Mickey Guyton is shaking up the country music world in all the right ways.
Her groundbreaking ballad "Black Like Me," inspired by the 2018 murder of Botham Jean and released amid last summer's Black Lives Matter protests, is nominated at tonight's 2021 Grammys. Mickey is making history as the first-ever Black female solo artist to be recognized by the Recording Academy in a country music category, and the magnitude of such a moment is not lost on her.
"It's still so wild to think about," the artist told E!'s Rocsi Diaz on the red carpet. "It's such a bigger award than just me. It's an award for Black people. It's an award for people of color in this genre."
"I will not be the last," Mickey assured.
The 37-year-old's dedication to making country music more inclusive is not only for her own success, but to set a new standard for aspiring musicians that may not fit the notoriously conservative industry's mold.
As she put it, "It's not enough to walk through that door for yourself. You have to hold that door open for every other woman of color, no matter Black, brown, whatever. You've got to open that door, hold it open and lift each other up. That's how it's going to change."
Mickey said she's particularly encouraged by Lil Nas X, whose country-infused hip-hop track "Old Town Road" found incredible mainstream success, but was largely shut out on country airwaves.
"Black Like Me" has faced those same hurdles.
The songstress told E! she "completely understands exactly what he was going through," adding, "I'm so thankful for him that he did break through to show people that country music also looks a different way."
For more on Mickey's rise to country music superstardom, check out our exclusive conversation with her here.