Lainey Wilson hints at wedding date after winning 2025 CMA top prize
Five artists were nominated for Entertainer of the Year at the 2025 CMA Awards, but only one was able to claim the title.
Lenny Wilson ultimately beating out the competition to win the final category at the awards ceremony held on Wednesday, November 19, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be here hosting this event tonight,” Wilson, 33, said as he accepted the night’s top award. “I’m just here to celebrate country music, which is the love of my life and I know the love of all of your lives.”
She went on to thank her parents and her fiancé, Devlin “Duck” Hodgesand added, “We are getting married next year, come on!”
“I couldn’t do this without my village. It takes a village,” she continued. “I have the most incredible team who have been working tirelessly and I don’t even know what to say. Thank you so much. Thank you for loving me and supporting me and thank you to the fans. They make my dreams come true every day. I love you and God bless you. We are about to [Wilson’s Nashville bar] The bells hit bottom. “
Wilson began to exit the stage before remembering that she needed to end the show as this year’s host.
“I forgot I was hosting this,” she joked. “This is crazy! Congratulations to all our nominees and winners. Thank you so much for letting me speak out on this legendary stage celebrating the best genre in the world: country music!”
Ahead of the 2025 ceremony, Warren, 32, was crowned Entertainer of the Year after winning in 2024. During his career, he was nominated a total of four times.
Combs, 35, previously won the award two years in a row in 2021 and 2022, for a total of six Entertainer of the Year awards.
Wilson won the category in 2023 and has three career nominations in total.
Ahead of the 2025 ceremony, Stapleton, 47, has won Entertainer of the Year nine times since 2016 but has never won the award.
Johnson, 38, is nominated in the category for the first time this year.
Entertainer of the Year contenders received multiple nominations in other categories at the 2025 event. Although Wilson was the only woman in the running for the night’s top award, she led the way with six nominations, including Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year and more. whirlwindSingle of the Year and Song of the Year for “4x4xU” and Music Video of the Year for “Somewhere on Laredo.”
The 59th Annual Country Music Association Awards is gearing up for an unforgettable awards show filled with music and more unforgettable moments. The 2025 awards ceremony will air on Wednesday, November 19 and will be hosted by Lainey Wilson. “I grew up watching the CMA Awards and it was like watching the Super Bowl, so being able to host […]
Johnson trailed behind with four awards for Male Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “I’m Gonna Love You.” Carrie Underwood. (Before the live broadcast starts, Post Malone and Blake Shelton’s “Get me a drink” and Ella Langley and Riley Green’s “You Look Like You Love Me” won Music Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year. )
Warren, Combs and Stapleton followed with three nominations each, including in the Male Vocalist of the Year category. They also won Wallen’s Album of the Year Award I am the problemCombs’ “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” won Single of the Year, and Stapleton’s “Think I’m in Love With You” won Music Video of the Year.
All Entertainer of the Year nominees have received CMA Awards ahead of Wednesday’s ceremony. Stapleton has 19 trophies, Coombs and Wilson have 9 trophies each, Johnson has 3 trophies and Warren has 2 trophies.
