Singer also won Female Country Artist of the Year during the ceremony on Sunday
Lainey Wilson performed “Country’s Cool Again,” her new single that arrived on Friday, and also her first new release since her 2022 album Bell Bottom Country won Best Country Album at the Grammy Awards earlier this month. This year, she’s nominated for Female Artist of the Year and Female Country Artist of the Year; she won Female Country Artist shortly after her performance.
Backed by a band in front of a ranch-like backdrop, she medleyed her new song with “Things a Man Oughta Know,” “Heart Like a Truck,” and “Watermelon Moonshine.”
“[‘Country’s Cool Again’] is an ode to my upbringing and the story of my journey in this industry – where I have been and where I am now,” Wilson previously said in a statement about the song. “I’m feeling all the love from Country music fans, and I can’t wait to hear everyone singing this song back to me while we’re out on the road this year.”
The song’s name does ring true, with pop stars such as Beyoncé, whose “Texas Hold ‘Em” landed on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart last week, and Lana Del Rey lean in on their affinity for country music.
Wilson was one of the night’s performances, which will include Kylie Minogue and Lenny Kravitz as performers during Sunday evening’s ceremony. Held this year at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and hosted by Simu Liu (who is nominated for Movie Performance of the Year for his role as one of the Kens in Barbie), the annual People’s Choice Awards recognize the best in film, TV, music, and pop culture, with the winners determined by votes from the public.