The 2025 CMA Awards are upon us, with hippie-country darling Lainey Wilson taking on solo hosting duties this year. The “Somewhere Over Laredo” singer returns after sharing the responsibilities with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning last year. Wilson has a busy night in store at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The Louisiana native is tied with Ella Langley and Megan Moroney for the most nominations with six. Additionally, she will also take the stage to perform. Here’s every performer joining her during Wednesday’s (Nov. 19) ceremony.
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Megan Moroney, Luke Combs, and More Take the Stage at 2025 CMA Awards
Like Lainey Wilson, many of the 2025 CMA Awards performers are also nominees. Luke Combs is set to take the stage twice. The North Carolina native, 35, will perform “Back in the Saddle,” the lead single from his forthcoming sixth studio album. Additionally, he will team up with rapper BigXthaPlug for their crossover collab “Pray Hard.”
Combs picked up nods for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Single of the Year.
New Artist of the Year nominee Ella Langley is singing her latest single, “Choosing Texas.” Fellow New Artist of the Year nominees Shaboozey, Zach Top, Tucker Wetmore, and Stephen Wilson Jr. are also performing tonight. Langley’s fellow Female Vocalist of the Year candidate, Megan Moroney, will sing “6 Months Later.” Released earlier this year, “6 Months Later” is he lead single from her forthcoming third studio album, Cloud Nine. Two-time CMA Award winner Kelsea Ballerini, who also earned recognition in that category, is slated to perform her latest song, “I Sit in Parks.”
Other scheduled performers include Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Brandi Carlile, Riley Green, Patty Loveless, Old Dominion, The Red Clay Strays and Chris Stapleton. Green will break out his steamy song “Worst Way,” while Stapleton will team up with Lambert for their retro-inspired collab “A Song to Sing.” Stapleton, a 16-time CMA Award winner, also takes the stage solo for his F1: The Movie single “Bad as I Used to Be.”
[RELATED: Vince Gill Receives One of the CMA Awards’ Highest Honors]
Morgan Wallen Will Receive the International Achievement Award
Despite three nominations and a chance to repeat as Entertainer of the Year, odds on Morgan Wallen showing up to the 2025 CMA Awards are 50-50. However, the “Whiskey Glasses” crooner is also receiving the International Artist Achievement Award, which honors an artist who has demonstrated “significant creative growth.”
“Wallen has propelled Country Music to unprecedented global heights, with his influence now extending far beyond genre boundaries,” read a statement from the Country Music Association. “With sold-out stadiums, record-breaking chart success, and a growing international fanbase, Wallen continues to elevate country music on a worldwide stage.”
Featured image by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
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