CMA Awards: Rising Kiwi star Kaylee Bell wins big in US with Jeff Walker Global Country Artist award

Kaylee Bell is going from strength to strength.

After being announced as the first female Australasian country artist to be accredited Gold for a single or EP in Australia in 20 years for her EP Red in June, the star has landed herself another impressive title, this time in America.

Walking the red carpet at the Country Music Awards (CMAs) in the US state of Tennessee, the rising star was presented the Jeff Walker Global Country Artist award.

Revealing that she was “lost for words” after winning the award, which recognises outstanding achievements by a country music artist signed outside the US, Bell told her Instagram followers: “Looking forward to sharing more about this night in the next few days with you as I continue to process it.”

The award has previously been won by Ilse DeLange, The Shires and Travis Collins.

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The CMAs is the biggest annual event for country music worldwide, and is yet another impressive achievement for Bell coming mere weeks after her single, Keith – inspired by Keith Urban – hit number 12 on the Billboard Chart for digital sales.

Her multitude of achievements this year have quickly made her one of New Zealand’s most successful country music stars and to celebrate, the singer from Waimate in Canterbury has released her latest single, Good Things.

Produced by the acclaimed Stuart Stuart, the single is another signature Bell tune including a dynamic blend of country and pop influences and is anticipated to “set the airwaves alight”.

Bell relocated to Nashville in June after completing a 17-date concert tour around New Zealand which saw her sell almost 8000 tickets. It came after she toured with global superstar Ed Sheeran on the New Zealand leg of his tour which included a show in Wellington and two shows in Auckland.

Set to return for the summer, Bell is scheduled to play at a range of Kiwi shows including the South Island Food & Wine Festival, Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park and Cardrona Valley’s Rhythm and Alps.