Cody Johnson Isn’t Singing At The CMA Awards – He Explains Why
on Nov 17, 2025
Cody Johnson Will Not Be Performing At The CMA Awards This Year
Despite being nominated for four awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Cody Johnson will not be singing at the CMA Awards on November 19.
The “‘Til You Can’t” singer recently told Country Countdown‘s Lon Helton that he had the chance to perform during the ceremony, but ultimately decided not to, and for a good reason.
In October, Johnson underwent emergency surgery for a severely ruptured eardrum. As a result, he canceled all of his remaining shows for 2025.
“The healing process will take many weeks, and it is not possible for me to sing during this time,” Johnson said when he shared the news.
RELATED: CODY JOHNSON ANNOUNCES NEW TOUR DATES FOLLOWING EMERGENCY EAR DRUM SURGERY
Johnson told Helton that he seriously considered singing at the CMA Awards, but concluded it wasn’t worth risking his recovery. “I had an opportunity, and maybe I could, but we didn’t want to risk my recovery process. I also didn’t think it would be fair for the fans who had their shows cancelled,” he said.
But those who were looking forward to seeing Johnson at the ceremony will be relieved to hear that he still plans to attend! He revealed he’ll be one of the evening’s presenters.
“I’ll be attending, but just gonna sit back and watch,” he said. “I think I’ll get to announce Lainey [Wilson]‘s performance. So I’ll be involved, but not in the capacity I wanted.”
Cody Johnson And His Wife Brandi Recently Welcomed Their Third Child
In addition to celebrating his four CMA Award nominations, Johnson is celebrating a huge “win” in his personal life. He and his wife, Brandi, recently welcomed their third child.
Brandi gave birth to a baby boy, Jaycee Daniel Johnson, on October 21. Baby Jaycee joined his two big sisters, Clara Mae and Cori.
“I finally got my boy,” Johnson told Helton. “He & mom are here at the house, and they’re healthy & happy. It was a wonderful experience.”
After enjoying a few months at home with his family and recovering from surgery, Johnson plans to hit the ground running in 2026. He has new tour dates on the books, and is working on a new album.
“The goal is to come back in February,” he told Helton. “Probably going into the studio to do vocals in January to get a record out next year. We’re pretty much done with an album. Just need some guest performances by Luke Combs and Brothers Osborne. Then we’re done.”
We can’t wait to hear what Johnson has in store for us! In the meantime, we can look forward to seeing him at the CMA Awards on November 19.
Enjoy his performance with Carrie Underwood at last year’s ceremony below.
