As the 59th Country Music Association Awards approach, Lainey Wilson stands at the forefront of country music’s most prestigious night, having already claimed the ACM Entertainer of the Year title at the 60th ACM Awards earlier in 2025.
Wilson’s remarkable ascent in the industry continues with six nominations at this year’s CMA Awards, bringing her career total to an impressive 25 nominations.
Lainey Wilson continues her meteoric rise, adding six new CMA nominations to reach a career milestone of 25 total nods.
The Entertainer of the Year category features a competitive lineup with Wilson facing off against Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Cody Johnson, and Chris Stapleton.
Wilson’s dominating presence at award shows was previously demonstrated when she collected four ACM awards on the same night she was crowned Entertainer of the Year, though Ella Langley ultimately took home the most hardware that evening with five wins.
In the Album of the Year category, Wilson’s “Whirlwind,” produced by Jay Joyce, competes against Megan Moroney’s “Am I Okay?” produced by Kristian Bush, Morgan Wallen’s “I’m The Problem,” Zach Top’s “Cold Beer & Country Music,” and Post Malone’s cross-genre entry “F-1 Trillion.”
The diverse production styles, particularly Charlie Handsome’s work on both Wallen’s and Post Malone’s albums, highlight the evolving sound of contemporary country music.
The Song of the Year nominations showcase exceptional songwriting talent, with entries including Wilson’s “4x4xU,” co-written with Jon Decious and Aaron Raitiere, Moroney’s “Am I Okay?” crafted alongside Jessie Jo Dillon and Luke Laird, and Zach Top’s “I Never Lie,” penned with Carson Chamberlain and Tim Nichols.
These songwriter-artists ensure proper royalty collection through their affiliations with performance rights organizations like ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC that manage their public performance rights.
Female artists are making a particularly strong showing this year, with Wilson defending her Female Vocalist of the Year title against contenders including Kelsea Ballerini.
Wilson’s “Somewhere Over Laredo,” directed by TK McKamy, also earned a Music Video of the Year nomination, further cementing her status as one of the genre’s most versatile and decorated artists heading into country music’s biggest night.
Beyond award recognition, many of these artists have built sustainable careers by developing diverse income streams including streaming royalties, merchandise sales, and sync deals for film and television.
The Final Round voting for determining winners will close on October 29 at 6:00 PM/CT, with CMA Professional voting members deciding the outcome of each competitive category.
The awards ceremony will be broadcast live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday, November 19, from 8:00-11:00 PM/EST, with next-day streaming available on Hulu.
