Lainey Wilson and Charlie Worsham at Bridgestone Arena for the 59th Annual CMA Awards, 11/19/2025
Since I last covered country music, I’ve actually developed a deep affection for ’80s and ’90s hits of the genre, thanks to local radio station Y'all 106.7 FM ("The BEST Country"). Like, are you aware that every single Alan Jackson song is good? Did you know the best country song might be “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses” by Kathy Mattea? Or the most wistful is “Time Marches On” by Tracy Lawrence? The most philosophical is, hmm, I guess, “Third Rock From the Sun” by Joe Diffie? I’ve gone country. “Look at them boots,” the poet sang.
Of course, this newfound appreciation has in no way prepared me for 2025-era country music, which as far as I can tell is kind of like a blues-rock-pop hybrid that may or may not have a twang. So all things considered, I’m still an opinionated ignoramus popping off on this year’s CMA Awards. And this year, I was actually there, reporting live(ish!) from Bridgestone Arena! Let’s go!
Arriving fashionably early, I had plenty of time to admire everyone dressed in their Wednesday best of spangles, ties and 10-gallons. A red carpet live feed played on the screens above the concession stands, and onstage there were awards handed out for radio winners and tour folks.
Announcements to take seats and clear the aisles began: “Nashville, let America hear it!” Luke Combs opened the show with “Back in the Saddle.”
Ella Langley and Riley Green accept the Song of the Year Award for “You Look Like You Love Me” at Bridgestone Arena during the 59th Annual CMA Awards, 11/19/2025
Host Lainey Wilson shared with us all that she grew up in the boonies and is proud to host. She is a FAN. Her outfit was like David Byrne but make it country. Charlie Worsham joined her to kick off an opening medley that included Shaboozey and Little Big Town; not gonna lie, it was pretty cool. Keith Urban was also there, and not the first Australian we spotted thanks to those pre-show awards. Elizabeth Hurley and Billy Ray Cyrus gave Single of the Year to “You Look Like You Love Me” by Ella Langley and Riley Green.
During a commercial break, people near me argued over whether or not Morgan Wallen throwing a chair off a building was dangerous or funny. I’m calling it 70/30.
Comedian Leanne Morgan was there, and shared that she is from Adams, Tenn. Leanne, I’m gonna need a tight five on the Bell Witch, K? She joked that if she had made it here in the 1980s when her bod was tight, she would have used it for evil and everyone laughed and laughed. We all agreed!
Zach Top at Bridgestone Arena for the 59th Annual CMA Awards, 11/19/2025
Zach Top took the stage on a big ol’ li’l guitar. The song was good? I liked it. It’s called “Guitar.”
Next to present were Gretchen Wilson and, you guessed it, Ne-Yo. They gave Duo of the Year to Brooks & Dunn, and it was their 16th win! Said, er, someone: “Are we sick of this? Hell no!” Like I said, I listen to ’90s country radio, but honestly don’t know if that was Brooks or Dunn.
Megan Moroney at Bridgestone Arena for the 59th Annual CMA Awards, 11/19/2025
The next live performance was Megan Moroney with a big bubblegum pink stage setup that looked Sabrina Carpenter in the eye and said, “I have also shopped in the cheap half of Victoria’s Secret.” Chris Stapleton, on the other hand, got NO stage setup, just some lights, and he performed “Bad as I Used to Be.” During this song I spotted a segment of the crowd that I thought might be mannequins to fill in the seats. I slowly realized they were, in fact, troops dressed in uniform who would later be honored. (Spoiler alert, I participated in the honoring of the troops.) They are very good at sitting very still.
Cowgirl of the Year was presented to a cute child in the audience. After that, Kelsea Ballerini performed with a fog machine and a wistful swing in sad rainwater. Then it was Leann Rimes! I have been watching 9-1-1: Nashville and would like to point out that, on that show, her son’s name is Blue. She gave Best New Artist to Zach Top; now that I have seen him perform, I saw that coming. He wisely thanked both the Lord and his road crew.
The Red Clay Strays accept the Vocal Group of the Year Award at Bridgestone Arena during the 59th Annual CMA Awards, 11/19/2025
Billy Bob Thorton sauntered out and my date said “LANDMAN.” (That’s a show starring Billy Bob Thornton.) He introduced The Red Clay Strays, which honestly sounded like a name he made up on the spot. The main guy looks like a younger version of actor Matt Ross, who played Alby the Weird Polygamist on Big Love. For the record, I am PRO Matt Ross types. The song was pretty good, I even saw an older gentleman with Shazam pulled up for this bit.
Kimberly Perry and Grace Van Patten gave Song o’ the Year to “Love You Like You Love Me.” The people next to me asked if that song didn’t win last year? I don’t know! I was NOT ready for a pop quiz on past winners. [Editor’s note: Because it is my job to find out stuff like this, I learned that “You Look Like You Love Me,” the song getting a little roast here, indeed won Musical Event of the Year in 2024 and was also performed during last year’s show.]
Stephen Wilson Jr. covered “Stand by Me” in his particular style. This was not for me. Distracted, I blessed and prayed for the crew that switched out the stage sets. Your work has not gone unnoticed. Also, someone busted out a weed pen about this point. Also, it had only been an hour and 15 minutes.
Among the new CMA inductees was Kenny Chesney, who performed a big ol’ medley. Literally everyone else in the arena was singing along and having a good time. This was clearly a Me Problem.
Video of the year! “You Look Like You Love Me” again.
Old Dominion also played a medley of songs I don’t know, one of which kind of sounds like “What’s My Age Again?” by Blink-182. It ended with a lot of smoke; I liked the smoke.
Steve Martin, who I knew was here because I saw him on the red carpet live feed, did some banjo-ing and awarded Album of the Year to (host) Lainey Wilson, who mentioned that her Granny was there. God bless Lainey’s Granny.
Shaboozey and Stephen Wilson Jr. at Bridgestone Arena for the 59th Annual CMA Awards, 11/19/2025
Then Stephen Wilson Jr. was back to duet with Shaboozey. Their set had some wheats and grasses and people walking through it in a kind of creepy way. Truly autumnal.
Jordan Davis and Lauren Daigle, who are hosting the upcoming TV special CMA Country Christmas, gave Group of the Year to The Red Clay Strays. I come from Regular Brown Dirt Country, so honestly I kind of side-eyed them. Apparently red clay is called ultisol, but now I was digging far too deep into the USDA soil taxonomy and had to move on.
I saw a disco ball setup but it was NOT used for Lainey Wilson’s performance of “Ring Finger.” She is good at entertaining, and I could tell right then she would win Entertainer of the Year. (Spoiler alert.)
Ella Langley pointed out THE TROOPS I saw earlier and said they were 100 people from the 101st Airborne. Did that mean they all had to drive back to Clarksville afterward? I would be HONORED if my tax dollars paid for everyone to have a nice hotel room downtown.
Miranda Lambert sang a duet with Chris Stapleton, but the real star was the second percussion guy.
Alan Ritchson and Lainey Wilson at Bridgestone Arena for the 59th Annual CMA Awards, 11/19/2025
Alan Ritchson, also known as Reacher, was there. He was recognized as Cowboy of the Night and is not a cute little girl but a very big grown man. There was an episode of Reacher where he’s at a record store in a college town and talks shit on an Ethel Merman disco album, but I was like, “Uh, that would quickly and easily sell in a college town?” A perfect condition vinyl copy on Discogs is currently going for $40. I think we can all agree that was a rare misstep in the verisimilitude of the Reacher Expanded Universe.
Ella Langley sang a Texas song, and the set, according to my date, looked like bar mitzvah decor. I cannot disagree. Male Vocalist of the Year went to Cody Johnson.
This year’s recipient of the Willie Nelson Award for Instruments and Keeping It Real was Vince Gill. He said he ain’t never smoked weed (the night was young) and gave away one of the very few cusses of the night with the word “ass.” Congratulations, Vincent!
BigXThaPlug and Luke Combs at Bridgestone Arena for the 59th Annual CMA Awards, 11/19/2025
BigXThaPlug and Luke Combs sang and I was like: “Oh my gosh, it’s only 15 minutes until some Taco Bell! This song is VERY short. Thank you fellas!”
Female Vocalist of the Year was Lainey Wilson! She is selling clothes with Wrangler and honestly I kinda want to buy this coat. Congratulations on your awards and coats! She was also awarded Artist of the Year, presented by Keith Urban in one of Rent the Runway’s finest glitter blouses. “Y’all, I’m gonna be honest with y’all,” Lainey began. That was two y’alls in, like, five seconds! Did she know I like that radio station? Probably.
Congrats to all the winners. Maybe next year hit me up for an after-party?
The 59th Annual Country Music Association Awards
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
“4x4xU” — Lainey Wilson
Producer: Jay Joyce
Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
“Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” — Luke Combs
Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
“Am I Okay?” — Megan Moroney
Producer: Kristian Bush
Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank
“I Never Lie” — Zach Top
Producer: Carson Chamberlain
Mix Engineer: Matt Rovey
“You Look Like You Love Me” — Ella Langley and Riley Green
Producer: Will Bundy
Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Am I Okay? — Megan Moroney // Producer: Kristian Bush // Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank
Cold Beer & Country Music — Zach Top // Producer: Carson Chamberlain // Mix Engineer: Matt Rovey
F-1 Trillion — Post Malone // Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins // Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore
I’m The Problem — Morgan Wallen // Producers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi // Mix Engineers: Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi
Whirlwind — Lainey Wilson // Producer: Jay Joyce // Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
SONG OF THE YEAR
“4x4xU”
Songwriters: Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere, Lainey Wilson
“Am I Okay?”
Songwriters: Jessie Jo Dillon, Luke Laird, Megan Moroney
“I Never Lie”
Songwriters: Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols, Zach Top
“Texas”
Songwriters: Johnny Clawson, Josh Dorr, Lalo Guzman, Kyle Sturrock
“You Look Like You Love Me”
Songwriters: Riley Green, Ella Langley, Aaron Raitiere
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Lainey Wilson
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Zach Top
Morgan Wallen
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady A
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
The Red Clay Strays
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Maddie & Tae
The War and Treaty
MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
“Don’t Mind If I Do” — Riley Green (featuring Ella Langley)
Producers: Scott Borchetta, Jimmy Harnen, Dann Huff
“Hard Fought Hallelujah” — Brandon Lake with Jelly Roll
Producer: Micah Nichols
“I’m Gonna Love You” — Cody Johnson (with Carrie Underwood)
Producer: Trent Willmon
“Pour Me a Drink” — Post Malone (feat. Blake Shelton)
Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome
“You Had to Be There” — Megan Moroney (feat. Kenny Chesney)
Producer: Kristian Bush
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Jenee Fleenor — Fiddle
Paul Franklin — Steel Guitar
Brent Mason — Guitar
Rob McNelley — Guitar
Derek Wells — Guitar
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Directors: Alexandra Gavillet, Megan Moroney
“I’m Gonna Love You” — Cody Johnson (with Carrie Underwood)
Director: Dustin Haney
“Somewhere Over Laredo” — Lainey Wilson
Director: TK McKamy
“Think I’m In Love With You” — Chris Stapleton
Director: Running Bear
“You Look Like You Love Me” — Ella Langley and Riley Green
Directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ella Langley
Shaboozey
Zach Top
Tucker Wetmore
Stephen Wilson Jr.
