Kelsea Ballerini has yet to win a Grammy Award, but she doesn't take it personally, at least not anymore. Ballerini walked away empty-handed after her fifth Grammy Awards nomination last night. This nomination was for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, for "Cowboys Cry Too" with Noah Kahan. That trophy went to Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus, for "II Most Wanted."
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"For awards shows, there's just so much else that goes into it," Ballerini tells SiriusXM. "And for me, if you get nominated, that means that sometimes, if you're lucky, you get three-and-a-half minutes to sing on a show, like the CMAs or the ACMs or the CMTs. And that's an award. That's an award. And so, once I rewired my brain to think like that, I'm so ecstatic to show up and perform most of the time, some of the time, and then watch a friend have a good moment. I'm good with it."
Ballerini has had a total of five Grammy Awards nominations. Still waiting for her first win, the Tennessee native long ago made peace with not winning.
"I don't win things," Ballerini quips."I don't. And I'm cool with it. There are certain things that used to really make me cry myself to sleep. One is when people said I wasn't country. And two is losing awards. And now, I've changed my relationship with all of it."
Belonging In Country Music
Ballerini has withstood her share of critics, especially with the release of her latest Patterns album, but she isn't bothered by that either. The 31-year-old defends her place within the genre, even if some might disagree.
"People identify country music in different ways,'" Ballerini explains. "To me, it's, 'Are you writing your truth of your story?' That to me is country music. Whether it's a banjo or a beat drop, to me, it doesn't matter. And I think there are subgenres of country, and they're all on the same radio station. And so, that's out."
Ballerini currently has a Top 25 hit with "Cowboys Cry Too," from Patterns. She is headlining her own Live on Tour over the next few months, while also serving as a coach on The Voice.
