The 59th annual CMA Awards show is being telecast live by ABC from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Scroll down to see the 2025 winners as they are named over the course of the three-hour show.
Zach Top was among the big winners early in the telecast, taking the highly contested trophy for best new artist.
Ella Langley got off to a fast start, winning the first award to be broadcast over the air Wednesday night, as her duet with Riley Green, “You Look Like You Love Me,” won single of the year. That actually put the tally for Langley and Green at two apiece to start off with, as they’d already been announced prior to the telecast as winners of the music video of the year prize.
Langley is one of the leading contenders in the overall 2025 field. She, Lainey Wilson and Megan Moroney came in tied with six nominations each, closely followed by Top with five..
Brooks & Dunn won vocal duo of the year for a 16th time. “I heard earlier in the night, ‘You ever get sick of this?’ Hell no!” exclaimed Kix Brooks.
In lieu of a comedic monologue, host Lainey Wilson sang a medley of modern country classics, approaching the originators of the songs in the audience — including Brooks & Dunn during a snippet of “Hillbilly Deluxe,” Langley during “You Look Like You Love Me,” Gretchen Wilson on “Redneck Woman,” Lady A on “Need You Now,” Shaboozey on “Tipsy.” When Lainey came up to Little Big Town, they surprised the audience by pulling out mics to take over their song “Girl Crush,” and back on stage, Keith Urban brought out his guitar to jam with Wilson on “Where the Blacktop Ends.”
Wilson is the sole host this year after co-hosting with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning in 2024. She joked about receiving texts from both men, including Bryan supposedly cluelessly writing her: “Lainey, what night is the show?”
Luke Combs and Megan Moroney gave the first two full performances of the telecast.
Here is a full list of the 2025 nominations, with the winners’ names appearing in bold as the categories are announced:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
• Luke Combs
• Cody Johnson
• Chris Stapleton
• Morgan Wallen
• Lainey Wilson
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
• “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 & Riley Green
Producer: Will Bundy
Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist, Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
• “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
Award goes to Songwriter(s)
• “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
Award goes to Artists and Producer(s)
• “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
Award goes to Artist(s) and Director(s)
• “Am I Okay?” – Megan Moroney
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 & Riley Green
Directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
• Ella Langley
• Shaboozey
• Zach Top
• Tucker Wetmore
• Stephen Wilson Jr.