Kelsea Ballerini Stuns in Shania Twain's Iconic 1999 Grammys Dress for ACM Honors

Kelsea Ballerini told E! News how Shania Twain "pushed every boundary," and how she wanted to honor her in a special way at the Academy of Country Music Honors on Aug. 24.

By Alyssa Morin Aug 25, 2022 7:02 PMTags

Kelsea Ballerini's latest red carpet look impresses us very much.

Well, for one, Kelsea lit up the red carpet at the 15th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors in Nashville, Tenn. wearing Shania Twain's iconic 1999 Grammys dress. While speaking to E! News at the event, Kelsea explained why she chose to wear the gown. 

"When I was asked to be a part of honoring her, my first thought went to, 'What can I sing?'" the 28-year-old recalled, "Then my second thought went to: She didn't just change the music industry from her voice and her songs, she changed it in every way...and pushed every boundary."

The striking white long-sleeve gown from Marc Bouwer is the epitome of elegance with its simple curve-hugging silhouette. But the addition of the silver sparkly rhinestones gives it the wow factor. 

Shania, 56, wore the dazzling piece the year she won her first two Grammys. She picked up the statues for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song for "You're Still the One."

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Kelsea Ballerini's Best Looks

Kelsea told E! News the breathtaking gown fit her like a glove. And thankfully so because she wasn't allowed to alter the piece. 

Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for ACM

Taking to Instagram on Aug. 25, Kelsea revealed that the Grammy Museum let her borrow the vintage design for 24 hours.

"if your hero is shania twain, meet your hero," she captioned her post. "you may become friends and she may even let you wear THE dress."

Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ACM

The two country queens posed together at the star-studded event, flashing wide smiles and laughing together.

During the awards show, which airs on Sept. 13 on Fox at 8 p.m. ET, Kelsea continued to pay homage to Shania on stage wearing a black corset mini dress with a floor-length trench coat and top hat. The look was reminiscent of Shania's get-up in the 1999 "Man! I Feel Like A Woman" music video.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; John Shearer/Getty Images

Shania expressed how honored she was to be celebrated at the ceremony.

"What a great night! My heart is full from watching and hearing the tributes," she wrote on Instagram. "Being acknowledged as a songwriter has always been my goal... thank you to the @acmawards for honouring me with the Poet's Award."

She continued, "It's been a bumpy ride, I kept my chin up, developed a tough skin and got on with it!! Also I got to spend the night in the historical Ryman Auditorium surrounded by my friends, fellow songwriters and beautiful fans, gorgeous."

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