Lee Ann Womack on 2015 CMA Awards Female Vocalist of the Year Competition: ‘Don’t You Love It When Everything Is Embraced?’

Last September, Lee Ann Womack released The Way I'm Livin' — and now, she is reaping the rewards. Not only was the album nominated for Best Country Album at the 2015 Grammy Awards, the title track was also nominated for Female Video of the Year at the 2015 CMT Music Awards, and Womack is up for Artist of the Year and Album of the Year at the upcoming 2015 Amerciana Music Awards. And on Wednesday (Sept. 9), it was announced that the singer has earned a Female Vocalist of the Year nod at the 2015 CMA Awards.

“Of course it’s nice to have people pat you on the back and say, ‘Job well done,’” Womack tells Entertainment Weekly. “We’re the little engine that could this year. We don’t have a major label — we’re working really hard, and it’s rewarding getting to celebrate this music with all of the people we made it with.”

Along with Womack, this year's Female Vocalist of the Year nominees are heavy hitters who all bring something different to the table: rough-and-tough Miranda Lambert, proven powerhouse Carrie Underwood, sharp-witted Kacey Musgraces and newbie Kelsea Ballerini. Womack says that she is happy that the category is so well rounded.

“Don’t you love it when everything is embraced?” she muses. "People complain when it’s just more of the same and the same and the same. This draws more people in, it gets more people to pay attention.”

Reflecting on what has helped her achieve success, Womack says to trust yourself.

“I would say, at least in my career, that every time I went with my gut, I was never sorry. You’d think I’d realized that along the way. I did some things that were commercial successes, but the stuff I did from the gut, I loved and never regretted,” she explains. “Go with your gut, and don’t give up. I’ve known so many young female artists that get discouraged. But when a female artist like Miranda or Taylor [Swift] makes it, they hit it out of the park.”

The 2015 CMA Awards are scheduled to air live from Nashville on Nov. 4 at 8PM ET on ABC. For the eighth year, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood have been named as the hosts.