The "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" singer opens up to ET backstage at the ACM Honors taping in Nashville.
Shania Twain is opening up about her deep connection with Wynonna Judd. Speaking with ET backstage at the ACM Honors taping in Nashville, Tennessee, Twain reveals that the pair only became close in recent years -- despite rising to fame together in the '80s and '90s.
"Wynonna and I have become friends over time and not over music," Twain tells ET's Cassie DiLaura. "Obviously in our prime charting years we would pass in the hallways, but we never met or engaged at all during that time and now in the last several years we exchange what we're doing in the garden, how our kids are doing, and just our love and admiration for each other as human beings. She is a powerful force and a beautiful friend."
Twain says that the country icons' chat history is filled with photos of flowers and vegetables from their gardens, while they've also bonded over a shared history and growing up with musical mothers.
"It is the sweetest and we find happiness in the simple things," Twain says. "We have a lot in common in our childhood, music history and growing up with music -- our mothers being so involved with our music, and so we just have more in common than we'd ever imagined while we were in our prime of chart-topping music."
Twain is being honored by the Academy of Country Music this year with its Poets Award, alongside songwriter Sonny Throckmorton, for their "outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions."
"That's a huge, huge honor," Twain tells ET. "The song writing is everything to me, the storytelling. This is really where I began telling stories so, I mean, there's a lot to say about it. It's just probably the most meaningful compliment. It's at the depth of the work that I do."
To commemorate the occasion, Kelsea Ballerini, Avril Lavigne and Tiera Kennedy paid tribute to the "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" singer with a special performance.
"What I was really touched and moved by was the diversity of women and their styles that... were motivated or inspired somehow by my music. That really makes me happy," Twain says. "Avril is, you know, she’s really kick ass, she has rock edge; and then you've got Tiara, who’s a very soulful singer; and then you've got Kelsea who is pure, uplifting, much more of a pop edge. It was a good feeling to know that I've played maybe some little, tiny role in that influence."
The 15th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors will air Tuesday, Sept. 13 from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
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