Kristyn Harris

Texas-bred musical powerhouse, KRISTYN HARRIS, is noted for her powerful vocals, solid swing rhythm guitar style, unique songwriting, award winning yodel, and captivating stage presence. She has been named the International Western Music Association Entertainer of the Year 5 times, and her latest album was most recently awarded the prestigious Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. She is also a 7-time recipient of the IWMA Female Performer of the Year and in 2022 received the CMA of Texas Cowboy Western Entertainer of the Year Award. Her singing has been praised as "timeless" with "the warmth and power of Texas sunshine". You might have also seen Kristyn featured on the 2018 season of ABC’s American Idol, where she was given a special invitation by the producers to come on the show and audition with a yodeling song. 

          Though not raised in a musical household, Kristyn began singing and playing at age 14 when she felt strongly inspired to pick up a guitar, and it has rarely left her hands since. Discovering an instant passion, she launched into a headlong pursuit of the music that grabbed her – primarily western and western swing (later, throwing in classic country, 1940s big band, gypsy jazz, and traditional folk song influences to her music, and building a gospel repertoire). Somewhere along the way it became her career path. 

Songs of the western lifestyle have also gone hand in hand with her passion for land, livestock, and horses. Along with training her own horses, Kristyn has started a small herd of black angus cattle (the "Diamond K") and and even does professional trick riding – aka, gymnastics/stunts on a galloping horse – as a side hobby. These rural facets of her life commonly seep their way into her songs and shows. You can still find her combining these passions when she rides into rodeo arenas on her once-wild mustang to sing the Star Spangled Banner. In their January 2022 issue, Western Horseman Magazine featured Kristyn as one of 10 women who make it "Cool to be Cowgirl".

In February of 2020 she released her 4th solo album, "A Place to Land", which she co-produced with Aarom Meador. It immediately hit #1 on the Western Swing radio charts, #1 on the Western Music radio charts, and landed 3 songs in the Top 10. Her previous album, "Down the Trail" (2015), was named the IWMA Western Album of the Year and Rural Roots Music Commission Pure Country & Western CD of the Year in 2015. Her 2013 release, "Let Me Ride", was also named Album of the Year from the IWMA upon its release. National television appearances, in addition to "American Idol", include RFD-TV’s “The Penny Gilley Show”, “The Shotgun Red Variety Show”, and Nickelodeon’s popular game show, “Figure It Out”. She has been featured in multiple western documentaries, including a film that aired throughout 4 European countries in 2014.  

Kristyn is packaged with an energetic and genuine style that makes her love of what she does evident and contagious. Keeping a heavy and widespread tour schedule – including her 5th European tour coming in 2023 - she frequently performs as a solo act and with larger ensembles. 
 Red Steagall says: “Kristyn Harris is one of the greatest talents that I have ever heard. Her heart is as big as Texas and it shows when she performs. She has a great career in store for her. I’m so proud that she’s my friend.” ABC News in Dallas called her “a rising star that has authenticity down to an art.” 

And, the Arizona Cowboy Gathering put it best: 
"This bundle of energy and talent is 'the rage' on stage from the east coast to the west and if you can stay seated when she finishes her performance you're prob'ly 'bout ready for the grave!!"

 

To see what other folks are saying about Kristyn, or to make your own comment, click HERE

To read Kristyn's Blog, click HERE


Accolades
2023 International Red Carpet Awards Americana Female Original Song of the Year for “Place to Land”
5-time International Western Music Association Entertainer of the year (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022)
7-time International Western Music Association Female Performer of the Year (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023)
2022 Country Music Association of Texas Cowboy Western Entertainer of the Year
2022 International Red Carpet Awards Female Country Cover Song of the Year for "Cows Around" 
2021 National Cowboy Hall of Fame Western Heritage Wrangler Awards Outstanding Traditional Western Album for “A Place to Land”
2019 Academy of Western Artists' Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western Swing Female Vocalist of the Year
2017 Pro Cowboy Country Artist Association Entertainer of the Year
2017 Pro Cowboy Country Artist Association Female Vocalist of the Year
2017 Ameripolitan Music Awards Western Swing Female Artist of the Year
2015 International Western Music Association Western Album of the Year for “Down the Trail”
2015 Rural Roots Music Commission "Pure Country & Western CD of the Year" for "Down The Trail"
2015 Cowtown Society of Western Swing Rising Star of the Year
2013 Academy of Western Artists Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western Female Vocalist of the Year
2013 International Western Music Association Cowboy Swing Album of the Year for "Let Me Ride"
2012 International Western Music Association Crescendo Award
2012 International Western Music Association Female Yodeler of the Year
2011 Kamloops, British Columbia Rising Star Award
2011 Western Music Association Janet McBride Yodeling Award 

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