the singer also remarked that holding a new trophy in her hand was a powerful boost to remind her of the support she has from her country music family.
“Obviously, this has been the hardest year of my life,” she acknowledged. “To see the way that country music has had my back this whole time is something that has saved me, in a lot of ways. To be able to look back at the beginning of the year and how low I was, and now to stand here with this … it’s like a childhood dream.”
As for where she’s going to put her shiny new trophy? Pearce says she’s got some ideas.
“I have an area in my home where I have photos from the road, plaques and a few awards,” she explains. “And it’s gonna go right in the middle of all of those. Because it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”