Ella Langley & Riley Green were the first winners announced during Wednesday night’s 59th annual CMA Awards stemming from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for Single of the Year for the track, you look like you love me.
‘I wasn’t expecting to get up here so early tonight,’ Langley, 26, said in her acceptance speech. ‘I feel like this is a song that just keeps on giving because the fans keep on listening to it.
‘And this song wouldn’t be here without people like will Bundy and Jim Cooley working on the record, Riley doing the second verse, and man, I don’t know, I thought I had something prepared, but I get up here and I get a little confused and excited at the same time!’
Langley wrapped up in saying, ‘Wow, thank you so much for this. This means the world to all of us.’
Green, 37, said he was ‘just so glad to be a part of this song’ and praised his collaborator for ‘how she handles herself and making country music really country.’
He added, ‘Proud of you, glad to be part of this song, thank you all for making it a hit.’
Ella Langley & Riley Green were the first winners announced during Wednesday night’s 59th annual CMA Awards stemming from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for Single of the Year for the track, you look like you love me
Langley said in her acceptance speech: ‘I feel like this is a song that just keeps on giving because the fans keep on listening to it.’ The singer pictured backstage
The tandem was back onstage after they collected the honors for Song of the Year, which they won with songwriter Aaron Raitiere.
‘With this one, we really just wrote it because we loved it,’ Langley said. ‘I got to thank Aaron for being the songwriter that he is tonight.
‘These songs change our lives. I don’t think people really know how true that is. They change our life. They changed my life, my family’s life. I’m so grateful to be up here tonight.’
Brooks & Dunn was named Vocal Duo of the Year, marking their 16th win in the category.
Ronnie Dunn said in accepting the honors: ‘I’m emotional, every night of sold-out shows is surreal to us … we’ll take this and try to make you proud, okay? Thank you.’
Kix Brooks added, ‘I heard earlier tonight y’all ever get sick of this? Hell no, man, this is too good! Thank you very much.’
Zach Top was named New Artist of the Year.
He said in his acceptance speech: ‘I’m so thankful to be included in a category with a bunch of other great artists that have had phenomenal years.
Said the singer, ‘I get up here and I get a little confused and excited at the same time!’
Brooks & Dunn was named Vocal Duo of the Year, marking their 16th win in the category
Top said he was ‘thankful to be here,’ adding, ‘This is my first CMA win ever, so it’s a big deal to me.’
Lainey Wilson collected her first award of the night in Album of the Year for Whirlwind, which marked her second time capturing the coveted category.
‘Mama, daddy, check it out,’ Wilson said. ‘I was absolutely not expecting this. I will say we just got off our Whirlwind world tour and it was absolutely insane.
‘I have the best fans in the world – they showed up every night singing every word off this record.’
Wilson said that she penned the album during a time in her life where things were ‘constantly changing,’ but she held true to her longtime beliefs amid the tumult.
‘I remember being that little 11-year-old girl who would come home from school, pick up my guitar and pour my heart and soul into that guitar,’ Wilson said. ‘That’s how I navigated and communicated. And that’s what I did the last two years when I felt like my life was changing, but I felt the same.’
Leading nominees for the award show – all nominated for six honors apiece – included Langley, Megan Moroney and Wilson – who was also hosting the proceedings.
‘Welcome to the CMA Awards,’ Wilson said upon her entrance. ‘I grew up in the village of Baskin in Louisiana, population 175.
Zach Top was named New Artist of the Year at Wednesday’s event
Ella Langley and Riley Green were back onstage after they collected the honors for Song of the Year, which they won with songwriter Aaron Raitiere
Lainey Wilson collected her first award of the night in Album of the Year for Whirlwind
‘Ever since I was a little girl, country music has been a huge part of my world. It was more than a genre, it was a way of life.
Wilson said that ‘growing up in Baskin, there were two things my family made dang that we never missed, and that was bull riding and the CMA awards – and if we had to miss one, it wasn’t gonna be this.’
She added that ‘to have been asked to host this legendary country music 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.’
Wilson was nominated for CMA entertainer of the year against an impressive field consisting of Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and 2024 victor Morgan Wallen.
Vince Gill was slated to be given the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award during the show from Music City.
The 59th annual CMA Awards will be available to stream on Hulu Thursday.
The winners are determined from votes culled from members of Country Music Association.
