Lainey Wilson wins entertainer of the year at 2025 CMA Awards

The top prize of entertainer of the year at the 2025 Country Music Association Awards went to none other than Lainey Wilson, who hosted, performed and barely left the stage Wednesday night.

“It takes a village,” she said in her acceptance speech. “We're about to party.” She beat out Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen, last year’s winner in the category.

Earlier in the night, she won album of the year for “Whirlwind” — marking her second career win in the category — and earned the trophy for female vocalist of the year. It was her fourth time winning that title.

She celebrated other women in country music — and had a few choice words for those who don’t.

“For the folks that are sitting at home, in your mama’s basement, eating your Cheetos, trying to pit women against each other,” she concluded her speech. “Y’all need to find something better to do.”

In some ways, it echoed 2023’s award show, where Wilson took home five trophies, including entertainer of the year.

But it wasn’t just Lainey celebrating at the 59th annual CMA Awards, which aired live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. It was also a big night for Ella Langley and Riley Green from the jump. The duo’s retro radio hit, “You Look Like You Love Me,” took home both single and song of the year at the 2025 Country Music Association Awards Wednesday night.

“This song is the gift that keeps on giving,” Langley said.

“How cool is it that a song with talking verses wins song of the year?” added Green.

The legendary Vince Gill was presented with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, serenaded with his classic “When I Call Your Name” by Brandi Carlile and Patty Loveless.

“His guitar playing is amazing. His songwriting is amazing. His singing is amazing,” said George Strait. He handed the award to Gill, his friend, and said there was one more deserving. “He’s just an immense talent. And oh, yeah, he plays with The Eagles.”

Gill joked throughout his acceptance speech. First, about his high vocal tone, and later, that he might be the only person to win the award “that’s never smoked any weed,” a nod to its namesake and his friend Nelson.

Brooks & Dunn won vocal duo of the year, their 16th victory in the category. “I heard earlier tonight, ‘Man, y’all ever get sick of this?’” Kix Brooks said in his acceptance speech. “Hell no!”

Male vocalist of the year went to Cody Johnson, his first win in the category.

Combs opened the show with a fiery rendition of his single “Back in the Saddle,” setting the stage for Wilson to launch into a spirited medley. She was joined by a star-studded crew of surprise collaborators, Little Big Town and Keith Urban among them.

Performances arrived fast and fierce from there: Moroney, Stapleton, Kelsea Ballerini, The Red Clay Strays, Stephen Wilson, Jr. and Kenny Chesney shone, one after another. Old Dominion performed on a small stage in the middle of the audience, working their way through a medley of “Break Up with Him,” “Memory Lane,” “One Man Band,” “Hotel Key”, and “Snapback.”

Shaboozey brought some much-needed depth; Wilson’s funky “Ring Finger” further proved she can do it all. Langley, Green, Tucker Wetmore and rapper BigXThaPlug held it down for a new generation of country music fans. The latter was especially noteworthy: Combs joined the Texas MC for their duet “Pray Hard,” further confirmation of country and rap’s crossover.

Zach Top, who performed his ode to six-strings, “Guitar,” early in the show, took home the trophy for new artist of the year. “I can’t remember if I was supposed to put my beer down first or not,” he joked in his speech before taking a swig. It was his first CMA Award.

The CMA Awards are nominated and voted on by members of the Country Music Association, which includes music executives, artists, publicists, songwriters and other industry professionals.

The CMA Awards were broadcast live on ABC and will be available to stream on Thursday on Hulu.

Some artists didn’t just win at the 59th annual CMA Awards, which were held on Wednesday (Nov. 19) at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. They made history.

Of course, acts have been making history at the CMA Awards for years.

In 1971, Charley Pride became the first (and is still the only) Black artist to win entertainer of the year. The following year, Loretta Lynn became the first woman to win the award.

In 2016, Garth Brooks became the first person to win entertainer of the year five times. He won two more times before he graciously removed himself from further consideration for the award.

In 2014, Miranda Lambert became the first woman to win Female Vocalist of the Year five times. In 2022, Chris Stapleton became the first man to win Male Vocalist of the Year six times. (Both artists have since added more wins to their tallies.)

In 1984, The Statler Brothers became the first group to win Vocal Group of the Year nine times. (That’s still the record in that category.) In 1999, Brooks & Dunn became the first duo to win vocal duo of the year eight times. They are still the leaders in that category, though their win tally in the category currently stands at 16.

In 2008, with Troubadour, George Strait became the first artist to win Album of the Year five times. In 2024, with “White Horse,” Stapleton became the first artist to win single of the year three times. Both of these records still stand.

That’s enough looking back. Here are six artists who made CMA history this year.

Lainey Wilson

Wilson won entertainer of the year for the second time in three years. She’s just the third woman to win entertainer of the year twice. She follows Barbara Mandrell (1980 and 1981) and Taylor Swift (2009 and 2011).

Wilson also hosted the show, having co-hosted last year with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. Wilson is the first person to win entertainer of the year in the same year that he or she hosted or co-hosted, since Brad Paisley in 2010. Two other people have done this in CMA history – Barbara Mandrell in 1980 and 198,1, and Vince Gill in 1993 and 1994.

Wilson also won album of the year for the second time with Whirlwind. She won two years ago for Bell Bottom Country. She is just the second woman to win twice in the category. Miranda Lambert won in 2010 with Revolution and in 2014 with Platinum.

Wilson won female vocalist of the year for the fourth year in a row. She’s just the third artist to win that award four or more years running. Reba McEntire was the first, winning from 1984-87. Miranda Lambert won six years in a row, from 2010-15. (Martina McBride won four times, but not consecutively. Carrie Underwood won five times but didn’t put together four straight wins.)

Brooks & Dunn

Brooks & Dunn won vocal duo of the year for the 16th time, which extended their lead as the top winners in the history of the category. But they achieved something even more momentous – they brought their win tally at the CMA Awards to 20, which is more than any other artist in the show’s history. They had been tied with Chris Stapleton with 19 awards, but Stapleton didn’t win an award this year.

Brooks & Dunn’s four awards outside of the vocal duo of the year category are album of the year for the multi-artist collection Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles in 1994; entertainer of the year in 1996; and single of the year and music video of the year in 2006 for “Believe.” Ronnie Dunn also shared the award for song of the year for “Believe” with his co-writer Craig Wiseman, so he has one more trophy than his longtime musical partner.

Ella Langley and Riley Green

Langley and Riley Green won single of the year, song of the year and music video of the year for “You Look Like You Love Me.”

“You Look Like You Love Me” is the first collab by two solo artists to win single of the year since Waylon & Willie’s “Good Hearted Woman” in 1976 – before Langley and Green were even born. One other collab has won single of the year, but it wasn’t a pairing of two solo artists. “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack featuring Sons of the Desert, won in 2000.

In addition, Langley became the first artist to win music video of the year for a clip that he or she directed or co-directed. Langley co-directed the “You Look Like You Love Me” video with John Park and Wales Toney.

“You Look Like You Love Me” won musical event of the year at last year’s show. That confusing split is due to different guidelines in different categories. The song was released as a promotional single on June 21, 2024, nine days before the last day of the previous eligibility year. That was enough for it to be eligible for musical event of the year last year, where the published CMA rules are pretty basic: “The song must have been initially released during the eligibility period.”

The rules for single of the year are much more specific. It met this set of criteria during the current eligibility period: “The single must have reached the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart, Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart, or Country Airplay Chart for the first time during the eligibility period.  If the single charted in the Top 10 on the above charts and was released before the eligibility period but achieved its highest chart position during the eligibility period, it is eligible unless it has previously appeared on a Final Ballot in this category.”

Still confused? Just be glad that a good song, record, and video are the beneficiaries of these complicated rules.

The Red Clay Strays

The country rock band won vocal group of the year, ending Old Dominion’s seven-year consecutive win streak in this category. Other spoilers in CMA history include Montgomery Gentry, which in 2000 snapped an eight-year consecutive win streak by Brooks & Dunn for vocal duo of the year. Brooks & Dunn returned to their winning ways the following year, kicking off a six-consecutive-win run.

The Red Clay Strays’ CMA win comes just 14 months after they won emerging act of the year at the 2024 Americana Music Honours & Awards. The Alabama group won best new duo/group of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards in May, but lost the group of the year award to Old Dominion. Their stock has risen in the past six months.

Post Malone

Post Malone won musical event of the year for “Buy Me a Drink,” featuring Blake Shelton. Posty is the first artist, best known for work outside of country music, to win in that category since Lil Nas X won in 2019 for “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. Other artists who were best known at the time outside of country music circles to win in this category include Linda Ronstadt (Trio with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris in 1987), Jimmy Buffett (“It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” with Alan Jackson in 2003), Robert Plant (“Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)” with Allison Krauss in 2008), Kelly Clarkson (“Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Jason Aldean in 2011) and Elle King (“Different for Girls” with Dierks Bentley in 2016).

With country legend Vince Gill taking home the prestigious Willie Nelson lifetime achievement award at the 2025 CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 19), it’s only fitting that a who’s who of country stars would show him their love.

First up, Americana star Brandi Carlile gave a plaintive rendition of Gill’s “When I Call Your Name.” Dressed in a simple yet sleek maroon suit and tie, Brandi kept her eyes trained on Gill as she belted out his moving ballad. Soon, she was joined on stage to turn the song into a rare duet with country star Patty Loveless for a moving final beat.

Once the pair stepped off the stage, the King of Country himself, George Strait, stepped up to offer a tribute of his own to Gill. Instead of singing, though, Strait gave a speech celebrating Gill’s pioneering work in the country industry. “There’s not a lot more to say about this man that hasn’t been said, or that you don’t already know,” Strait offered. “But his guitar playing is amazing, his songwriting is amazing, his singing is amazing, he can sing higher than anyone I know … there’s not a more deserving person to receive this great honor.”

For his part, Gill thanked Carlile and Loveless for their tribute, joking that “it’s not lost on me that they had to have girls come out here and sing for me tonight — none of the boys can get up that high.” He also took the moment to revel in being honoured with a lifetime achievement award that very few other artists have received.

“I think this has been given to nine or 10 people, and that list is astounding,” he said. “The man whose name is on this is a long, long friend. Fifty years we’ve known each other, shared stages and all that. I adore him.”

Lainey Wilson, along with serving as host during the ceremony, earned six nominations at the awards — the most of any artist in 2025, alongside fellow nominees Ella Langley and Megan Moroney. Meanwhile, stars including Luke Combs, Shaboozey, Brandi Carlile, Kelsea Ballerini and more took to the stage for their own performances.