Between hosting, performing and accepting awards, Louisiana’s Lainey Wilson got her steps in Wednesday night at the 59th Annual Country Music Association Awards.
After co-hosting in 2024 with Louisiana native Peyton Manning and Luke Bryan, Wilson steered the show solo this time. Seconds into her welcoming monolgue, Wilson, 33, gave a shout-out to her hometown.
“I grew up in the village of Baskin in Louisiana, population 175,” Wilson began. “Growing up in Baskin, there were two things that my family made dang sure we never missed — and that was bull riding and the CMAs, and if we were going miss one it was not going to be this.
Louisiana native Lainey Wilson arrives at the 59th Annual Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
“So to be asked to host this legendary country event for y’all is making little Lainey, who was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed sitting way too close to the TV, really, really proud,” she said.
No doubt she made Baskin proud as well, taking home album of the year (“Whirlwind”), female vocalist of the year and the coveted entertainer of the year awards. She also captured that last honor in 2023.
Meanwhile, Louisiana-born Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn took vocal duo of the year honors for a record 16th time. They also hold the record for most CMAs with 20.
Ronnie Dunn, left, and Louisiana native Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn pause for photos with their awards for vocal duo of the year during the 59th Annual Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday.
“I heard earlier tonight, ‘Man, y’all ever get sick of this?'” Shreveport native Brooks said in acceptng the award. ” … Hell no!”
Adding to the Louisiana mix was Lake Charles-born contemporary Christian artist Lauren Daigle, one of the night’s presenters; and New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne, spotted in the audience.
The versatile Wilson also proved to be a quick-change artist, wearing eight different ensembles, from a flowy turquoise number for her arrival on the red carpet to a floor-length camflouage gown and brown gloves to finish the evening. A performance of her sassy song “Ring Finger” brought a standing ovation from the crowd.
Comedian Leanne Morgan and host Lainey Wilson, wearing strikingly similar ensembles, introduce Zach Top during the Country Music Association Awards.
Award-winning country artist Keith Urban presented Wilson with the hand-blown crystal CMA statue for entertainer of the year at the close of the three-hour ABC broadcast.
“I’m gonna be honest with y’all. I was just so tickled to be here hosting this thing tonight. I just came into here wanting to to celebrate country music, the love of my life, and I know the love of so many of y’all’s lives,” Wilson said. “Again, thank you Jesus, thank you Momma and Daddy … and Duck (fiancé Devlin “Duck” Hodges, sitting in the audience), we gettin’ married next year? Come on now!”
Wilson added that she couldn’t do what she does without her “incredible” team, her “village.”
Lainey Wilson, center, performs her sassy song ‘Ring Finger’ during the Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday.
“And I thank the 175 people in Baskin. You can take the girl out the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl,” Wilson said.
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