Cam on CMA Nominations: ‘I Still Feel Very New’
Cam’s breakout single “Burning House” was starting to get really hot right around the time the 2015 CMA Awards aired last November, so it’s a bit surprising that the California native didn’t find herself among the 2016 edition’s crop of New Artist of the Year nominees. Instead, the singer-songwriter – who helped announce the nominees earlier today (August 31st) with Keith Urban and Dierks Bentley – scored her first-ever nominations in the Song and Music Video of the Year categories for “Burning House.”
“It feels surprising still. I still feel very new, and it’s amazing to be a new artist and have a song be nominated as a songwriter,” she tells Rolling Stone Country. “And I love music videos. I didn’t realize how much I would really enjoy that, so that makes me really proud, too. I’m really excited for [director] Trey [Fanjoy] – we spent a lot of time on that video and literally burned a house down.”
In any case, Cam says she still views the overall awards show experience in the way a fan might: as an all-star assembly of talent.
“It’s like the only time when everyone is all together, so it’s kind of like festivals – but in an even more inclusive way,” she says. “Literally all the stars are in one spot at one time and you get to see these performances, and it’s another way to feel excited for your favorite artist.”
And even though she hopes one of her two nominations comes through with a win, Cam is setting her sights even higher for future CMA Awards: dreaming of the coveted Entertainer of the Year trophy. This year, Carrie Underwood is the only woman represented in the category, with competition from Garth Brooks, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan and Keith Urban. Now that Cam’s preparing to head out on her first headlining tour this fall, she’ll be taking her first steps toward that big prize.
Says Cam, “That’s when you’ve done it, that would be the end all, be all.”
(Additional reporting by Chris Parton)