Shania Twain Calls On Country Music To ‘Close The Gap’ On Representation While Accepting Equal Play Award At 2023 CMT Awards
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Shania Twain wants country music to be even more inclusive.
On Sunday night, the Canadian music icon got onstage at the 2023 CMT Music Awards to accept the Equal Play Award, recognizing advocates for diversity in the industry.
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Megan Thee Stallion presented the prize to Twain, praising her for the ways she “shattered ceilings and redefined… country music and beyond.”
The rapper told the crowd, “I just met her and that’s my new bestie. She’s been an outspoken ally against every hate of all kind… gender gaps, ageism, impacting inequalities against the LGBTQ+ community and more. She’s an inspiration to me and millions of others.”
Icon. Legend. 2023 CMT Equal Play Honoree, @ShaniaTwain. ❤️
We are so honored to celebrate her tonight at the #CMTAwards! pic.twitter.com/NOCf3LkHSc
— CMT (@CMT) April 3, 2023
Twain opened her acceptance speech by looking back on her classic, smash hit “Man! I Feel Like a Woman”, saying she “had no idea at the time that it would become an undercurrent of a decades-long career.”
“It’s amazing how just one statement can empower so many. And ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ has been adopted by an array of fantastic communities all around the world and become such a genuine path of power, which brings me so much joy,” she continued. “Thank you to CMT for pushing the Equal Play agenda and always supporting me.”
Recalling that the first award she ever won was the CMT Rising Star prize in 1993, Twain said that the award show held “a very special place in [her] heart.”
She also promised to “continue to champion the many outstanding country artists that are not currently played… streamed, toured or awarded at the level they deserve.”
Twain explained, “I believe in an all-inclusive country music. This is a genre of music with a rich history that raised and nurtured my own songwriting and performance and recording career from childhood. Currently, the industry standard does a real disservice to this.”
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She also issued a call to the industry to “close the gap and provide an equal workspace for all talent.
The singer then gave a shout out to the rising stars of country who will be joining her on her Queen of Me tour, including Lily Rose, Lindsay Ell, Hailey Whitters, BRELAND, Robyn Ottolini and Mickey Guyton.
“My hope is this opportunity and spotlight impresses you much and lights up the careers of these very talented people on their journey,” Twain said. “I will continue to do my best as a trailblazer. Together, let’s ensure all our fellow artists get equal play regardless of gender, age or race.”
