One year ago, at the 2024 CMA Awards, Chris Stapleton walked away with four trophies, for Single of the Year (as the artist and producer) and Song of the Year, all for “White Horse“, plus the award for Male Vocalist of the Year.
The award for Single of the Year came first, with Stapleton giving a heartfelt acceptance speech. Unfortunately, amid the busyness of the moment, Stapleton forgot to thank the single most important person in his life: his wife, Morgane Stapleton.
Fans noticed and began commenting online, but they didn’t need to worry. As soon as Stapleton returned to the stage, this time to accept the CMA Award for Song of the Year, he made sure to thank Morgane, whom he wed in 2007.
“I really am taken aback. Thank you so much for this,” Stapleton said. “I owe my wife an apology. That last award also belonged to her. … I really owe a lot to her, so I thank her for her support.”
Stapleton wrote “White Horse” with Dan Wilson.
Chris Stapleton Makes Sure His Wife Morgane Remains His Top Priority
Chris Stapleton shares five children with Morgane Stapleton. The family travels together when he tours, with Morgane Stapleton also singing with her husband.
For Stapleton, who already has won plenty of awards (and is nominated for three more at tonight’s CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year), his greatest joy has nothing to do with accolades or honors.
“I’m grateful I get to do this,” Stapleton tells Billboard. “I’m grateful for what it brings my family, and that’s all that matters at the end of the day — those five people who call you daddy.”
In fact, Morgane Stapleton once thought of being an artist herself, before realizing she preferred being out of the spotlight. When she does perform, it’s because of her husband, and not for any personal recognition.
“[She] doesn’t like the attention necessarily, and she does it because I do it,” Stapleton says (per Entertainment-Focus). “She likes to do it with me because I enjoy doing it. She would be very happy staying home and doing mom stuff. And she likes music, and she is very passionate about music, but some of the other things that are the work of music are not her favorite.
“But she’s invaluable as well, ” he adds. “And she knows that as well, and we make sure that she knows that. That’s a hard thing for her to navigate sometimes, to be needed in so many places… We all know that she’s the boss in the room, and if it doesn’t pass her, it’s not going to pass. That’s the way it goes.”
Photo by Jason Davis/WireImage
