59th Annual CMA Awards

This morning, ahead of “The 59th Annual CMA Awards,” the Country Music Association revealed early winners in two categories: Post Malone and Blake Shelton earn CMA Musical Event of the Year for “Pour Me A Drink,” produced by Louis Bell and Charlie Handsome, while Ella Langley and Riley Green and take home the win for CMA Music Video of the Year for “you look like you love me,” directed by Langley, John Park and Wales Toney.

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The announcement took place live on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” with Lara Spencer sharing the news from downtown Nashville’s Honky Tonk Central. The broadcast also included a special segment with CMA Awards host Lainey Wilson, giving viewers an exclusive tour inside Bridgestone Arena as final preparations for the big night get underway.

Artists taking the CMA Awards stage to perform included Kelsea Ballerini, BigXthaPlug, Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Riley Green, Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Little Big Town, Patty Loveless, Megan Moroney, Old Dominion, The Red Clay Strays, Shaboozey, Chris Stapleton, Zach Top, Keith Urban, Tucker Wetmore, Lainey Wilson and Stephen Wilson Jr. 

Tonight’s presenters and special guests included Alison Brown, Jessica Capshaw, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lauren Daigle, Jordan Davis, Elizabeth Hurley, Cody Johnson, Bert Kreischer, Lady A, Brandon Lake, Ella Langley, Steve Martin, Leanne Morgan, NE-YO, Chris O’Donnell, Kimberly Perry, LeAnn Rimes, Alan Ritchson, Lara Spencer, Billy Bob Thornton, Grace Van Patten, Gretchen Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman.  

Luke Combs kicked off the CMA Awards with “Back in the Saddle.” Lainey Wilson then came out as this year’s host and opened up singing with Charlie Worsham on gutiar preformed a complation of “Handful of Dust, ” ” you look like you love me,” “Redneck Woman,” “I Need You Now”, “Gunpowder and Lead,” “A Bar Song (tipsy),” “Girl Crush” – with Little Big Town joining in. Then Keith Urban came out to join her with “Where the Black Top Ends.”

Elizabeth Hurley and Billy Ray Cyrus came out to present the award for Single of the Year to “you look like you love me” to Ella Langley and Riley Green. Both first time winners for single of the year.

Leanne Morgan came out dressed as Lainey’s twin. They introduced Zach Top, who performed, “Guitar.”

Gretchen Wilson (20th Anniversary of “Redneck Woman”) and NeYo (20th Anniverary of “Let Me Love You”) came out to present the award for Vocal Duo of the Year to Brooks & Dunn. This is their 16th win for Vocal Duo of the Year.

Megan Moroney then took the stage to perform “6 Months Later” …The song describes the emotional pain after the split in late 2019, it ultimately becomes a song of empowerment as the narrator moves on, only for her ex to eventually call and want her back, leading to her final sassy conclusion: “What doesn’t kill you calls you 6 months later”. 

Chris Stapleton then took the stage to perform “Bad As I Used To Be” …. a legendary guitar and vocal performance as always and was featured in “F1: The Movie.”

Kelsea Ballerini debuted her brand-new song, “I Sit In Parks.” The song resonates for its unguarded honesty – dropping the mask of perfection, and accepting that, if one can’t have it all, learning to love what you want delivers an uneasy place to make sense of growing up.

Chris O’Donnell, Jesica Capshaw and LeAnn Rimes presented the award for Best New Artist of the Year to Zach Top. This was his first CMA Award win.

Also announced by Lainey Wilson and Billy Bob Thornton, was #CMAawards Musician of the Year is Paul Franklin! Join us in congratulating him on this honor! Billy Bob also announced the Red Clay Strays who performed “People Hatin’.”

Kimberly Perry and Grace Van Patten presented Song of the Year to Riley Green, Ella Langley, and Aaron Raitiere for “you look like you love me”

Stephen Wilson Jr. then took the stage to perform “Stand By Me”…. The classic tune, “Stand By Me,” first recorded by Ben E. King in 1961, also has deep roots in his childhood, as Stephen revealed he instantly felt a connection to it while watching a movie of the same name that’s based off a Stephen King book. After his father passed, Stephen began singing the song in his living room, and eventually, he naturally transformed it from a haunting tune into something more like a hymn. For him, it became a way to keep his father’s memory alive.

“It made him feel like a kid on my shoulders. And I’ve been back to what I said before, kind of chasing that feeling ever since. So it’s really wild that I’m playing it at the CMAs and it’s done what it’s done. It has wings that I can’t quite understand. My dad’s probably has a lot to do with that,” he shared.

Kenny Chesney took the stage, kicking it off with “American Kids.” … Four-time CMA Entertainer of the Year marked his 2025 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame with this special performance that also included “When the Sun Goes Down.”

Lainey then came out with Bailey Zimmerman to announce Old Dominion who performed a compilation of ” Break Up with HIm”, “Memory Lane,” “One Man Band,” Hotel Key,” and “Snap Back.”

Alison Brown and Steve Martin then came out with banjos and then presented Album of the Year to Whirlwind by Lainey Wilson. This was her second win for Album of the Year.