Go ahead and preach, Lainey.
Last night, Lainey Wilson not only hosted the 59th annual CMA Awards, but she was the biggest winner of the night, taking home the coveted Entertainer of theYear award in addition to Album of the Year for Whirlwind, and Female Vocalist of the Year, where she was up against Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Kelsea Ballerini and Megan Moroney.
And her speech for Female Vocalist of the Year was quite memorable…
Lainey of course thanked Jesus, as well as her team and family, in addition to acknowledging all of the women she was nominated alongside of:
“It’s a good night. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you so much. My gosh, I was not prepared for this at all. But I will say, I’m so proud to be in this category with these women. Miranda, you have poured into me.
You have sat around a fire with me and told me what to do, what not to do, and it is because of women like you… I mean, Dolly and Reba, all of the ladies have poured into me. Hillary, you have poured into me, Barbara Mandrell texted me back there, has poured into me.
Jo Dee Messina texted me a three-minute prayer this morning lifting me up, and that’s what it’s about girls.”
Lainey went onto straight up call out the “folks that are sitting at home in your mama’s basement eating your Cheetos” who are “trying to pit women against each other,” saying they need to “find something better to do”:
“I just want to say, find those people that life you up and encourage you and pray for you, pray with you. Love on you, on the good days, on the bad days, all of it.
And for the folks that are sitting at home in your mama’s basement eating your Cheetos trying to pit women against each other, y’all need to find something better to do. “
I couldn’t have said it any better myself…
Of course, I’m sure you’ve read about the drama between Ella Langley and Megan Moroney over the last year or so, and I can’t help but think that might be at least part of what Lainey is referencing there.
But in general, it’s something that happens particularly often in the music industry, and I love that Lainey didn’t hold back and said something explicitly about this issue. Being a woman in music is hard enough, and just like Lainey said, they should be allowed to be friends and support each other, not always feel like competition.
Lainey has always seemed well-liked by pretty much all the ladies in country, both old and young, and so it makes her all the more qualified to speak on this problem. It gets brushed under the rug way too often, and I was happy that she called it out in the way she did, on such a big platform.
Does that mean everyone is going to be best friends? Of course not… but they shouldn’t feel like they have to be enemies in order to succeed, either.
There’s a reason Lainey won so many awards last night (whether fair or not), and while she’s obviously talented and a great artist, she’s so much more than that and it’s an example we can all look up to.
Check it out:
She also performed “Ring Finger,” which is one of my favorites:
2025 CMA Awards Winners
*Winners in BOLD
Entertainer of the Year
- Morgan Wallen
- Luke Combs
- Lainey Wilson
- Cody Johnson
- Chris Stapleton
Album of the Year
- Am I Okay? – Megan Moroney
- Producer: Kristian Bush
- Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank
- Cold Beer & Country Music – Zach Top
- Producer: Carson Chamberlain
- Mix Engineer: Matt Rovey
- F-1 Trillon – Post Malone
- Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins
- Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore
- I’m The Problem – Morgan Wallen
- Producers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi
- Mix Engineers: Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi
- Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson
- Producer: Jay Joyce
- Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
Male Vocalist of the Year
- Chris Stapleton
- Morgan Wallen
- Luke Combs
- Cody Johnson
- Zach Top
Female Vocalist of the Year
- Lainey Wilson
- Ella Langley
- Megan Moroney
- Kelsea Ballerini
- Miranda Lambert
Vocal Group of the Year
- Old Dominion
- The Red Clay Strays
- Little Big Town
- Lady A
- Rascal Flatts
Vocal Duo of the Year
- Brooks & Dunn
- Dan + Shay
- Brothers Osborne
- The War and Treaty
- Maddie & Tae
Single of the Year
- “4X4XU” – Lainey Wilson
- Producer: Jay Joyce
- Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
- “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” – Luke Combs
- Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
- Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
- “Am I Okay?” – Megan Moroney
- Producer: Kristian Bush
- Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank
- “I Never Lie” – Zach Top
- Producer: Carson Chamberlain
- Mix Engineer: Mat Rovey
- “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley ft. Riley Green
- Producer: Will Bundy
- Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
Song of the Year
- “4X4XU” – Lainey Wilson
- Songwriters: Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere, Lainey Wilson
- “Am I Okay? – Megan Moroney
- Songwriters: Jessie Jo Dillon, Luke Laird, Megan Moroney
- “I Never Lie” – Zach Top
- Songwriters: Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols, Zach Top
- “Texas” – Blake Shelton
- Songwriters: Johnny Clawson, Josh Dorr, Lalo Guzman, Kyle Sturrock
- “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley ft. Riley Green
- Songwriters: Riley Green, Ella Langley, Aaron Raitiere
New Artist of the Year
- Zach Top
- Ella Langley
- Stephen Wilson Jr.
- Tucker Wetmore
- Shaboozey
Musician of the Year
- Jenee Fleenor (Fiddle)
- Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar)
- Brett Mason (Guitar)
- Rob McNelley (Guitar)
- Derek Wells (Guitar)
Music Video of the Year
- “Am I Okay?” – Megan Moroney
- Directors: Alexander Gavillet, Megan Moroney
- “I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson & Carrie Underwood
- Director: Dustin Haney
- “Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson
- Director: TK McKamy
- “Think I’m In Love With You” – Chris Stapleton
- Director: Running Bear
- “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley & Riley Green – WINNER
- Directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney
Musical Event of the Year
- “Don’t Mind If I Do” – Riley Green ft. Ella Langley
- Producers: Scott Borchetta, Jimmy Harnen, Dann Huff
- “Hard Fought Hallelujah” – Brandon Lake w/ Jelly Roll
- Producer: Micha Nichols
- “I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson w/ Carrie Underwood
- Producer: Trent Willmon
- “Pour Me A Drink” – Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton
- Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome
- “You Had to Be There” – Megan Moroney ft. Kenny Chesney
- Producer: Kristian Bush
