Lainey Wilson Shares What She’s Looking Forward To Most As The Host Of The CMA Awards
on Oct 09, 2025
Lainey Wilson Will Be The First Female Artist To Solo-Host The CMA Awards Since 1991
The CMA Awards are a little over a month away, but Lainey Wilson is fully gearing up to prepare for her role as the show’s host.
The 59th annual CMA Awards will be held on Wednesday, November 19th, at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and will be broadcast on ABC. Performers haven’t been announced yet, but we do know the nominees.
Wilson is up for six awards, including the night’s top prize, Entertainer of the Year. If she wins that trophy, she’ll make history as the third female artist to win it twice.
RELATED: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 2025 CMA AWARDS
Wilson is also making history as this year’s host. She’s only the third female artist to solo-host the event, following Dolly Parton (in 1988) and Reba McEntire (in 1991).
The “Somewhere Over Laredo” singer previously co-hosted the 2024 CMA Awards with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. Bryan and Manning hosted the ceremony from 2022 to 2024.
Lainey Reveals What She Wants To Do At This Year’s CMA Awards, If They Let Her…
After getting some experience under her belt co-hosting the CMA Awards in 2024, Wilson knows exactly what she wants to do as the ceremony’s sole host this year. That is, if the folks at the CMA will let her…
Wilson recently sat down for an interview with Joseph Hudak on the Nashville Now podcast. During their conversation, she shared what she’s looking forward to the most as the host of the CMA Awards.
“It’s going to be fun to involve other artists, involve other people…I think it’s going to be a lot of crowd participation, which I’m excited about. If I can poke fun at people, hey, we’re good.”
She would love to tease her fellow artists, but doesn’t know what the CMA will think of that based on her experience from last year.
“I’m going to try to if they let me! I tried to get them to let me do it last year. They were like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, that’s too far.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I go way back with these people.’ Like, let me make fun of Luke Combs, please!”
As for her former co-hosts Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, there are no hard feelings between them as Wilson steps into the role as the sole host this year.
“I guess Luke [Bryan] ain’t mad at me because I’ve talked to him since [the host announcement],” Lainey joked. “Honestly, he was probably, like, happy to have a year off. And Peyton, too, because they’ve been doing that for quite a while now.
She added, “Those guys are just…such genuine people that I think they’re happy for me. I really do, I think they’re happy for me.“
Wilson says she hasn’t started rehearsing for the CMA Awards yet, but she will soon. We wish her the best of luck as she prepares to host the ceremony!
@countrymusicassociation The bell-bottom queen is ready, are y'all? ✨ @Lainey Wilson returns to host "The 59th Annual #CMAawards" LIVE November 19 on @ABC and stream next day on @hulu ♬ original sound – Country Music Association
