CMA Awards 2025: The Complete List of Winners (Updating)

The 59th annual Country Music Association Awards were broadcast live on ABC from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, a venue synonymous with major country music events. Over the course of three hours, viewers watched as the 2025 winners were revealed. Lainey Wilson, who also served as co-host, secured an early victory by taking home the Album of the Year award for "Whirlwind." In a heartfelt speech, she reflected on her journey, telling the audience, "Mama, daddy, look, check it out. I wrote this during a time of my life that was constantly changing like a lot of y’all down here. I just remember being that little 11-year-old girl who would come home from school and pick up my guitar and pour my heart and soul into that guitar, and that’s how I navigated and communicated. And that’s exactly what I did these last two years of my life, when I felt my life was changing but I still felt exactly the same."

Ella Langley emerged as a dominant figure of the evening, securing three awards from her six nominations. Her collaboration with Riley Green, "You Look Like You Love Me," was particularly successful, earning both Single of the Year and Song of the Year during the telecast, in addition to the Music Video of the Year honor it had already received. Langley described the song as "the gift that keeps on giving," while Green humorously noted, "How cool is it that a song with talking verses won song of the year? That’s country music." In the competitive New Artist of the Year category, Zach Top claimed the title, preventing Langley from a fourth win. Meanwhile, The Red Clay Strays caused an upset by winning Vocal Group of the Year on their very first nomination, thereby ending Old Dominion's long-running winning streak in that category.

The ceremony was filled with historic and emotional moments. Cody Johnson won his first Male Vocalist of the Year trophy and paid tribute to fellow nominee Chris Stapleton, whom he called "one of the greatest vocalists of all time in any genre." The legendary duo Brooks & Dunn—whose career spans more than three decades and includes over 30 million albums sold—extended their own record by capturing Vocal Duo of the Year for the 16th time. Kix Brooks responded to the win by declaring, "I heard earlier in the night, 'You ever get sick of this?' Hell no!" A particularly emotional victory came for steel guitarist Paul Franklin, who finally claimed Musician of the Year after 33 nominations dating back to 1989. Industry observers noted that Franklin’s win underscored the value of perseverance and dedication in an often unpredictable business.

Instead of a traditional opening monologue, host Lainey Wilson kicked off the show with a high-energy medley of modern country hits, interacting directly with the original artists seated in the audience. She performed snippets alongside Brooks & Dunn ("Hillbilly Deluxe"), Ella Langley ("You Look Like You Love Me"), and Gretchen Wilson ("Redneck Woman"). The segment took an unscripted turn when Little Big Town joined her for "Girl Crush," and later, Keith Urban appeared for a spontaneous rendition of "Where the Blacktop Ends." Wilson, who previously co-hosted the 2024 ceremony with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, joked about texts from her former co-hosts, including one from Bryan that asked, "Lainey, what night is the show?"

A series of powerful musical performances captivated the audience throughout the broadcast. Luke Combs and Megan Moroney delivered the evening's first full sets, while Stephen Wilson Jr. earned the first standing ovation with a soulful, solo acoustic take on "Stand by Me." Kenny Chesney also brought the crowd to its feet with a medley of his signature anthems "American Kids" and "When the Sun Goes Down." A special tribute honored Vince Gill—a Country Music Hall of Fame member with 21 CMA Awards to his name—featuring Brandi Carlile and Patty Loveless uniting for a breathtaking performance of his classic "When I Call Your Name," accompanied by newly crowned Musician of the Year Paul Franklin on pedal steel. This collaboration not only celebrated Gill’s enduring influence but also demonstrated country music’s unique capacity to unite artists across generations and styles.