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Billboard Editorial Director Hannah Karp presents Shaboozey with a Billboard Hot Country Songs No.1 chart plaque to celebrate his record breaking achievement with his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

Hannah Karp:

Good evening, everyone. I’m Hannah Karp. I’m Billboard’s Editorial Director. And I am thrilled to have with us, tonight, an artist who scored his first three Hot 100 Hits this year. The first two “SPAGHETTII” and “SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN’” were collaborations with Beyoncé, who of course made history this year, as the first black woman ever to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart with her hit “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM.” But a few weeks ago, this fast rising star that we have in the house tonight, made even more history when he replaced Beyoncé atop the Hot Country Songs Chart with his own hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” marking the first time that two black artists have topped the 66 year old chart back to back. Give it up. So now, “Tipsy” is in its third week at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs Chart having hit No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 5 on Billboard’s Global 200 Chart. And it’s continuing to climb the Country Airplay and Pop AirPlay Charts. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Shaboozey to the stage. Shaboozey, it is our pleasure. It is our pleasure to present you with this plaque to commemorate your historic No. 1 and here’s to many, many more. And we are so excited to hear your new album coming out at the end of the month.

Shaboozey accepts his Billboard Hot Country Songs No.1 chart plaque for his record breaking achievement with his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

Shaboozey:

I was told this was going to be like a dinner. So I didn’t prepare a speech at all. But um, I just want to say I’m like super grateful and super honored to just be here on this stage. You know, I never thought in my like wildest dreams that I would be here getting an award like this, you know there’s so many people here I want to thank. There’s so many people that you know, I think you know, we should all be up here together. So, you know, this is not just for me, this is for everybody that’s really just making change in this space. You know, Mike and Tanya, I see y’all know. I mean, I remember hearing “Hey Driver” for the first time and just crying my eyes out. I see Reyna Robertson here as well. I know there’s a couple other people that may not be here, may be here, Tanner, Willie, everybody, I just you know, super. You guys mean a lot to me and everything you guys have done in this, you know, we’re here together. And my message is has always been my message has been integration and just bringing people together and just sharing stories. You know, it’s never been about anything. Other than that, so, you know, thank you so much. And also thank Beyoncé, too. What am I talking about, the Queen. Thank y’all so much. Love y’all seriously.

The War and Treaty accepts the Groundbreaker award at Billboard’s Country Power Players 2024.

Tanya Trotter:
Well, I would first want to thank God for getting us here. And I have to thank my best friend, my lover, my partner in crime, my songwriting partner and my husband, Mr. Michael Trotter Jr. I just can’t believe that we’re standing up here, to be very honest.

We journeyed into Americana music a few years ago, we called a young lady by the name of Rissi Palmer and we were in … and we were like, homeless in Maryland, asking her what does she think about us doing country music or Americana music? And she says, “I don’t see why not. I think you can do anything you put your mind to.” And we charted on that path. We love The Civil Wars, we love Shovels & Rope, we loved all those bands.

And we began our journey in our turtle top Ford van, up and down 95 with our little son in the back, putting cheeseburgers up under his seat when we stopped at McDonald’s for the $1 meal. And we’re just grateful for where it has led us. We want to thank. I’m gonna let my husband talk. We want to thank you UMG, want to thank Cindy Mape, our family at UMG, we want to thank our lawyer, Jeff Covin, our team. We started our management company about nine or 10 months ago. And we want to thank Virginia Prater, who was our first booking agent and our young team Jolene and Michelle.

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Kelsea Ballerini presented Lainey Wilson with the Record Breaker award presented by Lone River Ranch Water at Billboard’s Country Power Players 2024.

Kelsea Ballerini:
I am a Virgo, and a millennial and a perfectionist, which is terrifying. So I wrote down my speech because this woman deserves me to not mess it up. To become a record breaker, you first have to become a trailblazer. Before you become a trailblazer, you have to become a pathfinder. Before you become a pathfinder, you have to become a don’t take no for an answer-er, and before you become that phrase that I won’t bother you with again, you have to become a creator, a hard worker, a truth seeker, but mostly a dreamer.

Lainey Wilson is wholeheartedly and undoubtedly all of those things, right? I can stand up here and tell you her ever-growing list of accolades. And I could give you the cold, hard data. Like, I could tell you that she just earned her seventh No. 1 single on country radio, or I could hypothetically tell you that she is the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year.

But instead, I want to read you a text exchange between Lainey and I, that I think will tell you everything that you need to know about this woman. Post Grammys if you know, you know. I said, “I love you and I’m deeply happy for you. I hope you feel supported and held and celebrated, my friend. I’m sorry the internet is internetting. I hope you know I’m always in your corner.”

She responded, “Let’s show those silly people on the internet they’re so wrong. Love you. I’m in your corner forever and ever. You’re one of the real ones and thankful to have you in my life. Your poise and thoughtfulness is unreal and I learn a lot from you, love you.”

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Breland presented the War and Treaty with the Groundbreaker Award at Billboard’s Country Power Players 2024.

Breland:

Sometimes, when you see an artist or a band or a duo kind of skyrocketing to unprecedented success, at least me, sometimes like, I’m just a little skeptical. Like what really is this? And trying to see like, what’s the hype about? And with this one, the group that I’m about to introduce, there’s absolutely no question about why they are winning the way that they are, because they are two of the most talented people I’ve ever met. And that’s The War and Treaty. I remember first hearing about them. It was only three years ago, and I was on tour with Dierks Bentley and Dierks had played a couple shows with them and was like, ‘Hey, you need to hear these guys.’ And he played me just like literally maybe five or six seconds of a song. And I was like, ‘Turn it off … I have to meet them.’ And they invited me into their home. And I was really taken with who they are as people. We share a lot in common, just in terms of our upbringing and kind of our unprecedented paths into country music. And we really hit it off, and they’ve kind of become, kind of like family to me. But if you’ve ever heard The War and Treaty, which I’m sure everyone in here has, if you were at the ACMs last year, or in any capacity, I don’t want to make this too spiritual…

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Lainey Wilson accepted the Record Breaker Award presented by Lone River Ranch Water at Billboard’s Country Power Players 2024.

Lainey Wilson:

First of all, I just want to say thank you so much, Billboard, for having me here today. This is a big deal. A really big deal. It is an absolute honor to be just surrounded by people in country music in this room. I look around and I see so many people who have supported me from the beginning. And so many people who I get to call and get advice from and people who lead me and guide me. And this is a wild ride. So you definitely have to have those kinds of people in your life. Thank you, Kelsea. She’s over there running her mouth. But thank you so much for presenting me with this award. She is such a trailblazer and I’m so thankful that she has, what she has done for women and country music. It’s an honor to know her as an artist, but also as a friend, even though like she mentioned, the day after the Grammys, the Internet thought we hated each other. But what the Internet does not see is that she actually showed up to my Grammy party to celebrate me and to celebrate my win. And that’s the kind of person that she is. And that’s the kind of people that I like to surround myself with. So thank you so much for being here. Being named Record Breaker, that’s something that I would have dreamed about a few years ago.

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