Ella Langley Receives Rising Star Award From a Close Friend

Ella Langley has already had a wildly successful year from an awards standpoint, and the wins just keep on coming. The country music singer was the proud recipient of a Billboard Rising Star award this year, but what made the award especially meaningful was its presenter: Lainey Wilson.

“My redneck sister, that’s what I like to call her,” Wilson joked at the start of her presentation speech. She then described how their similar upbringings made them fast friends, and shared the positive impression Langley made on her. “As soon as I met her, she had this spark, and this go-getter attitude that I was drawn to.” Wilson went on to deliver a heartwarming speech about her friend and fellow singer before presenting the award.

Wilson Said Her Friend Already Has Plenty of Staying Power

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Langley is still in the early stages of her career, but Wilson believes she has plenty of staying power. While presenting the Rising Star award at Billboard’s Country Power Players 2025, the “Somewhere Over Laredo” singer said Langley already has staying power. “She’s got the guts and the grit to be here as long as she wants to be.”

Wilson went on to describe her efforts to share powerful advice with Langley. “Any wisdom that has been passed along to me from the women in the business, I try to share it with Ella,” Wilson said. “And Ella seems like she’s all ears.” Just as Wilson herself has taken pointers from more experienced artists, Langley appears to be taking her friend’s helpful pointers to heart.

Langley Describes Country Music As ‘The Only Thing I’ve Ever Wanted to Do’

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After accepting her award, Langley gave a short speech of her own. She thanked Wilson for her kind words, and then shared what country music means to her. “My life has literally been insane, the past six months,” the “Weren’t For The Wind” singer said. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.” She then described a lot of the firsts she’s enjoyed over the past year, saying that she has felt “like a rookie” quite often.

“But man, I’m so grateful for that girl, and that woman, that showed up, and kept showing up,” Langley continued. “This is for all of us, this is for everybody,” she said, referring to her management team. Based on her trajectory so far, it’s likely Langley will be giving many more such speeches in the future.