Chris Stapleton swept the spotlight at Wednesday night’s Country Music Association Awards, taking home four trophies and dominating the stage with multiple performances. Meanwhile, an absent Morgan Wallen endured a near shutout until the final moment, when he was awarded the evening’s top honor, Entertainer of the Year.
Stapleton’s accolades included Song of the Year and Single of the Year for “White Horse,” along with his record-extending eighth win as Male Vocalist of the Year. The country star performed three times during the ABC telecast at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, including a memorable opening duet with Post Malone. Accepting one of his awards, Stapleton humbly remarked, “I’m really honored for this, thank you very much.”
Wallen, the night’s leading nominee with seven nods, was conspicuously absent from the stage for much of the evening. His first and only win came when Jeff Bridges humorously mispronounced his name as “Morgan Waylon” while announcing his Entertainer of the Year victory. Despite four nominations for his hit collaboration with Malone, “I Had Some Help,” both Wallen and Malone left the ceremony empty-handed in those categories.
Stapleton also performed “What Am I Gonna Do” alongside his wife, Morgane, and joined an all-star tribute to George Strait, who received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. Stapleton praised Strait as “true country music royalty, the king of country,” as he presented the honor. Strait, in turn, thanked the performers for their renditions of his hits, quipping, “I’m glad I got ‘em first.”
Lainey Wilson, last year’s Entertainer of the Year, co-hosted the event with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. Wilson also earned two awards: Female Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.”
Cody Johnson delivered one of the night’s biggest upsets, winning Album of the Year for Leather. “I thought Chris Stapleton or Jelly Roll was going to win,” a surprised Johnson admitted.
Old Dominion claimed their seventh consecutive win as Vocal Group of the Year, surpassing Little Big Town’s record. Meanwhile, Brooks & Dunn won Vocal Duo of the Year for the 15th time, their first win since 2006.
The evening celebrated country music’s growing culture of collaboration and crossover. Performances included a gospel-infused rendition of Brooks & Dunn’s “Believe” with Jelly Roll and a standout solo performance by Shaboozey. Megan Moroney, who performed earlier in the night, won Best New Artist, delivering an emotional acceptance speech: “Thank you, Jesus, for putting this dream on my heart.”
The tribute to Strait concluded with performances by Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Clint Black, Parker McCollum, and Wilson, all honoring his legendary career with iconic hits like “Amarillo by Morning” and “Troubadour.”
The CMA Awards, determined by members of the Country Music Association, once again celebrated the richness and evolution of the genre, with Stapleton and Wallen leading a night of unforgettable moments.