Mickey Guyton Reveals ‘Awkward Moments’ as ‘Project Runway’ Guest Judge (Exclusive)

Mickey Guyton is reflecting on her recent appearance on Project Runway.

Speaking to PEOPLE at the 2025 BMAC Gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., the singer, 42, spoke the moment she stepped on set — and how it compared to watching it at home as a kid.

“You always watch these shows growing up and you think they’re so awesome,” she tells PEOPLE.

“But then to be in that room, to be with Law Roach, to be with Heidi Klum and Zac Posen, and all these amazing designers, and seeing the artists and the designers that are aspiring designers, it was really such an honor to be able to be a part of that.”

Although Guyton says she was star-struck on set, the process of serving as a guest judge still resulted in some “awkward moments.”

“It was a lot,” the country star explains. “There was a lot of awkward moments that I felt bad about having to experience and being a judge for, but it was really beautiful.”

“Judging someone’s art is extremely difficult,” the country star continues. “I’m an artist, that’s what I do. I produce art, and to have to judge somebody else’s art was extremely difficult.”

“I tried to be really sensitive to that because these people are important. Their hearts are important,” she shares. “I don’t want to ever say anything that ruins or hurts and harms them and their spirit as they’re pursuing their careers.”

Guyton appeared on episode 7 this season, alongside designer Zac Posen and regular judges Klum and Roach.

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The aptly themed episode centered on Western fashion, and one scene from the Sept. 4 episode saw Guyton — who was the first Black woman signed to a major country label back in 2011 — complimenting contestant Antonio Estrada’s white leather fringe look for its take on the style.

“I think that this outfit is absolutely beautiful,” she said on the episode. “Latinos and country music have a very beautiful love affair. …There’s a huge Latino movement in country music, and to see that, and see you representing that is absolutely beautiful.”

Elsewhere in her conversation with PEOPLE, the “Make It Me” singer reflected on more than a decade in the music industry and shared what she’s learned in the years since making her debut on the country scene.

“I am grown now, and I stand now, and standing in what you believe as an artist, like putting yourself first, opening your mouth — that’s the thing that I think is the most important, is opening your mouth over what you want,” she shares.

“So often we go in this industry and we trust these music heads and these people that we think know, and the end of the day, you know you better than anybody else, and you have to believe in yourself over everybody else,” she adds, sharing some advice.

For Guyton, speaking up about what she believes in is one of the most important values she has.

“I definitely was afraid to speak up and I did anyway,” she tells PEOPLE. “And as we know, our free speech is definitely at risk right now, and we still, no matter how uncomfortable things get, you have to speak up and find a way that is not divisive, that isn’t harmful to people, but you have to speak up for what you want and what you believe.”