When the nominations for the 2025 CMA Awards came out, it was many mainstream country fans' first introduction to Stephen Wilson Jr., who scored a New Artist of the Year nod.

But there’s more to Wilson Jr. than meets the eye — and not just because, at 46, he’s significantly older than the average contender in the category.

Wilson Jr. formed the indie rock group AutoVaughn during his senior year of college and spent about five years touring with the band.

After leaving the group, he stepped away from music entirely, pursuing a research and development career in a food science lab. Despite the sharp left turn — a move that provided financial security to raise his stepson — he never let go of his passion for songwriting.

He signed a publishing deal in 2016 and started releasing indie ro

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