Luke Combs Offers His “Kinda Sick” Pick for the CMA Entertainer of the Year Award

On Wednesday, Lainey Wilson will take the stage to host the 2025 CMA Awards. It will be the first time a female solo hosted in three decades. At the same time, she received several nominations, including the coveted Entertainer of the Year award. Alongside her in the category are Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen, and Luke Combs. Before country music’s biggest night, Combs discussed the Entertainer of the Year award and who he believed would win. 

Videos by American Songwriter

Although Combs could have said his own name, he thought there were a few better singers who deserved it. For Wilson, 2025 marked a big year for the singer. After releasing Whirlwind in 2024, she hit the road in 2025 for the Whirlwind tour. That same album also brought her a nomination for Album of the Year. 

So when Combs needed to pick a person, it made sense he said, “ I mean, I think Lainey’s chances are high.” 

View this post on Instagram

[RELATED: Luke Combs Is “Back in the Saddle” and Back Atop the Charts With His 19th No. 1 on Country Airplay]

Luke Combs Cheers For The Wildcard

While Combs was right about Wilson’s chances being really high, he added, “But CoJo [Cody Johnson] would be kinda sick, too, you know what I mean? He’s great. I love him, too.” For Johnson, a win would easily be a highlight of his career. Not only would he be Entertainer of the Year, but it is also the first time he has been nominated for the award. 

Moving on to another country music singer, Jon Pardi didn’t let his emotions cloud his judgment. Looking at it “scientifically”, he insisted, “If you’re looking at stats, I mean, I’m just saying, there’s only one person that does more than Morgan, and it’s Taylor Swift. Our girl Lainey, though, she’s everywhere, too, when it comes to entertaining people. So I would say Lainey or Morgan.”

Much like Wilson, Wallen found himself having a successful year thanks to his newest album, I’m The Problem. Once released, the album quickly climbed the charts, reaching No. 1 in the UK and the US. Like any singer, Wallen promoted the album with the I’m The Problem tour, which was also a massive success for the country singer. 

With the category full of country music stars, don’t miss the 2025 CMA Awards, airing live at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and available to stream the following day on Hulu. 

(Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Stagecoach)