Sierra Hull Earns 4 GRAMMY Nominations for Independent Album Release

Sierra Hull enters GRAMMY week with momentum built from a year of near-constant touring, high-profile collaborations, and an independent release that has reshaped her career. While on the road with Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, Hull reflected on the pace of the past nine months and how growth can be hard to see while it is happening.

"When I think for a minute about all the things that I've gotten to be a part of over the last nine months or so since the record came out, it's like, 'Whoa,'" Hull, 34, tells PEOPLE from her tour bus while out on a recent tour with Béla Fleck & The Flecktones. "We've been a lot of places, and we've done a lot of stuff this year, but when you're in the midst of it all, it's like looking in the mirror every day. You don't realize that things are changing, or things are growing in a way, if that makes sense."

Hull released A Tip Toe High Wire in March as a completely independent artist, marking her first full-length project since parting ways with Rounder Records in 2020. The move represented both a creative and professional turning point, coinciding with extensive touring and a renewed focus on collaboration, including a recent recording trip to California with Turnpike Troubadours.

"I'm still in shock," the East Tennessee–bred singer/songwriter and award-winning mandolinist admits with a laugh. "I thought there was a chance we could get one nomination, but I had already prepared myself emotionally that if that didn't happen, it didn't mean that we didn't have a good year or put out a good record."

Hull earned four GRAMMY nominations for A Tip Toe High Wire: Best Bluegrass Album, Best American Roots Song for "Spitfire," Best Americana Performance for "Boom," and Best Instrumental Composition for Lord, "That's a Long Way." She views the recognition as validation of the work rather than a promise of wins, and as a sign of momentum heading into new music expected in 2026.

"I think the beauty of being an artist is that you can know who you are but yet still remain open, as we do as people, to change," says Hull.

Hull recognizes the pressure of lengthy absences while touring and manages to maintain her sense of creativity while still remaining grounded by spending time with her husband, Justin Moses, as much as possible, even with her busy schedule.