Lainey Wilson Leads 2025 CMA Awards With Three Major Wins

Country music gathered in Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 19, for the 59^th Annual Country Music Association Awards, where artists, songwriters and producers were recognized for their work over the past year. Broadcast live from Bridgestone Arena on ABC at 8 p.m. ET, the ceremony honored achievements across 12 main categories and included several live performances from leading figures in the genre.

The evening’s most awarded artist was host Lainey Wilson, who secured three trophies: album of the year for “Whirlwind,” female vocalist of the year and the top honor, entertainer of the year. Wilson also took the stage for a performance and shared hosting duties throughout the telecast.

On the men’s side, Cody Johnson was selected male vocalist of the year, while newcomer Zach Top earned new artist of the year. Another standout moment came when Ella Langley and Riley Green collected single of the year, song of the year and music video of the year for their collaboration “you look like you love me.”

Two winners—musical event of the year and music video of the year—were announced earlier in the day on the morning news program “Good Morning America,” a practice that has become routine for the CMA Awards. Musical event of the year went to Post Malone featuring Blake Shelton for “Pour Me A Drink.”

Main winners

Entertainer of the year: Lainey Wilson
Album of the year: “Whirlwind,” Lainey Wilson
Female vocalist of the year: Lainey Wilson
Male vocalist of the year: Cody Johnson

Category results

• Musical event of the year: “Pour Me A Drink” – Post Malone (feat. Blake Shelton)
• Music video of the year: “you look like you love me” – Ella Langley & Riley Green
• Single of the year: “you look like you love me” – Ella Langley & Riley Green
• Song of the year: “you look like you love me” – Riley Green, Ella Langley, Aaron Raitiere
• New artist of the year: Zach Top
• Vocal duo of the year: Brooks & Dunn
• Vocal group of the year: The Red Clay Strays
• Musician of the year: Paul Franklin – steel guitar

Additional nominees

Several categories featured tight competition among established chart-toppers and rising acts. Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen each appeared in multiple fields, while groups such as Lady A and Old Dominion vied for vocal group honors. In the musician category, respected session players Brent Mason, Rob McNelley and Derek Wells joined winner Paul Franklin on the ballot.

Performances and broadcast details

The telecast included live renditions of current radio singles and fan favorites from Wilson, Keith Urban, Luke Combs and others. Presenters rotated throughout the night to introduce categories and performers, maintaining a steady pace for the three-hour show.

For viewers who missed the live broadcast, ABC confirmed that the full program will be available on Hulu beginning Thursday, Nov. 20. The arrangement continues a multi-year partnership that places CMA content on a major streaming platform, expanding access beyond the traditional television audience. More information on past and present CMA Awards can be found on the Country Music Association’s official site (cmaworld.com), which archives winners, nominees and historical data dating back to 1967.

Complete winners list

Musical event of the year
“Pour Me A Drink” – Post Malone (feat. Blake Shelton) – Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome

Music video of the year
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley & Riley Green – Directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney

Single of the year
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley & Riley Green – Producer: Will Bundy – Mix engineer: Jim Cooley

Vocal duo of the year
Brooks & Dunn

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New artist of the year
Zach Top

Musician of the year
Paul Franklin – Steel guitar

Song of the year
“you look like you love me” – Songwriters: Riley Green, Ella Langley, Aaron Raitiere

Album of the year
“Whirlwind” – Lainey Wilson – Producer: Jay Joyce – Mix engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce

Vocal group of the year
The Red Clay Strays

Male vocalist of the year
Cody Johnson

Female vocalist of the year
Lainey Wilson

Entertainer of the year
Lainey Wilson

The 2025 edition marked the CMA Awards’ 59^th year of celebrating country music, continuing a tradition that began in 1967. Bridgestone Arena, a frequent host of the ceremony, once again served as the venue, drawing industry professionals, press and fans to downtown Nashville.

Crédito da imagem: ABC