Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin are usually side-by-side at any country music event, but they skipped the red carpet at the 2025 CMA Awards on Oct. 19. That absence might have made fans’ hearts skip a beat,

Ahead of his performance of “Stand By Me,” which turned heads when he brought it to the Atlanta-based YouTube series Live at the Print Shop in Oct. 2024, Wilson spoke to Billboard correspondents on the CMA Awards red carpet and explained how the 1986 film of the same name influenced his decision to trot out this iconic song.

Priscilla Block and her boyfriend Elijah Phillips made their red carpet debut at the 2025 CMA Awards. "I really wanted to go super classy this year. I got my man with me for the first time on the carpet,

The CMA Awards is one of country music’s most prominent honors. Televised live from Nashville, Tennessee, and watched by millions, it celebrates achievement in the industry. However, claims that the show is “rigged” or swayed by behind-the-scenes factors has raised questions about credibility and transparency.

Zach Top earned his first CMA Award win for new artist of the year, while the longtime winning streaks of both Chris Stapleton and Old Dominion shifted. The male vocalist of the year honor, held by Stapleton for the past four years (he's won the category eight total times),

Megan Moroney, who's tied with Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson for the most nominations (six!), appeared at the 2025 CMA Awards in a black corseted gown with crystal embellishments.