With a highlight performance and a big win for “Album of the Year” at this week’s CMA awards, you’d think 2024 would be a landmark year for Cody Johnson, but the singer says hold on to your hat. On the red carpet at the CMAs, Cody let fans know he was just getting started. “In 2025, I’m going to manifest that we’re going to continue to change country music for the positive,” he said. “I’m going in the studio, recording a new album. We’re touring the UK, we’re touring in Australia, New Zealand. Big things are coming.”

Last night, the 58th Annual CMA Awards aired live from Nashville. Last year’s emcees, Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, were joined this time out by Lainey Wilson to handle hosting duties. Some notes from the broadcast:

• In the category of “Vocal Duo of the Year,” country legends Brooks & Dunn took home the award, surprising everyone (them included). It’s the duo’s 19th CMA Award, giving them the record for most trophies; they had previously been tied with Vince Gill with 18
• Chris Stapleton was the evening’s big winner, taking home trophies during the broadcast for Single and Song of the Year (for “White Horse”), and Male Vocalist Of The Year
• Morgan Wallen, whose track record at country awards shows is not good, scored the biggest trophy of the evening, bringing home Entertainer Of The Year – only the second CMA trophy he’s won in his career, following 2020’s win for New Artist Of The Year. Unsurprisingly, Wallen was MIA from the proceedings
• Carrie Underwood made a surprise appearance, joining Cody Johnson for a live performance of their current single “I’m Gonna Love You”
• George Strait was honored with a medley of his hits performed by other country stars (detailed below), which he joined for the final song, “Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame” with Chris Stapleton. He was then awarded the Country Music Association’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award

Here’s how the evening unfolded:

• The show kicked off with Chris Stapleton and Post Malone performing “California Sober”
• Billy Bob Thornton and Mark Collie presented for “Single Of The Year” WINNER: Chris Stapleton “White Horse”
• Megan Moroney performed “Am I OK?”
• Shaboozey performed a medley of “Highway/A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
• Carly Pearce, Jordan Davis and actor Daniel Sunjata presented for song of the year WINNER: Chris Stapleton “White Horse”
• Ella Langley and Riley Green performed “You Look Like You Love Me”
• Thomas Rhett and Teddy Swims performed “Something’ ‘Bout A Woman/Lose Control”

• Luke Combs performed “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma”

• Clint Black and Caleb Pressley present for “New Artist Of The Year” WINNER: Megan Moroney
• Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan performed “Cowboys Cry Too”
• Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood preformed “I’m Gonna Love You”
• Chris Stapleton performed “What Am I Gonna Do”
• Kacey Musgraves performed “The Architect”
• The Oak Ridge Boys presented for “Vocal Group of the Year” WINNER: Old Dominion
• Brooks & Dunn and Jelly Roll performed “Believe”
• Post Malone performed “Yours”
• Don Johnson and Katherine McPhee presented for “Album Of The Year” WINNER: Cody Johnson “Leather”
• Lainey Wilson performed “4X4XU”
• Bailey Zimmerman performed “New To Country”
• Taylor Frankie Paul and Mitchell Tenpenny present for “Vocal Duo of the Year” WINNER: Brooks & Dunn
• George Strait tribute: Lainey Wilson performed “Amarillo By Morning,” Jamey Johnson performed “Give It Away,” Miranda Lambert, Jamey Johnson and Parker McCollum performed “Troubadour,” Chris Stapleton and George Strait performed “Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame” prior to George being awarded the 2024 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award
• Ashley McBryde performed “Help Me Make It Through The Night” in tribute to the late Kris Kristofferson
• Little Big Town and MLB star Freddie Freeman present for “Male Vocalist Of The Year” WINNER: Chris Stapleton
• Luke Bryan performed “Love You, Miss You, Mean It”
• Luke Combs introduces Eric Church, who performs “Darkest Hour”
• Simone Biles presents for “Female Vocalist Of The Year WINNER: Lainey Wilson
• Jelly Roll and Keith Urban performed “Liar”
• Dierks Bentley, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes perform Tom Petty‘s “American Girl”
• Jeff Bridges presented “Entertainer Of The Year” WINNER: Morgan Wallen

If anyone knows what it takes to be CMA Entertainer of the Year, it’s country legends Brooks & Dunn. With the CMAs airing tonight and the competition for the coveted “EOTY” trophy being hotly contested, what do Kix & Ronnie think? Talking to “Taste Of Country Nights,” the duo appreciated what all the nominees bring to the table, but in their mind the choice is clear. “Anyone who was nominated is worthy, but Morgan (Wallen) is pretty much smokin’ it,” Ronnie said, with Kix in agreement. They think last years winner Lainey Wilson also has a real shot, name-checking her as a possibility. FYI, the nominees in this category are Wallen, Wilson, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs and Jelly Roll. May the best man, or woman, win. The 58th Annual CMA Awards airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Can’t make it to Carrie Underwood‘s Las Vegas residency? No worries; all you need to get the full experience is a Hulu subscription. “Carrie Underwood: Reflections” will give viewers a taste of what fans have been seeing at Carrie’s residency, including a full setlist of hits, her band, dancers, aerialists and a special virtual orchestra in an all-out production. The concert special is set to premiere in January.

If anyone can appreciate and relate to a huge charitable endeavor, it’s Jelly Roll. The singer stopped by the “OK Kids Corral,” a cost-free facility started by Toby Keith to help kids with cancer and their families. Rolling through Oklahoma on his “Beautifully Broken” tour, Jelly took the opportunity to visit the “Korral,” and he was obviously touched. Towards the end of the video, Jelly summed it up: “A big part of his heart was to give back. I’m hoping – especially in Toby’s absence – the country music community will do this every time one of us plays here. Go up, do what he did, be as big as he was. That’s the kind of legacy you really want to leave behind in life.”

 

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