Lainey Wilson will make history when she takes the stage as the sole host of the 2025 CMA Awards on November 19th, becoming the first woman to host the ceremony alone in 34 years.
The milestone achievement places Wilson in rare company, with Reba McEntire being the last female artist to accomplish this feat back in 1991.
The country star expressed her disbelief at the statistic during a recent appearance on Rolling Stone‘s Nashville Now podcast. “I looked it up too and I was like, ‘There’s no way.’ I let Reba know I was doing this and she was so excited,” Wilson revealed. “It’s been a long time since a woman has done it solo. I’m glad they trust me. I like to run my mouth and I love country music.”
Wilson’s solo hosting duties mark a significant change from recent years, as Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning had been helming the show since 2022, with Wilson joining them as a co-host last year. The transition appears to have been handled diplomatically, with Wilson noting she remains on good terms with her former co-hosts.
“I have no clue, but I guess Luke ain’t mad at me ’cause I’ve talked to him since,” Wilson joked. “Honestly, he was probably happy to have a year off. And Peyton too, because they’ve been doing that for a while now.”
With rehearsals approaching for both her performance and opening monologue, Wilson has made one particular request to the show’s producers. She’s keen to incorporate comedic jabs at her fellow country artists, something she was previously restricted from doing. “If I can poke fun at people, hey, we good,” she stated. “I tried to get them to let me do it last year and they were like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa… that’s too far.’ But I go way back with these people. Let me make fun of Luke Combs, please.”
The CMA Awards hosting announcement coincides with Wilson’s busy touring schedule and recent album release. She recently unveiled the deluxe edition of Whirlwind and is currently on a world tour.
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The country star’s Australia and New Zealand tour represents the next phase of her international touring schedule, extending her reach to Southern Hemisphere audiences following the completion of her North American dates.
The 59th CMAs will air live from Nashville on Wednesday, November 19th at 8pm ET on ABC, with streaming available on Hulu the following day.
