The 59th Annual Country Music Association Awards were on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC and will be available to stream the next day on Hulu. CMA award winner and six-time nominee this year, Lainey Wilson, hosted the ceremony.
| 59th Annual Country Music Association Awards | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 19, 2025 |
| Location | Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee |
| Hosted by | Lainey Wilson |
| Most wins | Riley Green Ella Langley Lainey Wilson (3 each) |
| Most nominations | Ella Langley Megan Moroney Lainey Wilson (6 each) |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | ABC, Hulu |
| Viewership | 6.03 million |
CMA | |
Background
On September 30, CMA announced that Wilson will return as host for the ceremony, but for the first time as a solo host. It is only the third time that the CMA Awards have had a solo female host, following Dolly Parton in 1988, and Reba McEntire in 1991.
On November 10, the association announced that eighteen-time CMA award winner and country legend, Vince Gill, would receive the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. A statement by the CMA chief executive officer Sarah Trahern read “Vince embodies the very best of what country music stands for,” Sarah Trahern, CMA chief executive officer, said in a statement. “He's a true trailblazer, one who gives back to the community, honors the roots of our genre, and even now continues to share his talent with fans across the globe. As a Country Music Hall of Fame member, 18-time CMA Award winner, and former 12-time CMA Awards host, he remains a vibrant force in our industry, and we’re honored to celebrate an artist whose influence is so deeply woven into the fabric of our format.”
Winners and nominees
Nominations were announced on Monday, September 8, 2025 at 12:00 PM/CT via livestream on CMA's official Facebook and YouTube channel. The eligibility period for the nominees was July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.The winners and nominees are voted on by "over 7,100 professional voting members" of the Country Music Association.
| Entertainer of the Year | Album of the Year |
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| Male Vocalist of the Year | Female Vocalist of the Year |
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| Vocal Group of the Year | Vocal Duo of the Year |
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| Single of the Year | Song of the Year |
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| New Artist of the Year | Musician of the Year |
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| Music Video of the Year | Musical Event of the Year |
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| Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award | |
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International Awards
The international winners were announced on November 14, 2025.
| International Artist Achievement Award | Global Country Artist Award | Live Music Advancement Award |
|---|---|---|
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Performances
| Performer(s) | Song(s) |
|---|---|
| Luke Combs | "Back In The Saddle" |
| Lainey Wilson | Hosting Monologue Medley "White Horse" (with Charlie Worsham) |
| Zach Top | "Guitar" |
| Megan Moroney | "6 Months Later" |
| Chris Stapleton | "Bad As I Used To Be" |
| Kelsea Ballerini | "I Sit In Parks" |
| The Red Clay Strays | "People Hatin'" |
| Stephen Wilson Jr. | "Stand By Me" |
| Kenny Chesney | "American Kids" "When the Sun Goes Down" |
| Old Dominion | "Break Up with Him" "Memory Lane" "One Man Band" "Hotel Key" "Snapback" |
| Shaboozey Stephen Wilson Jr. | "Took A Walk" |
| Lainey Wilson | "Ring Finger" |
| Miranda Lambert Chris Stapleton | "A Song to Sing" |
| Riley Green | "Worst Way" |
| Ella Langley | "Choosin' Texas" |
| Tucker Wetmore | "Wind Up Missin' You" |
| Brandi Carlile Patty Loveless | Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award honoring Vince Gill "When I Call Your Name" |
| BigXthaPlug Luke Combs | "Pray Hard" |
Presenters
| Presenter(s) | Notes |
|---|---|
| Billy Ray Cyrus and Elizabeth Hurley | Presented Single of the Year |
| Leanne Morgan | Introduced Zach Top |
| Gretchen Wilson and Ne-Yo | Presented Vocal Duo of the Year |
| LeAnn Rimes, Chris O’Donnell, and Jessica Capshaw | Presented New Artist of the Year |
| Billy Bob Thornton | Introduced The Red Clay Strays |
| Kimberly Perry and Grace Van Patten | Presented Song of The Year |
| Bailey Zimmerman | Introduced Old Dominion |
| Steve Martin and Alison Brown | Presented Album of the Year |
| Bert Kreischer | Introduced Shaboozey and Stephen Wilson Jr. |
| Jordan Davis and Lauren Daigle | Presented Vocal Group of the Year |
| Cody Johnson | Introduced Lainey Wilson |
| Ella Langley | Honor Fort Campbell 101st Airborne Division |
| Alan Ritchson | Introduced Riley Green |
| Brandon Lake and Lara Spencer | Presented Male Vocalist of the Year |
| George Strait | Presented Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award to Vince Gill |
| Lady A | Presented Female Vocalist of the Year |
| Keith Urban | Presented Entertainer of the Year |
Reception
Overnight viewership was 6.037 million viewers, down 1% from the previous year, but ranked number one for the top prime-time telecasts. The reception of the ceremony was generally favorable. Lainey Wilson was praised for her solo hosting debut, along with her opening medley of country hits. Many outlets also highlighted her pointed remarks, after winning Female Vocalist of the Year, on the online discourse surrounding women in country music, saying, "...And for the folks that are sitting at home in your mama’s basement eating your Cheetos, trying to pit women against each other: Y’all need to find something better to do".
Several performances drew acclaim, including Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas”, Shaboozey and Stephen Wilson, Jr.’s collaboration “Took a Walk”, as well as Brandi Carlile’s tribute to Vince Gill alongside Patty Loveless. Some publications also noted the surprise victories by The Red Clay Strays and Cody Johnson. The Seattle Times pointed out Zach Top’s standout win for New Artist of the Year as a neotraditional country performer, noting the humorous moment in which he accepted the award while holding a can of Coors Banquet.
Milestones and achievements
- Brooks & Dunn became the most awarded act in CMA history with 20 wins overall, including their sixteenth win for Vocal Duo of the Year in this ceremony.
- Lainey Wilson became the third woman to win Female Vocalist of the Year four years in a row (previously accomplished by Miranda Lambert and Reba McEntire).
- Miranda Lambert and Reba McEntire are tied with the most Female Vocalist of the Year nominations all-time with 18.
- This is only the third ceremony to have multiple women leading the nominations. Occurring previously in 2013 (Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift) and 1986 (The Judds and Reba McEntire).
- Lainey Wilson became the fourth host to win Entertainer for the Year the same year when they hosted the ceremony, (Barbara Mandrell in 1980 and 1981; Vince Gill in 1993 and 1994; Brad Paisley in 2010).
- Ella Langley and Riley Green's "You Look Like You Love Me", is the only song in CMA history to win every award an individual song is eligible for, with: Musical Event of the Year in 2024; Song of the Year, Single of the Year, and Music Video of the Year in 2025. ("Whiskey Lullaby" being the closest to the milestone, until this achievement, with three of the four nominations won).
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