When Are The 59th CMA Awards? See Details About The 2025 Ceremony
on May 14, 2025
What To Know About The 2025 CMA Awards So Far
Award season is officially here, and it won’t be long until the 59th Annual CMA Awards hit our television screens.
On Tuesday, May 13, the Country Music Association and ABC shared a few key details about this year’s big event. We now have a set air date and confirmation on where the event will be held.
The 2025 CMA Awards are set to take place on November 19th at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
The show will air live on ABC and be available to stream on Hulu the following day.
It’s no surprise the show is sticking with tradition by returning to the venue it’s called home for nearly two decades. There is, however, one noticeable change this year.
The CMA Awards are usually held earlier in November. The later date is a slight shift in the schedule viewers are used to.
Why Are The CMA Awards Airing Later This Year?
The shift to a later date for the CMA awards actually began last year, when the ceremony aired just days before Thanksgiving.
For many years before that, the show was typically held at the beginning of November. So, what sparked the change?
In an exclusive interview, CMA CEO Sarah Trahern spoke with Billboard. She explained why the Country Music Association decided to continue airing the awards later in the month.
She shared that last year’s ceremony was pushed back to avoid overlapping with the general election. The later date also helps to stay clear of any potential conflicts with the World Series. This became a concern back in 2016 when Game 7 of the series aired the same night as the CMA Awards’ 50th Anniversary.
“Even a number of our board members who are Cubs fans went to the game and skipped the awards that year,” Trahern recalled.
So when planning for this year’s show, it made sense to stick with the later date since it worked out well last time. Over 6 million viewers tuned in to the CMA Awards in 2024, making it the most-watched program on TV that night.
“When we tested being out of that early window because of the election, we felt good,” Trahern said. “The ratings were strong. Also, ABC used to have another award show in that space where they no longer have it. So, getting through all of the end-of-the-season shows that tend to finale in November gave us a little bit of a window right before Thanksgiving. It was a good tune-in window, so we’re going to try it again.”
As of now, further details about the 2025 ceremony have yet to be announced.
Nominees will be revealed in the months following the opening of the nomination ballot, which begins on July 7.
A host for this year’s CMA Awards has not been shared yet, either.
Last year, Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning returned for their third time as hosts, joined by first-time co-host Lainey Wilson.
The trio seemed to be a big hit, so it wouldn’t be surprising if all three returned to lead the night once again.
