Kacey Musgraves at 2019 ACM Awards: Being Different Pays Off

Kacey Musgraves' third studio album, Golden Hour, earned critical and fan acclaim upon its release in March of 2018 for its honest lyrics and dreamy sound. The record has earned the country star a new following outside of the genre, but on Sunday night (April 7), the industry showed her some love with two victories at the 2019 ACM Awards.

The newly crowned ACM Female Artist of the Year and Album of the Year winner, Musgraves has dared to be different throughout her time in the spotlight. Musgraves dedicated one of her new trophies to anyone whose style or sound has been deemed too different to impact the mainstream, and backstage after her big wins, she expounded on that idea in the media room.

"If you do have a unique sound or unique style or perspective to offer, you're going to be told that it's too different or that it's not going to work or it doesn't make sense," Musgraves told The Boot and other media members, "and that's, truthfully, just the industry being lazy ..."

Musgraves hasn't found much radio success since making her way into the mainstream with 2013's Same Trailer Different Park. Still, her fans and critics have lauded her for doing things her own way and not changing to fit any sort of mold.

"Money does drive a lot of things in this industry, and sometimes, the focus can be too much on what is easy, what has worked before, but that's not how we got all of our icons that we know and love today," Musgraves continues. "At one point, they were pushing a lot of buttons, they were very inflammatory, and they eventually created the new normal, so it is going to take labels and radio being more fearless and taking a creative chance on things that are weren't being heard, and it pays off."

In addition to her ACM Awards wins, Musgraves is the reigning CMA Album of the Year winner. Golden Hour also earned Best Country Album and the all-genre Album of the Year trophy at the 2019 Grammy Awards.