Ahead of the Grammys, Maren Morris says awards are a “bonus,” but not the only measure of success

ABC

Maren Morris is nominated for the fifth year running at the upcoming Grammy Awards, and this time, the recognition is extra special: She gets to share it with her husband, fellow artist Ryan Hurd.

The country star couple is up for Best Country Duo/Group Performance thanks to their chart-topping duet, “Chasing After You.” Ryan’s a first-time nominee, and Maren says that the honor is really a tribute to his hard work.

“I’m so proud of him. I feel like the proud wife getting to be his date,” she says. “Even though it’s both our nomination, I feel like it’s his moment.”

Though she’s excited and grateful for the nomination, Maren says she never thinks about awards shows when she’s going into the studio to put an album. For one thing, having that pressure in the back of her mind might sabotage the work.

“It would probably just freak me out and cause the vocal performance or energy of the room to feel extremely critical,” she admits.

Also, Maren adds, awards shows are by no means the only metric for career success. “I look at awards show now as a bonus to you getting to do what you love for a living,” she continues. “…It’s not the template of success every single time.”

That also goes for her latest record, Humble Quest, which will be eligible for consideration at next year’s Grammy Awards.

“When I was making this record, I wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I can’t wait for the Grammy noms.’ I can’t think about it in those terms anyways,” Maren points out. “I look at it as some great stuff that is a bonus, but not necessarily the integral template for whether the songs are great or not.”

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