Country music sensation Maren Morris is still pinching herself after receiving a phone call from her idol Sir Elton John.

The young singer/songwriter's star is well and truly on the rise after she picked up the Best New Artist trophy at Wednesday's (02Nov16) CMA Awards in Nashville, Tennessee, but she already felt like a winner after the Rocket Man got in touch with her.

"You know, it’s crazy, but Elton John called me one day," the My Church singer tells Taste of Country, revealing the Brit told her he was a big fan of her break-out album Hero, which was nominated for a Best Album award at the CMAs.

"He was just a big fan of the music."

Maren admits she didn't pick up the first two times Elton called, because she didn't recognize the number on her cellphone, and when she finally answered, she refused to believe the Nikita singer was on the other end of the line until her manager texted her confirmation she was chatting to a music legend.

"He was so cool, he was so nice," Morris recalls, admitting she was speechless for much of the phone chat. "I couldn’t even form words except for, like, 'Thank you'. It was amazing."

Morris was overcome with emotion as she picked up her first CMA on Wednesday night minutes after performing her hit My Church with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Fighting back tears during her acceptance speech, she said, "Y'all! I can't win this award right after performing. I'm going to fall apart. Last year, I sat across the street at a bar and watched this show. I never thought as a songwriter I'd be standing here today."