Miranda Lambert was on hand at the 2019 ACM Honors in Nashville on Wednesday night (Aug. 21), and she gave a gushing, emotional speech when she took the stage to accept a very special award.

Lambert received the ACM Gene Weed Milestone Award, which goes every year to an artist who has had a particularly outstanding achievement during the preceding year. Lambert was already the most-awarded artist in the history of the ACM Awards, and this win marked her 33rd.

Keith Urban presented Lambert with the award, and in his glowing introductory speech, he told the crowd assembled at the historic Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville that he recognized something special in Lambert right off the bat when she was first opening for him 14 years ago, calling her a "kindred spirit."

"She did what I used to do: whoever I was opening for, I used to sit in front of the stage and watch every show and I’d be taking mental notes," he said (quote via CMT.com). "She was at the front of my show every night we played. And I remember thinking, ’I know that person really well.’"

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Addressing Lambert directly, he added, "You followed your muse wherever you went. You made the records you wanted to make. You stayed true to yourself, and here you are accepting this award.”

Lambert seemed almost disbelieving at her own journey when she took the stage to thank her team, as well as the ones who believed in her early on when she was still a local and regional act in Texas.

“I am so humbled. I’m standing on this Ryman stage in front of one of my heroes,” she said, going on to thank Nashville and everyone who feels compelled to move there out of the love of country music.

“I couldn’t believe that we’d get to live this amazing life and follow our dreams and just be part of this awesome family," she reflected. "Some days it feels like I’ve been doing it for two days, and some days it feels like 200 years. And I’ll never get over it.”

Lambert is set to release her next studio album, Wildcard, on Nov. 1. Fans have already heard the lead single, "It All Come Out in the Wash," and a country-punk track titled "Locomotive," as well as a sexy, New-Wave-tinged song called "Mess With My Head" and a sunny, optimistic song titled "Bluebird." The other tracks will include a collaboration with Maren Morris on "Way Too Pretty for Prison."

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