Maren Morris


Maren Larae Morris is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has released two studio albums. Her 2015 extended play, Maren Morris, charted on two Billboard charts. Her major label debut album, Hero, reached number five on the Billboard 200 chart and number one on the Top Country Albums chart, and was certified platinum in the United States. Morris is also a member of The Highwomen, a group also consisting of Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby.
Her first album Walk On was released in 2005. Her debut single, "My Church", peaked at number one on the Country Digital Songs chart in 2016 and reached the top five on the US Hot Country Songs chart and won a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance. Her third single, "I Could Use a Love Song", was her first to reach number one on the US Country Airplay chart. She provided vocals for "The Middle", a pop collaboration with Zedd and Grey, released in January 2018, which reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and received three nominations at the 61st Grammy Awards. Morris' second album, Girl, was released on March 8, 2019, through Columbia Nashville, preceded by the lead single and title track. The album once again attained the top spot on the Top County Albums chart and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 chart, while Morris achieved her first top 15 entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the album's single "The Bones", which peaked at number 12.

Early life

Morris was born in Arlington, Texas, to Greg and Kellie Morris. As a child, she spent most of her time at her parents' hair salon. When Maren was 12, her father bought her a guitar and she fell in love with it. Her music recording career started in 2005, with her debut studio album, Walk On, released on June 14, 2005, by Mozzi Blozzi Music. Her subsequent release, All That it Takes, was released on October 22, 2007, by Smith Entertainment. Her third release, Live Wire, was released in 2011, by Mozzi Blozzi Music. Her major label debut album Hero was released to critical acclaim in 2016. Maren spent several years in Nashville writing songs for other artists, including "Last Turn Home" on Tim McGraw's 2014 album Sundown Heaven Town, and "Second Wind", which Kelly Clarkson sang on her 2015 album Piece by Piece.

Career

2015: ''Maren Morris'' EP

Morris initially self-released five songs as an eponymous extended play, Maren Morris, on Spotify in August 2015. The songs gained 2.5 million streams on Spotify in a month, with three songs appearing on Spotify's US and Global "Viral 50" chart. The success of Morris' EP attracted the interest of major labels, and she was signed to Columbia Nashville in September 2015. The label re-released the five-song EP, on November 6, 2015, with "My Church" the lead single. Following airplay on country radio, along with several in-studio appearances on satellite radio, this EP charted on two Billboard charts—number 27 on the Country Albums chart and number one on the Top Heatseekers chart—and sold 2,400 copies in its debut week. "My Church" reached number five on the Hot Country Songs chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA.

2016–2018: ''Hero'', breakthrough, and collaborations

With the success of "My Church", Morris released her major label studio album on June 3, 2016, the week she started a tour with Keith Urban. The album debuted and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 chart, and number one on the Top Country Albums chart.
Her debut single from the project, "My Church", hit number one on the Country Digital Songs chart in 2016 and reached the top five on the US Hot Country Songs chart.
Hero earned Morris four Grammy Award nominations at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. The album was nominated for Best Country Album, "My Church" won Best Country Solo Performance and was nominated for Best Country Song. Morris was also nominated for the all-genre honor of Best New Artist, but lost to Chance The Rapper. She was honored at Billboard Women in Music 2016 with the Breakthrough Star Award, and received the Breakthrough Artist Award at Music Biz 2017.
Morris embarked on the Hero Tour in 2017, in support of her album. She joined Sam Hunt for his 15 in a 30 Tour later that year. A deluxe edition of Hero was released in March 2017, featuring the songs "Bummin' Cigarettes," "Space" and "Company You Keep."
In response to the 2017 Las Vegas Strip shooting, Morris released "Dear Hate", a song she had written and recorded with Vince Gill, with all proceeds from the track going to the Music City Cares Fund.
She provided vocals on the song "Craving You" with Thomas Rhett in 2017. Morris was also featured on Niall Horan's song "Seeing Blind", released in October 2017. She later opened for Horan on his 2018 Flicker World Tour. She collaborated with Zedd and Grey on "The Middle", released in January 2018. That single, which combined elements of country, pop, and electronic dance music, reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. On October 5, 2018, Morris appeared as a special guest during Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour in Arlington, Texas, performing "The Middle" with Swift.

2019–present: ''Girl'' and Highwomen

In January 2019, Morris released the lead single "Girl" from her upcoming second major label studio album of the same name and simultaneously announced a worldwide concert, Girl: The World Tour, to support the album which was released on March 8. The tour began on March 9 in Chicago, and concluded on August 23, 2019 in Canberra, Australia. In March, it was announced that Morris would be forming a group with Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby called The Highwomen, often joined by a rotating line-up of guests, such as Sheryl Crow, Chely Wright, Margo Price and Courtney Marie Andrews. A social media post by Shires' husband Jason Isbell hinted that the group had already begun recording with producer Dave Cobb. The Highwomen made their live debut, alongside new member Natalie Hemby on April 1, 2019 at Loretta Lynn's 87th birthday concert performing "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels". "Redesigning Women" was released on July 19, 2019 as the first single from their self-titled debut album released on September 6, 2019, which had top-ten debut on Billboard 200 and number one on the Country Chart.
In 2020, "The Bones", the second official single from Girl peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and topped the Country Airplay and Hot County Songs charts.
On June 12, 2020 Maren released two new songs titled "Just For Now" & "Takes Two" as part of the GIRL deluxe edition.

Personal life

In December 2015, Morris began dating fellow country singer Ryan Hurd, whom she had first met in a co-write in 2013. They became engaged in July 2017. The two were married on March 24, 2018, in Nashville, Tennessee.
In October 2019, Morris and Hurd announced that they were expecting their first child together, a boy, in March 2020. Their son, Hayes Andrew Hurd, was born on March 23, 2020.

Tours

Headlining
Opening
In July 2018, it was announced that Morris would perform at Brandi Carlile's upcoming music festival called Girls Just Wanna Weekend. It took place in January 2019 in Mexico.

Discography

YearTitleArtistAlbum
2014"Last Turn Home"Tim McGrawSundown Heaven Town
2014"Blind"Aubrey Peeples
2015"Second Wind"Kelly ClarksonPiece by Piece
2015"Clint Eastwood"Jessie James Decker
2015"This is Real Life"Connie Britton and Lennon & Maisy'
2015"Shoot Out the Lights"Caitlyn ShadboltCaitlyn Shadbolt – EP
2015"Wake Up When It's Over"Clare Bowen and Sam Palladiorowspan="2"
2015"Mess Worth Making"Aubrey Peeples-
2016"Greener Pastures"Brothers OsbornePawn Shop
2016"The Book"Aubrey Peeples
2016"Caged Bird"Aubrey Peeples'
2016"Boomtown"Hayden Panettiere and Will Chase
2016"Jesus or a Bullet"The HenningsensWorld's On Fire
2016"Your Whiskey"Kree HarrisonThis Old Thing
2017"Out for Love"Bridgit Mendler
2017"Shoot Out the Lights"Jessie James DeckerGold
2017"Too Young to Know"Jessie James DeckerGold
2017"Open All Night"Jessie James DeckerSouthern Girl City Lights
2017"Hold a Candle"Jessie James DeckerSouthern Girl City Lights

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Morris was nominated for four Grammy Awards at the 2017 Grammy Awards. She led as the most-nominated country artist: Best New Artist, Best Country Song for "My Church", Best Country Album for Hero and Best Country Solo Performance for "My Church", the latter of which she won. In September 2018, CMT announced that their annual Artists of the Year special would honor Morris and other female performers.

Academy of Country Music Awards

American Music Awards

APRA Music Awards

''Billboard'' Music Awards

BMI Awards

BMI Country Awards

YearCategoryNominated workResult
2017Top Country Songs"My Church"
2017Top Country Songs"80s Mercedes"
2018Top Country Songs"I Could Use a Love Song"
2019Top Country Songs"Rich"

British Country Music Association Awards

Country Music Association Awards

CMT Music Awards

Grammy Awards

iHeartRadio Music Awards

iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards

YearCategoryNominated workResult
2018Best Collaboration"The Middle"
2018Song of the Summer"The Middle"

MTV Video Music Awards

YearCategoryNominated workResult
2019Best Power Anthem"Girl"

Radio Disney Music Awards

People's Choice Awards

Teen Choice Awards

YearCategoryNominated workResult
2017Choice Country Song"Craving You"
2018Choice Music: Country ArtistMaren Morris
2018Choice Music: Collaboration"The Middle"
2018Choice Music: Electronic/Dance Song"The Middle"
2019Choice Country Song"Girl"