Each spring the ACM Awards sort out country's newest names, and in April 2026 the New Female Artist of the Year trophy went to Avery Anna. Sam Barber broke the news mid-set at Lone Star Smokeout, and her family and team came out on stage with her. At the ACMs she sang "Blood Runs Thicker," a performance Billboard called "strong and edgy." By September she had her first CMA nomination, for New Artist of the Year.
She grew up in Flagstaff singing in church, names Patsy Cline as her main influence, wrote her first song in fifth grade and taught herself guitar. A video of her belting a cover in her mom's clawfoot bathtub went viral and led to a deal with Warner Records Nashville. Her 2022 EP, Mood Swings, carried "Narcissist," which the RIAA has certified platinum.
The records since have gotten heavier in subject. let go letters (2025) was built from letters fans wrote her, about depression, addiction, eating disorders and family trouble, and MusicRow reports it has passed a billion global streams. She co-wrote and sang on Sam Barber's Hot 100 single "Indigo," and in 2027 she's on Luke Combs's stadium tour.