At the inaugural “Energy of Ladies: Nashville” event hosted by Selection on Thursday, Maren Morris enthusiastically introduced her friend, Sheryl Crow, stating, “She is a rare example of: Do meet your heroes.” This sentiment resonated throughout the day, highlighting the incredible women who were honored at the event, including some of Nashville’s most philanthropic stars and numerous behind-the-scenes industry leaders who embody heroism in their own right. The event was a gathering of a few hundred inspiring individuals, showcasing the depth and commitment of the entertainment industry to social causes.

The luncheon ceremony featured honorees Kelsea Ballerini, Sheryl Crow, Mickey Guyton, and Reba McEntire, each sharing heartfelt tributes and mutual admiration for one another’s artistry, courage, leadership, and philanthropic efforts. The emotional atmosphere was palpable, with many attendees reaching for tissues, especially when McEntire became visibly moved during her acceptance speech. In a touching moment, Guyton quickly left her seat to offer McEntire the tissue packet she had recently used, demonstrating the camaraderie and support among these talented women.

A significant part of the emotion stemmed from the ongoing challenges faced by women in the country music industry, where it is often claimed that female artists must exert twice the effort to achieve half the recognition compared to their male counterparts. Ballerini addressed the infamous “Tomato-gate” incident from the 2010s, where a country radio consultant controversially suggested that female artists should be played sparingly, likening them to the tomato in a salad dominated by male performers who represented the lettuce. This analogy sparked widespread outrage and debate within the industry about gender equality.

Ballerini, who recently embarked on her first headlining tour, reflected on her reactions to the viral “Tomato-gate” comment during her speech. She recalled how it coincided with her first single reaching the top five on the radio charts, stating, “That Tomato-hate happened — remember? Yeah, me too. I quickly became aware of the very real imbalance between men and women in the country music landscape. What I wanted to say then was: It’s a good thing I’m Italian because the salads I prefer are a burrata or pasta salad, neither of which has lettuce.” This humorous yet poignant remark highlighted the absurdity of the original comment.

Not all honorees at the Lifetime-sponsored “Energy of Ladies: Nashville” event hail from the country music genre; the diverse list of honorees also featured individuals from film, television, and other entertainment media, including rock icons like Sheryl Crow. This reflects the event’s commitment to recognizing talented women across various facets of the entertainment industry.

“I’m actually not a country singer,” Crow humorously clarified, highlighting what sets her apart from the other three honorees. “I’m not. In fact, I’m so old now that I’m kind of like… I don’t know what I am. But I love it,” she continued, embracing her freedom from genre constraints or other imaging issues. “It’s liberating, by God!” she exclaimed, showcasing her passion for music without boundaries.

The presenters at the event were equally impressive, with Morris introducing Crow, and Ballerini being introduced by her recent duet partner, Noah Kahan. McEntire received an introduction from Hillary Scott of Lady A, who was on stage with the added charm of her unborn child, while Guyton’s introduction came from Breland, an artist she once mentored during the early stages of his career. This lineup of presenters highlighted the strong connections and collaborations within the industry.

The first presentation featured Ballerini and Kahan, who collaborated on the song “Cowboys Cry Too.” Kahan shared a delightful anecdote about their recent visit to Dollywood, emphasizing the fun they had together.

“This past week, Kelsea and I were requested to leave Guy Fieri’s Flavor Town in downtown Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, after a long day of riding roller coasters and indulging in foot-long corn dogs at Dollywood. Kelsea has fond memories of spending time there as a child in Knoxville, Tennessee. As we were laughing and leaving the restaurant, I began to worry about writing my speech and how to genuinely capture Kelsey’s spirit and describe the incredible person I’ve been fortunate to know as a friend and collaborator.

“As we stumbled out of those pearly gates into the empty parking lot,” Kahan continued, “I realized what I admire most about Kelsea is her enthusiasm for life. Witnessing her kindness toward everyone she meets made me appreciate her exceptional character. It’s rare to meet someone who can beautifully articulate their life experiences, relationships, and memories while treating everyone they encounter as if they’ve known each other for years.” Kahan added that this quality extends to her partner, Chase Stokes, who supported Ballerini at the event, as well as her friends, random strangers, and even corn dog vendors.

Kahan also praised Ballerini for her significant contributions to mental health awareness through the Feel Your Way Through Foundation, noting that she has raised over $700,000 for various nonprofits. “As someone who has struggled with my own mental health for many years,” he expressed, “it’s incredibly inspiring to see an artist of such talent and demand dedicate so much of her time and effort toward this cause.”

“Thank you, Noah,” Ballerini responded as she approached the microphone. “I genuinely believe that singing ‘Cowboys Cry Too’ is the only reason straight men who were dragged to my tour by their girlfriends and wives were able to endure my very glittery, emotional 90-minute show every night. So I owe you forever… One of the reasons I’m fortunate enough to call Noah a friend is because of our shared love for Guy Fieri, as well as our belief in the importance of destigmatizing mental health and fostering conversations, resources, and community around it. That’s at the core of our music,” she added, emphasizing the significance of their mutual foundations.

Ballerini expressed her admiration for Crow, stating, “I’m a huge fan of Sheryl Crow, and in her words, I also enjoy a good beer buzz early in the morning, so I’m going to try that now.” (For fairness, it was early afternoon by that time in the event.)

While Crow was at the event to support environmental causes rather than mental health charities, she expressed her appreciation for the other honorees’ focus on mental health advocacy, including Guyton’s support for a mental health charity, which prompted her to speak off-script.

“You guys are doing essential work in mental health,” Crow acknowledged, directing her comments to Ballerini and Guyton. “You know, I once had a boyfriend who said I was crazier than a three-legged lizard on an icy pond,” she quipped, adding a touch of humor to her poignant message.

More seriously, Crow shared, “I’ve been in and out of therapy for what feels like the better part of my entire creative life, and it has been a lifesaver. And as I observe the individual connected to the car I donated being cast off the hotline where children can call when feeling suicidal, I think the work of every artist who feels compelled to raise their voice for the sake of others is incredibly important.” This statement referenced Elon Musk, whose actions regarding social services spurred her to donate her Tesla for charity, a move that garnered significant attention.

“For me, I feel like the blessing is in the doing and the giving, not in the outcome,” Crow stated. “Where we find ourselves in humanity right now is challenging and somewhat terrifying. But it’s asking those of us connected to spirit, who find God in nature, to step up. Right now, circumstances are calling us to use our spirits and the vigor we had when we were children, rushing to help someone who has fallen. This moment calls us to show up for people we may never meet, people whose circumstances are vastly different from ours, yet we can observe and feel that injustice is happening to them. And there’s so much of that right now.”

McEntire utilized her platform at the event to advocate for the marginalized and downtrodden.

“When I learned I would be honored today, they asked me which charity is important to me,” McEntire shared. “If I had a superpower….” She paused, then added with a laugh, “Okay, well, first, I want to know what animals are thinking.” Then she continued, “And if God gave me a second chance, I would create a home for everyone on the planet to go home to. In my life, we had a lot. Mama and daddy worked their butts off, but we always had a home. We always had three meals; we never went hungry. Mama wasn’t that great of a cook, but we never went hungry.”

“The organization I feel strongly about is right here in Nashville, and they’re called Safe Haven Family Shelter. The reason I love them so much,” she explained, “is that it’s the only housing program of its kind in Middle Tennessee that keeps the entire family together while experiencing homelessness. Because no one should face that hardship alone, especially not families with children. It’s easy to look at a big problem like homelessness and feel overwhelmed. It is very overwhelming. What do you do? Get them a tiny house? You house them in a tent? What do you do? You partner with Safe Haven, because they show us that change happens family by family, one safe night and one new beginning at a time, and that’s the kind of change that lasts.”

Building on the theme of empowerment, McEntire remarked, “I’ve been so very blessed to know and work with some of the strongest and most resilient women in the history of this industry — some acquaintances and some truly close friends. I’m talking about women who broke down barriers, uplifted one another, and paved the way for all of us in this room to pursue our passions. I wouldn’t be standing here today without the strong, fearless trailblazers who came before me. I hope I’ve passed along some of what those incredible women taught me. I am immensely proud to see this next generation of women shaping the industry and making the world a better place every single day.”

These presenters and honorees came together through vastly different circumstances. For McEntire and Scott, Reba first met Hillary when her mother, Linda Davis, would bring her around as a child. In the case of Crow and Morris, their first meeting occurred when Maren uploaded “My Church” to streaming services as an indie artist, prompting her lifelong hero, Crow, to obtain her number and leave an unsolicited voicemail expressing her admiration for the music.

Crow shared, “I love Maren so much, and yes, I did — I called someone who knew how to get her phone number so I could call her and just say, ‘I don’t know you at all, but I already love you.’” This was a gesture not only of paying it forward but also recognizing the genuine inspiration emerging from the next generation. “As a songwriter,” Crow continued, “no matter how long you’ve been doing it, sometimes you meet those who inspire you to be better and encourage you to keep writing songs that resonate with people because they’re experiencing the same emotions you are. Maren has always done that for me from the very beginning. I hear her music, and I don’t just hear her music; I feel her in her music, and it makes me want to go into my little safe space and write songs that I know could mean something to someone else.”

Morris, during her introduction, emphasized that Crow “has supported the Natural Resources Defense Council for over a decade. She’s tirelessly championed their work in addressing the climate crisis, protecting public health, and safeguarding nature. She has consistently used her platform to make a difference.” This acknowledgment underscores Crow’s long-standing commitment to environmental activism and advocacy.

Discussing her commitment to environmental awareness, Crow acknowledged that this dedication has sometimes made her a pariah among certain voices on the right. However, she remains committed to her cause and even finds some benefits in the backlash.

“About 20 years ago,” Crow recounted, “a documentary titled ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ was released, produced by Laurie David, which educated us on the science of what was coming. What I did was what I always did, which is precisely what my mother always did: If you see something you feel you can help with, you show up to the committee meeting, you go down to the church, or you bring a casserole. For me, this meant touring with Laurie, where we spoke about climate change at universities. She discussed actions students could take, and I, of course, performed songs… along with some comedic skits. Part of the comedy included ideas like, ‘Okay, here’s what you can do. You can take the grease from your cafeteria and put it in your fuel tanks,’ or ‘You can ride a bicycle to generate electricity in your study hall.’ I even had this other humorous idea, which I thought was hilarious: ‘Let’s save trees and only use one square of toilet paper — unless it’s a big job; then you can use two.’ Well, it took just two days, or even one day after going to Capitol Hill and meeting with those senators who were dismissing the science, for Fox TV to run a whole segment that completely crucified me, portraying me as ridiculous, disqualifying me. They said I was trying to legislate toilet paper.”

“Here is the moral of the story,” Crow added. “That incident is still talked about and has become the gift that keeps on giving, as it still provides me every opportunity to discuss what’s happening right now.”

As passionate as all the speakers were about their causes, there was no speech more riveting than the one delivered by Mickey Guyton, who did not shy away from addressing the persistent elephant in the room — the biases she faces not just because she is a woman, but because she is a woman of color. A decade into her rise in Nashville and within country circles, she remains the leading Black woman in country music.

As Breland, who faces many of the same challenges as a Black man, noted in his introduction: “Mickey has broken down barriers that, if we’re being completely honest, should have never existed in the first place. But because they did, she gracefully, powerfully knocked them down. She has made space for artists like me and so many others to stand a little taller, to sing a little louder, and to know that we belong.” He added, “It’s not just your resilience and defiance and bravery; it’s also your softness and compassion that make you such a dynamic and powerful person.”

During her impactful speech, Guyton invited every Black woman in the audience to stand, including the luncheon’s servers in this gesture. “This honor is not just for me,” she declared. “It’s for every Black woman who wakes up each day and chooses strength over silence, purpose over fear, community over competition. It’s for our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, for those who came before us and for those who are yet to come. Black women are the blueprint. We are visionaries, cultural shapers, and barrier breakers. We are not just resilient; we are radiant. Despite the weight of generational burdens and systemic challenges, we continue to rise, lead, nurture, and transform.”

“Empowerment is more than just a word. It’s an action,” she continued, seamlessly transitioning into her charity of choice. “The Loveland Foundation embodies every meaning of empowerment.” She welcomed to the stage the foundation’s CEO, Sharlene Kemler, who provided crucial statistics, revealing that Loveland has delivered 210,000 hours of therapy sessions to over 25,000 recipients.

“I’ve been in this town for over a decade,” Guyton stated, “and the injustices I’ve witnessed… I’ve told some of my white female friends that the state of this country music industry is akin to what you experience on a small scale regarding discrimination. Let that sink in. It’s unacceptable, and we deserve so much more. You deserve so much more… So let us continue to truly empower one another by lifting as we climb. Let us not be afraid to take up space to speak our truths, to walk boldly in our magic, and to fight against, not fight for, the systems that oppress us.”

“I’m so honored to be here among so many extraordinary women and individuals supporting women creators.” She expressed that the city “remains built on artistry. So as someone who has dedicated their career to connecting artists, fans, and communities, I can say with absolute certainty, there’s truly nowhere quite like Nashville. Even if we need a bit of work,” she added with a smile, qualifying herself, “it’s a wonderful city.”

The inaugural “Energy of Ladies: Nashville” event served as a sister event to the awards that have been presented by Selection semiannually in Los Angeles and New York since 2009. Past honorees at these coastal events have included an impressive range of notable figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Shonda Rhimes, Carol Burnett, Christiane Amanpour, Zoe Saldaña, Helen Mirren, Ava DuVernay, Scarlett Johansson, Nicole Kidman, Anitta, Brie Larson, and Miley Cyrus, among many others.

One unique aspect of the Nashville event that had never been part of the events in L.A. or NYC was the inclusion of a house band. A talented group of top Nashville musicians was assembled on either side of the stage, organized by Go West Creative Group’s entertainment producer, Jeremy Vaughn, and led by music director Tyler Cain. This skilled band, which included several musicians who have recorded with or toured alongside the four honorees, also provided accompaniment for two singers who took turns in the spotlight at the event.

Meghan Linsey captivated the audience with a medley of songs by the four star honorees, including McEntire’s “Fancy” and Guyton’s “Better Than You Left Me,” before performing her own new single, “Humble Again.” The heartfelt ballad reflects the ups and downs of Linsey’s career in Nashville, which has included a top 10 hit as part of Steel Magnolia, a stint as a contestant on “The Voice,” and times when she questioned who her true friends were as she faced career challenges.

Many in the audience were visibly moved. “It’s hard to eat with a lump in your throat,” remarked writer-director Callie Khouri, who was among those watching, touched by Linsey’s authenticity.

On a lighter note, the house band also accompanied a celebratory song, as Dasha took the stage to sing a cover of Gretchen Wilson’s “Here for the Party,” which she premiered at Stagecoach just the previous weekend. Dasha has released a studio version of the song exclusively for Amazon Music, which is set to announce a special initiative with the rising star in the coming days.

Also at the dais was Alexandra Dean, a filmmaker who directed a documentary about the Judds that Lifetime is premiering over Mother’s Day weekend. Ashley Judd was slated to attend and discuss the new film, but due to illness, Dean stepped in to address a documentary that aligned with the day’s recurring theme of mental health.

The director promised that her Judds film would not whitewash or sentimentalize Naomi Judd, but would celebrate her resilience. “Naomi, for all her flaws, was a true fighter,” she noted, stating that the late star achieved what she did while “coming out of a background of abuse and deprivation and desperation. When you think about that, you wonder, who wouldn’t be inspired by that? I believe Wynonna and Ashley would tell you they didn’t receive what they needed for much of their lives… but Naomi did what she could, and what she could do was truly extraordinary.”

“The Judds family, we don’t love them for their perfection,” Dean added. “We love them because they survive. They know how to thrive with grace. And that’s a form of strength.”

The program was hosted by Melissa Joan Hart, who told the audience that she had been a Nashville resident for five years. “This city has welcomed me and my family with open arms, lots of biscuits, and hot chicken. So I consider myself a little bit Yankee and a little bit y’all.”

Attendees at the Hyatt Grand event included artists such as Amanda Shires, Brittbey Spencer, Lola Kirke, Lauren Alaina, Amy Grant, Cam, Grace Bowers, Sara Evans, and Jessie James Decker. Actors represented included Patricia Heaton, Chrissy Metz, Rex Linn, and Laura Prepon. Songwriters in attendance included Natalie Hemby, Jessi Alexander, and Ink.

Influential list honorees and other VIPs present included Sarah Trahern, Cris Lacy, Taylor Lindsey, Leslie Fram, Tracy Gershon, Ali Harnell, Anna Weisband, Ebie McFarland, Jessi Vaughn Stevenson, Sally Williams, Stephanie Hudacek, Stacy Blythe, JoJamie Hahr, Julie Boos, Jackie Augustus, Tiffany Dunn, Rakiyah Marshall, Jackie Teague, Deana Ivey, Emily Fletcher Wright, Beverly Keel, Holly G., Lisa Chader, Georgia Juvelis, Heather Vassar, Ania Hammar, Brittany Schaffer, Bryan Moore, Jason Owen, Mindy Barry, Jake Basden, and many more.