Emily Ann Roberts has officially reached another major milestone in her country music career.

The singer, songwriter and longtime “Yeehaw Meemaw” has earned her first-ever CMA Awards nomination, receiving a spot in the New Artist of the Year category for the 60th Annual CMA Awards.

Her name appears alongside Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Tucker Wetmore and Stephen Wilson Jr. in a category that highlights some of the most promising artists making their mark on country music right now.

For Roberts, the nomination is especially meaningful because her story did not begin yesterday.

It began more than a decade ago, when she was still a teenager standing on the stage of The Voice.

Now, at 27, she has gone from a young contestant with a dream to a professional recording artist, touring performer, Grand Ole Opry regular and CMA nominee.

And somehow, between all of those career milestones, she has also become one of country music’s most recognizable gardening and canning personalities.

That combination is part of what makes her story so special.

From a Teenager on “The Voice” to a CMA Nominee

Roberts first entered the national spotlight in 2015 when she appeared on The Voice.

She was only 16 when she competed on the show, and her performances introduced her to a national audience at an incredibly young age. Her appearance on the program became the first major chapter in a career that would eventually take her far beyond reality television.

At the time, there was no guarantee that a television appearance would turn into a lasting career.

The music industry is filled with talented young performers who have their moment in the spotlight and then disappear from the public eye.

Roberts took a different path.

She kept working.

She continued developing her voice, writing songs, performing and finding her place within country music.

More than ten years later, the same young artist who once stood on a television stage is now being recognized by the Country Music Association.

Her First CMA Nomination Is a Major Milestone

A first CMA nomination is something an artist can remember for the rest of their career.

For Roberts, it comes after years of persistence and steady growth.

The CMA announced its 2026 nominees on September 10, with Roberts receiving her first nomination in the New Artist of the Year category. The 60th Annual CMA Awards are scheduled for November 18 in Nashville.

The category is particularly competitive.

Roberts is nominated alongside Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Tucker Wetmore and Stephen Wilson Jr., giving country fans a group of emerging artists with very different sounds and stories.

Simply making the final list is a significant recognition of the work Roberts has put into her career.

The Record Deal Came After Years of Waiting

One of the most interesting parts of Roberts’ story is that she did not rush into the first opportunity that came along.

After years of building her career, she signed her first record deal when the right team and circumstances finally came together.

In an interview with Country Living, Roberts explained that she had opportunities to sign earlier but ultimately felt it was important to wait until the right situation came along.

That decision now looks like an important part of her story.

Instead of allowing the pressure to move quickly to determine her path, she continued developing her identity as an artist.

And she has been very clear about wanting to remain herself along the way.

That authenticity has become one of the defining parts of her career.

Life on the Road Has Helped Shape Her

Roberts has also spent significant time learning from artists who are already established in country music.

Her touring experience has included opportunities to work alongside artists such as Blake Shelton, Megan Moroney and Cody Johnson.

Those experiences have given her a chance to see different approaches to performing, connecting with audiences and building a sustainable career.

For a developing artist, those lessons can be just as important as anything learned in a recording studio.

Every tour brings another audience.

Every performance offers another opportunity to grow.

And every opening slot puts an emerging artist in front of people who may become longtime fans.

Then There Is the “Yeehaw Meemaw”

If the story ended with music, Roberts would already have an impressive career journey.

But there is another side of her life that has become nearly as recognizable as her music.

She is the “Yeehaw Meemaw.”

The nickname grew from her love of activities often associated with traditional home life and older generations — gardening, cooking, crocheting, canning and other hands-on hobbies.

Roberts has embraced the name rather than running from it.

In fact, it has become part of her identity.

Her fans have watched her move between two seemingly different worlds: the bright lights of country music and the quieter routines of life at home.

One day she can be performing for a large audience.

Another day she can be checking tomatoes in the garden.

That contrast has become part of the charm.

The Garden Became Part of Her Story

Roberts and her husband, Chris Sasser, have built an online audience through their Sasser House content, where gardening, cooking, home projects and everyday life have become central themes.

The garden has provided countless moments for fans to follow.

Earlier this summer, Sasser shared footage of a large harvest from their backyard, including tomatoes, green beans, berries, peppers and flowers. The couple also showed some of the less glamorous realities of gardening, including dealing with a hornworm among the plants.

For Roberts, those moments are not simply social media content.

They are part of her real life.

And that may be one reason fans respond so strongly to them.

Canning Tomatoes With Country Music Friends

The “Yeehaw Meemaw” lifestyle has even brought Roberts and some of her country music friends together in the kitchen.

One memorable example came when Ella Langley visited Roberts and learned how to can tomatoes.

The two country artists documented the experience, turning an ordinary evening at home into a wholesome moment that resonated with fans.

Roberts has explained that gardening, cooking, canning and other traditional hobbies give her a way to share something different from her music career.

That difference may be exactly why the content works.

Fans do not only see the performer.

They see someone who enjoys growing food, preserving it and spending time at home.

Home in Knoxville

For Roberts, home remains closely connected to Knoxville and East Tennessee.

That connection is visible in the way she talks about her lifestyle and in the content she creates with Chris.

The country music business can involve constant travel, rehearsals, recording sessions and performances.

Home offers something completely different.

There are tomatoes to pick.

Food to preserve.

Chickens to care for.

Projects to finish.

Those routines can provide a sense of normalcy in the middle of an increasingly busy music career.

And for Roberts, that balance appears to be an important part of who she is.

From the Garden to the CMA Ballot

That is what makes the latest milestone so fun.

The same artist who has become known online for tomatoes, canning and chickens is now officially competing for one of country music’s most visible emerging-artist honors.

The CMA nomination does not erase the “Yeehaw Meemaw” side of Roberts.

If anything, it makes the story more interesting.

She has managed to build a professional music career without giving up the everyday interests that make her feel like herself.

The two sides can exist together.

She can be a country artist chasing major career goals and someone who genuinely enjoys spending time in the garden.

Five Nights at Dollywood Are Coming Next

And Roberts is not slowing down.

She is scheduled to perform at Dollywood’s Celebrity Theater from October 14 through October 18, 2026, giving fans five consecutive days to see her perform during the park’s Harvest Festival.

The booking is another fitting piece of her story.

Dollywood is deeply connected to the traditions and musical culture of East Tennessee, making it a natural setting for an artist whose identity combines modern country music with a love of traditional Southern life.

The upcoming performances will also arrive shortly before the CMA Awards.

That means the next several weeks could be among the most exciting of Roberts’ career so far.

A Career That Has Taken Time to Build

There is something encouraging about Roberts’ journey because it has not followed an overnight-success formula.

She was a teenager when television introduced her to millions of viewers.

Then came years of development.

A record deal.

New music.

Touring.

Grand Ole Opry performances.

A growing social media audience.

Her “Yeehaw Meemaw” identity.

And now her first CMA nomination.

Each stage has built on the previous one.

The nomination feels less like a sudden breakthrough and more like the latest recognition of work that has been happening for years.

The Nomination Belongs to More Than One Moment

Roberts’ first CMA nomination is also a reminder that careers are rarely built around one performance or one opportunity.

The teenager who appeared on The Voice could not have known exactly where the journey would lead.

The young artist who waited for the right record deal could not have known how quickly her audience would grow.

And the woman standing in her garden with a basket of tomatoes probably could not have imagined that “Yeehaw Meemaw” would become a recognizable part of her public identity.

But all of those moments are connected.

They are pieces of the same story.

Emily Ann Roberts Has Earned This Moment

Calling Roberts’ CMA nomination a sudden surprise would miss the bigger picture.

Yes, the announcement is exciting.

Yes, it is her first CMA nomination.

But she has been building toward this moment for years.

She has performed on national television.

She has developed her own music.

She has toured with major country artists.

She has built a loyal fan base.

She has created an online community around a lifestyle that is uniquely her own.

And she has continued moving forward without losing the personality that attracted fans in the first place.

Now the Country Music Association has recognized her as one of the year’s New Artist of the Year nominees.

From “The Voice” to the CMA Awards

Eleven years can change a lot.

In 2015, Emily Ann Roberts was a teenager with a microphone and a dream.

In 2026, she is a professional country artist with a growing career, a devoted audience and a CMA nomination.

Between those two moments were years of work that many fans never saw.

There were songs that had to be written.

Shows that had to be played.

Miles that had to be traveled.

Decisions about her career that had to be made.

And plenty of ordinary days at home that had nothing to do with the spotlight.

That is what makes this particular achievement feel so satisfying.

The “Yeehaw Meemaw” Made the Ballot

Now, the phrase that fans have used affectionately for years has a new meaning.

The “Yeehaw Meemaw” made the CMA ballot.

She did it after years of pursuing music while maintaining a life that feels remarkably grounded.

She did it after standing on a national television stage as a teenager.

She did it after finding the right team and signing her record deal.

She did it after touring and learning from some of country music’s biggest names.

And she did it while still making time for the garden, the kitchen and the chickens.

That is a story worth celebrating.

Whatever happens when the CMA Awards arrive in November, Emily Ann Roberts has already reached a milestone she will never lose.

Her name is officially among the nominees for New Artist of the Year.

And for an artist who has spent more than a decade working toward the next chapter, this moment feels like exactly that — not the finish line, but the beginning of something even bigger.

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