Music News

20 Nov 2025

AEG to Open 3,800-Capacity Venue at Olympia Convention Center in London

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AEG Presents UK has announced new details about British Airways ARC, an upcoming 3,800-capacity live music venue and event space above the west exhibition hall at the Olympia convention space in London.

Set to open in 2026, British Airways ARC is part of a $1.7 billion renovation of Olympia — a 138-year-old event space and conference center in Kensington originally built to stage agricultural and military shows and exhibitions that has, over the years, hosted concerts by artists including the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Rod Stewart and The Cure. AXS will provide ticketing services for British Airways ARC, for which AEG is now accepting booking inquiries (more information is available at britishairwaysarc.co.uk).

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Kristin Robinson with Rick Roskin and Rob Light from CAA

In 2017, Olympia was purchased by the firms Deutsche Finance International and YooCapital; four years later, they announced plans to build a 1,575-seat theater at the center. It was announced last month that The Shubert Organization and Trafalgar Entertainment would operate the venue, which has since been dubbed the Olympia Theatre and is due to open in late 2027.

In addition to British Airways ARC and the Olympia Theatre, 30 new bars and eateries are planned for the Olympia complex, along with two new hotels and 550,000 square feet of office space.

“Olympia is a place that has an incredible musical history which we want to honour whilst creating a venue that is thoroughly modern with world class facilities for artists and fans alike,” said Andrew Spencer, COO for AEG Presents Europe, in a statement.

AEG Presents UK manages a large portfolio of venues and events in the U.K., including the summer concert series at Hyde Park. It also books the University of Wolverhampton at The Halls, Watford Colosseum, indigo at The O2 and Eventim Apollo. 


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20 Nov 2025

No Lie: ‘Sinners’ Is Top Winner at 2025 Hollywood Music in Media Awards (Full List)

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Sinners received three awards — more than any other film — at the 16th annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards, which were presented Wednesday (Nov. 19) at The Avalon in Hollywood, California.

Ludwig Göransson received two HMMAs for his work on Sinners: score – feature film and song – feature film for “I Lied to You,” which he co-wrote with Raphael Saadiq. Sinners star Miles Caton, who performed the song in the blockbuster film, also accepted an award for on-screen performance (film).

Ryan Coogler directed, wrote and co-produced Sinners, which spent its first two weekends in April atop the domestic boxoffice charts. For the year-to-date, it is No. 5 in terms of domestic grosses. The film received three of the six nominations for best song written for visual media at the upcoming Grammy Awards. It’s also Grammy-nominated for both best compilation soundtrack for visual media and best score soundtrack for visual media. The film is expected to receive nominations for both best original score and best original song at the upcoming 98th Oscars.

Diane Warren: Relentless received two HMMAs. Legendary songwriter Diane Warren won for song – documentary film for “Dear Me,” which she wrote and performed with Kesha for the documentary about her life. The film’s director, Bess Kargman, also received the HMMA for music documentary – special program.

The Wicked franchise received two HMMAs.  Director Jon M. Chu won music-themed film, biopic, or musical for Wicked: For Good, and the promotional TV program Wicked: One Wonderful Night was awarded the HMMA for music performance / special program.

Dog Man composer Tom Howe also received two awards. He won for score – animated film, and took home the HMMA for song – documentary series – TV/limited series with his co-writer Sam Ryder, who performed the song for the series.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy also received two accolades. The film’s composer Dustin O’Halloran received the HMMA for score – TV/streamed movie, and its music supervisor Nick Angel won for music supervision – film.

Major song winners also included the global hit “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, which won the HMMA for song – animated film. The song received a Grammy nomination for song of the year, the only film song nominated in that category this year. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks. The banger was co-written by HUNTR/X lead vocalist and songwriter EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, and Park Hong Jun, and performed by HUNTR/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami).

Aiyana-Lee received the HMMA for song – independent film for “Highest 2 Lowest,” which she co-wrote with her mother, Nicole Daciana Anderson, and performed for Denzel Washington in the finale of the Spike Lee film of the same name.

Lady Gaga and Andrew Watt won song – TV show / limited series for “The Dead Dance” from Wednesday, a song they co-wrote and performed. The song has so far reached No. 40 on the Hot 100.

Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Nettles won song – on-screen performance – TV show/limited series for “Our Highway” (The Bondsman Season 1), which they also co-wrote.

The HMMA for soundtrack album was awarded to F1 the Album on Atlantic Records.

Five-time Emmy-winning composer Jeff Beal opened the ceremony with Afghan artist Aryana Sayeed, performing their song “We Believe in Hope.” He later took home the award for score – independent film for Rule Breakers. Other performers during the ceremony included Caton, Warren, and Aiyana-Lee.

Here’s the full list of 2025 Hollywood Music in Media nominees, with winners marked.

Song – Feature Film

“Dream as One” from Avatar: Fire and Ash. Written by Miley Cyrus, Mark Ronson, Simon Franglen and Andrew Wyatt. Performed by Miley Cyrus

“Drive” from F1. Written by Ed Sheeran, Blake Slatkin and John Mayer. Performed by Ed Sheeran.

“Lose My Mind” From F1. Written by Don Toliver, Doja Cat, Hans Zimmer, Ryan Tedder and Grant Boutin. Performed by Don Toliver, Doja Cat

“Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” From Sinners. Written by Alice Smith, Miles Canton and Ludwig Göransson. Performed by Miles Canton and Alice Smith.

WINNER: “I Lied to You” From Sinners. Written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson. Performed by Miles Caton.

“No Place Like Home” from Wicked: For Good. Written by Stephen Schwartz. Performed by Cynthia Erivo

“The Girl in the Bubble” From Wicked: For Good. Written by Stephen Schwartz. Performed by Ariana Grande

Song – Independent Film

WINNER: “Highest 2 Lowest” from Highest 2 Lowest. Written by Aiyanna-Lee Anderson and Nicole Daciana Anderson. Performed By Aiyanna-Lee

“Learn to Let Go” from Everything To Me. Written by Stephanie Economou, Maggie Mcclure, Chloé Caroline Fellows, and Jon Monroe. Performed by Maggie Mcclure, Chloé Caroline, Stephanie Economou.

“My San Francisco” from Plainclothes. Written and Performed by Emily Wells

“Time Is All We Have” from Momo. Written by Fil Eisler and Sam Ryder. Performed By Sam Ryder.

“We Believe in Hope” from Rule Breakers. Written by Jeff Beal, Joan Beal and Aryana Sayeed. Performed by Aryana Sayeed & The Brooklyn Youth Chorus.

Song – Documentary Film

WINNER: “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless. Written by Diane Warren. Performed by Kesha and Diane Warren.

“Dying To Live” from Billy Idol Should Be Dead. Written by Billy Idol, J. Ralph, Steve Stevens, Tommy English, Joe Janiak. Performed by Billy Idol and J. Ralph.

“Have You Seen My Light” from October 8. Written and Produced by Autumn Rowe and Kizzo

“Milagros” from Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful. Written by Carolina Giraldo Navarro, Edgar Barrera, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, Lenin Yorney Palacios. Performed by Karol G.

“Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from Come See Me in the Good Light. Written by Sara Bareilles, Andrea Gibson and Brandi Carlile. Performed by Sara Bareilles and Brandi Carlile

Song – Animated Film

“Best Time Ever” from Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical. Written by Alan Zachary, Michael Weiner and Jeff Morrow. Performed by Cast.

WINNER: “Golden” brom Kpop Demon Hunters. Written by Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, Park Hong Jun. Performed by Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami.

“Gooflife” From The Bad Guys 2. Written by Daniel Pemberton, Gary Go and Sanele David Sydow. Performed by Rag’n’bone Man & Wizthemc.

“Kaleidoscope” from Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie. Written by Joseph Chase Atkins. Performed by Tehillah Alphonso and Cast.

“Open the Door” From The Twits. Written and Performed by David Byrne & Hayley Williams.

“Zoo” From Zootopia 2. Written by Ed Sheeran & Blake Slatkin and Shakira. Performed by Shakira.

Song – Onscreen Performance (Film)

Aiyanna-Lee – “Highest 2 Lowest” from Highest 2 Lowest

Bono – “Sunday Bloody Sunday” from Bono: Stories Of Surrender

Ejae, Rei Ami, Audrey Nuna (Aka Huntr/X) – “Golden” from Kpop Demon Hunters

WINNER: Miles Caton – “I Lied To You” from Sinners

Tom Basden & Carey Mulligan – “Our Love” from The Ballad Of Wallis Island

Score – Animated Film

Arnaud Toulon – Arco

Daniel Pemberton – The Bad Guys 2

Nick Urata – Stitch Head

Stephanie Economou – Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie

WINNER: Tom Howe – Dog Man

Score – Feature Film

Alexandre Desplat – Frankenstein

Daniel Lopatin – Marty Supreme

Hans Zimmer – F1

Jerskin Fendrix – Bugonia

John Powell – Wicked: For Good

Jonny Greenwood – One Battle After Another)

WINNER: Ludwig Göransson – Sinners

Max Richter – Hamnet

Volker Bertelmann – A House Of Dynamite

Score – SciFi/Fantasy Film

Alexandre Desplat – Jurassic World Rebirth

Fil Eisler – Momo

Gordy Haab – Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force

Laura Karpman – Captain America: Brave New World

Michael Giacchino – The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Nine Inch Nails – Tron: Ares

WINNER: Simon Franglen – Avatar: Fire and Ash

Son Lux – Thunderbolts*

Score – Horror/Thiller Film

Atticus Derrickson – Black Phone 2

WINNER: Benjamin Wallfisch – Wolf Man

Cornel Wilczek – Bring Her Back

Holly Amber Church – The Other

Jay Wadley – Heart Eyes

Michael Yezerski – Dangerous Animals

Score – Independent Film

Aaron Zigman – Truth & Treason

Adem Ilhan – The Ballad of Wallis Island

WINNER: Jeff Beal – Rule Breakers

Jónsi And Alex Somers – Rental Family

Lucrecia Dalt – Rabbit Trap

Steve Gernes – Wet Paper Bag

Score – Documentary

Allyson Newman – Arrest the Midwife

WINNER: Anne Nikitin – Pangolin – Kulu’s Journey

Christian Lundberg – Why We Dream

Lolita Ritmanis – An American Miracle

Paul Leonard-Morgan – The Last Dive

Tyler Strickland – John Candy: I Like Me

Music Themed Film or Musical

Song Sung Blue – Craig Brewer (Director)

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere – Scott Cooper (Director)

The Ballad of Wallis Island – James Griffiths (Director)

WINNER: Wicked: For Good – Jon M. Chu (Director)

Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires – Paul Hoen (Director)

Music Documentary – Special Program

Billy Idol Should Be Dead – Jonas Åkerlund (Director)

Bono: Stories of Surrender – Andrew Dominik (Director)

WINNER: Diane Warren: Relentless – Bess Kargman (Director)

I Was Born This Way – Daniel Junge & Sam Pollard (Directors)

It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley – Amy Berg (Director)

Selena Y Los Dinos – Isabel Castro (Director)

Song – TV Show/Limited Series

“Afterlife” from Devil May Cry. Written by Amy Lee and Alex Seaver. Performed by Evanescence.

“At Dawn I Look for You” from Étoile. Written by Loral Raphael and Ronnel Raphael. Performed by Sons Of Raphael

“Give It a Good Try” from Unconventional. Written by Craig Richey. Performed by Craig Richey feat. Aubrey Shea.

“Rosebud” from Woman Of The Dead (Season 2). Written By Vera Marie Weber & Caleb Veazey. Performed By Vera Weberb

WINNER: “The Dead Dance” from Wednesday. Written by Lady Gaga and Andrew Watt. Performed By Lady Gaga.

“The Line” from Arcane. Written by Tyler Joseph. Performed by Twenty One Pilots.

“Turned to Black” from Black Rabbit. Written by Albert Hammond Jr. & Sarah Holt. Performed by The Black Rabbits (Albert Hammond Jr & Jude Law)

“Wolf Song” from Landman. Written and Performed by Andrew Lockington

Score – TV Show/Limited Series

Aaron May & David Ridley – Adolescence

Antonio Sánchez – The Studio

Brandon Roberts & Nicholas Britell – Andor

Chris Bacon – Wednesday

David Fleming – The Last Of Us (Season 2)

Dominic Lewis – Your Friends & Neighbors

Andrew Lockington – Landman

Natalie Holt – Chad Powers

The Gregson-Williams Brothers – The Gilded Age (Season 3)

Theodore Shapiro – Severance

Song – Onscreen Performance – TV Show/Limited Series

Kenzi Richardson – “Force of Nature” (Vampirina: Teenage Vampire)

Nikhil Koparkar – “The Hills of Tanchico” (The Wheel Of Time)

Lumi Pollack, Carmen Sanchez, Ruby Marino – “The Lies We Tell Our Hearts” (Electric Bloom)

Mark Sonnenblick – “Drugs in My Booty” (Harlem Season 3)

WINNER: Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Nettles – “Our Highway” (The Bondsman Season 1)

Main Title – TV Show/Limited Series

Chief Of War – Hans Zimmer, James Everingham and Kaumakaiwa Kanakaʻole

Étoile – Sons of Raphael

Government Cheese – Pharrell Williams

Outlander: Blood of My Blood – Bear McCreary

WINNER: Your Friends & Neighbors – Dominic Lewis and Hamilton Leithauser

Score – Short Film (Live Action)

Alexander Bornstein – The Lord of All Future Space and Time

WINNER: Carl Thiel – El Lazo De Petra

Finlay White – Gesualdo

Forrest Gray – Everything Must Go

Kyle Simpson – How to Drag a Body

Score – Short Film (Animated)

Hayden Thompson and Miranda Tan – Love & Gold Soundtrack

Obadiah Brown-Beach, Bastien Rousset, Henrik Lindström, 2wei, Ruben K, Georg Mausolf, Sigurd Jøhnk-Jensen and Nicholas Horsten – Honor Of Kings – Kong Kong’er Champion Cinematic Short

WINNER: Qing Madi – Valorant

Raashi Kulkarni – Wednesdays With Gramps

Sam Rothera – All Hail the Duck King

Score – Short Film (Documentary)

Alexander Leeming Froudakis & Manuela Lubrano – Stone Biter

WINNER: Benjamin Westphalen – A Dream Called Khushi (Happiness)

Juan Carlos Enriquez – La Mar

Katya Richardson – Love, Chinatown

Michał Drabczyk – The Light of Immortality

Oscar Pan – Cindy Tran: From Here to Here

Score – Independent Film (Foreign Language)

Emiliano Mazzenga – Catane

WINNER: Fabrizio Mancinelli – Out of the Nest

Karl Sölve Steven & Rob Thorne – Mārama

Mina Samy – Happy Birthday

Toni M. Mir – Dreaming of Lions

Score – Documentary Series -TV/Digital

WINNER: Duncan Thum & David Bertok – Chef’s Table: Legends

Hans Zimmer, Kara Talve and Anže Rozman – The Americas

Jasha Klebe – American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden

John Dragonetti – Turning Point: The Vietnam War

Nainita Desai – Secrets of the Penguins

Score – TV Show/Limited Series (Foreign Language)

Ariel Blumenthal, Gal Lev – Red Alert

WINNER: Arturo Cardelús – Terra Alta

Guillaume Roussel – Carême

Sandrine Rudaz – On the High Seas

Suad Bushnaq – Al Batal (The Hero)

Score – Video Game (Console & PC)

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach – Ludvig Forssell

Dune: Awakening – Knut Avenstroup Haugen

Fallen Aces: Episode 1 – Josh Barron

Ghost Of Yōtei – Toma Otowa

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Gordy Haab

WINNER: League of Legends: Welcome to Noxus – League of Legends (Bill Hemstapat, Sebastien Najand, Alex Seaver, J.D. Spears, Alexander Temple, Richard Thomson, Seth Tsui, Gong Ao, Merlin Cen)

Mafia: the Old Country – Bt (Brian Transeau)

Spirit of the North 2 – Pav Gekko

Sword of the Sea – Austin Wintory

The Rogue Prince of Persia – Asadi (Danny Asadi)

Song – Video Game (Console & PC)

WINNER: “Against the Tide” from Wuthering Waves. Written by Obadiah Brown-Beach. Performed by Forts And Obadiah Brown-Beach

“Coral Crown” from Hades II: Original Soundtrack. Written by Darren Korb. Performed by Scylla and the Sirens.

“Footsteps” from Rue Valley. Written and Performed By Ana Krstajić

“Rivals ‘Til The End” from Marvel Rivals. Written by Danny Koo, Marbling, Netease Sound, Masahiro Aoki, H.K.H. Vocals By Chrissy Costanza.

“The Rogue Prince of Persia” from The Rogue Prince Of Persia. Written and Performed by Asadi (Daniel Asadi) and Xye.

“When The Sun Is Low” From Dune: Awakening. Written by Knut Avenstroup Haugen. Performed by Clara Sorace, The Chamber Orchestra of London, Børre Flyen and Knut Avenstroup Haugen.

Song/Score – Mobile Video Game

WINNER: Afk Journey – Alec Justice

Delta Force – Delta Force Music Team

Honor Of Kings – Matthew Carl Earl, Laurent Courbier, and Others

Identity V-Gambler In The Spotlight – Zhang Guanglei & Wang Jingfei

Valorant – Bbno$

Music Supervision – TV Show/Limited Series

George Drakoulias – Severance

Jen Malone & Nicole Weisberg – Wednesday

Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe, Jonathan Leahy – Nobody Wants This

Melyssa Hardwick – The Summer I Turned Pretty

Nora Felder – Yellowjackets (Season 3)

Robin Urdang – Étoile

WINNER: Sean Fernald – Dexter: Resurrection

Music Supervision – Film

Ashley Neumeister – Ruth & Boaz

Maggie Rodford – Wicked: For Good

Gary Welch – The Ballad Of Wallis Island

Jemma Burns – Christy

Mike Turner & Jonathan Lane – Winter Spring Summer Or Fall

WINNER: Nick Angel – Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

Music Supervision – Video Game

Bénédicte Ouimet & Jérôme Angelot – Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Benjamin Beladi – The Sandbox – 2025 Seasons (5 & 6)

Jonny Altepeter – Valorant

Manu Bachet – The Rogue Prince of Persia

WINNER: Steve Schnur – Battlefield 6

Yuanye Huang, Jing Zhang, Shuqin Xiao, Peiyue Lu, Samuel Siu – Honor of Kings

Song/Score – Commercial Advertisement

Amazon Midnight Opus (“What the World Needs Now Is Love”) – Haim Mazar

WINNER: Apple: 6 Out of 5 Stars – Silo: Music – Neil Ormandy, Linkoln, Allen Stone

Matter And Space (“Butterflies”) – Alex Yewon

Sea of Remnants (“Yo Ho!”) – Guanglei Zhang / Sibo Huang “Yo Ho!”

The End of the Run Is Just the Beginning – Alexandra Petkovski (Aka Fjøra)

Valorant (“In My Zone”) – Bbno$

Soundtrack Album

WINNER: F1 – Atlantic Records

Karma: The Dark World – Black Razor Records

Kpop Demon Hunters – Republic Records

Sinners – Sony Masterworks Records

Wicked: For Good – Republic Records

World Of Warcraft: Undermine(D) – Blizzard Entertainment

Song – Short Film

“Sean Is Three” from Sean The Baby. Written by Cameron Adams. Performed By Amelia Rolland.

“Somos Fuertes” from Somos Fuertes Official Music Video. Written and Performed by J.Frazil.

“Car Keys” from Everything Must Go. Written by Forrest Gray, Tiffany So & Saba Saghafi. Performed By Forrest Gray.

WINNER: “Stars In My Eyes” from Sweetwater. Written by Sean Douglas. Performed by Kyra Sedgwick.

“Down We Go” from Rabbit Rabbit. Written and Performed by Zoë Lustri

Score – TV/Streamed Movie

WINNER: Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy – Dustin O’Halloran

Exterritorial – Sara Barone

Fountain Of Youth – Christopher Benstead

Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story – Tommy Fields

The Pickup – Christopher Lennertz

Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires – Tom Howe

Music Design – Trailer

Delta Force – Peter Tomlinson

Destiny: Rising – Weicheng Xia & Guanglei Zhang

WINNER: Necaxa (FX – Hulu) – Juan Carlos Enriquez

Project Spectrum – Ludvig Forssell

Sea Of Remnants (Yo Ho!) – Guanglei Zhang & Sibo Huang

Valorant – Qing Madi

Wet Paper Bag – Steve Gernes

Main Title – TV Show (Foreign Language)

Al Batal (The Hero) – Suad Bushnaq

Carême – Guillaume Roussel

Lam Shamseya – Mina Samy

WINNER: On The High Seas – Sandrine Rudaz

Two Graves – Marc Timon

Music Video (Independent)

WINNER: Evanescence – “Afterlife”

Teya – “Bite Marks”

Mohammed K Paika – “Just Human”

Gabrielle Aapri – “Refuge”

Alexandra Fresquez – “Symphony”

Matt B, Rocky Dawuni, Tony Succar, & Wouter Kellerman – “They Know”

Live Concert for Visual Media

WINNER: The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl – The Lion King Cast

Infinity Concert – Jason Huang

Beyond the World – Yufan Xu/Xihao Wang/China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra

Garden State 20th Anniversary Concert – Musical Performers: The Shins, Iron & Wine, Frou Frou, Cary Brothers, Laufey, Thievery Corporation, Colin Hay, Madison Cunningham, Remy Zero, The Milk Carton Kids, Sophie Barker, And Bonnie Somerville

Not Gonna Lie, Live From Ruthmere Museum – Abbie Thomas

Exhibitions, Theme Parks, Special Projects

Dark Castle (Xd Dark Ride) – Benjamin Botkin, Carl Vaudrin, Benjamin Beladi

Dreamland Theme Park – Chris Thomas

One Step Beyond: A Journey to Mars – Rhian Sheehan

Scadstory Atlanta – Erik Desiderio

Snapshot – Eduardo Andrade

Tapestry of Happiness – Haim Mazar

WINNER: Walt Disney World’s Epcot: Test Track – Zain Effendi

19 Nov 2025

2025 CMA Awards Performances, Ranked

This year’s CMA Awards were marked by powerful female artist wins, as well as several first-time wins and a changing of the guard in certain categories.

Lainey Wilson earned her second entertainer of the year win (she previously won in 2023), as well as her fourth consecutive female vocalist of the year win, and her second album of the year win (this year for Whirlwind). Ella Langley‘s collaboration with Riley Green, “You Look Like You Love Me,” was named both single and song of the year.

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), went to first-time category winner Cody Johnson. Old Dominion’s seven-year winning streak in the vocal group of the year category was upended by newcomers The Red Clay Strays, who picked up their first CMA Award win. In the musician of the year category, celebrated steel guitarist Paul Franklin took home musician of the year for the first time, with 33 total nominations in the category, with his first nomination occurring in 1989.

As heartfelt and illustrious as many of this year’s awards-winning moments were, the evening’s performances were equally inspired, from Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton’s groovy, sultry collaboration, to Shaboozey teaming with Stephen Wilson Jr.

The evening also featured its share of medleys, as Kenny Chesney and Old Dominion both leaned on older hits for their performances, as Old Dominion celebrates a decade of hits, while Kenny Chesney is a newly-minted Country Music Hall of Fame inductee.

The evening was filled with electrifying performances, and here, Billboard counts down the night’s top performances.

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19 Nov 2025

Snubs & Surprises at the 2025 CMA Awards

Many of the awards presented at the 2025 CMA Awards, which went down at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday (Nov. 19), went just about as expected. Did anyone seriously think that Lainey Wilson wasn’t going to win her fourth consecutive award for female artist of the year?

And no one could have been too surprised that Brooks & Dunn took vocal duo of the year for the 16th time. Kix Brooks & Ronnie Dunn first set the record as the duo with the most wins in the category in 1999 when they won for the eighth time.

But that doesn’t mean there weren’t any surprises at the 59th annualCMA Awards, which were broadcast on ABC for the 20th consecutive year. Just ask Old Dominion, which came up short in the voting for vocal group of the year, a category they won the last seven years running – the longest consecutive winning streak in the category’s history. Or Chris Stapleton, who lost male vocalist of the year for only the third time in the past 11 years. (He lost in 2019 and 2020 to Luke Combs.)

Wilson hosted the show, having co-hosted last year with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. She’s only the third woman to solo-host the show, following Dolly Parton (1988) and Reba McEntire (1991).

The awards are voted on by the 7,132 voting-eligible professional members of the Country Music Association, which include industry professionals, recording artists, songwriters, producers and musicians.

Here are some of the most notable snubs and surprises at the 2025 CMA Awards.

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19 Nov 2025

6 Artists Who Made History at 2025 CMA Awards

Some artists didn’t just win at the 59th annual CMA Awards, which were held on Wednesday (Nov. 19) at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. They made history.

Of course, acts have been making history at the CMA Awards for years.

In 1971, Charley Pride became the first (and is still the only) Black artist to win entertainer of the year. The following year, Loretta Lynn became the first woman to win the award.

In 2016, Garth Brooks became the first person to win entertainer of the year five times. He won two more times before he graciously removed himself from further consideration for the award.

In 2014, Miranda Lambert became the first woman to win female vocalist of the year five times. In 2022, Chris Stapleton became the first man to win male vocalist of the year six times. (Both artists have since added more wins to their tallies.)

In 1984, The Statler Brothers became the first group to win vocal group of the year nine times. (That’s still the record in that category.) In 1999, Brooks & Dunn became the first duo to win vocal duo of the year eight times. They are still the leaders in that category, though their win tally in the category currently stands at 16.

In 2008, with Troubadour, George Strait became the first artist to win album of the year five times. In 2024, with “White Horse,” Stapleton became the first artist to win single of the year three times. Both of these records still stand.

That’s enough looking back. Here are six artists who made CMA history this year.

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19 Nov 2025

Brandi Carlile, George Strait & More Pay Tribute to Vince Gill at the 2025 CMA Awards

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With country legend Vince Gill taking home the prestigious Willie Nelson lifetime achievement award at the 2025 CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 19), it’s only fitting that a who’s who of country stars would show him their love.

First up, Americana star Brandi Carlile gave a plaintive rendition of Gill’s “When I Call Your Name.” Dressed in simple yet sleek maroon suit and tie, Brandi kept her eyes trained on Gill as she belted out his moving ballad. Soon, she was joined on stage to turn the song into a rare duet with country star Patty Loveless for a moving final beat.

Once the pair stepped off the stage, the King of Country himself, George Strait, stepped up to offer a tribute of his own to Gill. Instead of singing, though, Strait gave a speech celebrating Gill’s pioneering work in the country industry. “There’s not a lot more to say about this man that hasn’t been said, or that you don’t already know,” Strait offered. “But his guitar playing is amazing, his songwriting is amazing, his singing is amazing, he can sing higher than anyone I know … there’s not a more deserving person to receive this great honor.”

For his part, Gill thanked Carlile and Loveless for their tribute, joking that “it’s not lost on me that they had to have girls come out here and sing for me tonight — none of the boys can get up that high.” He also took the moment to revel in being honored with a lifetime achievement award that very few other artists have received.

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“I think this has been give to nine or 10 people, and that list is astounding,” he said. “The man whose name is on this is a long, long friend. Fifty years we’ve known each other, shared stages and all that. I adore him.”

Lainey Wilson, along with serving as host during the ceremony, earned six nominations at the awards — the most of any artist in 2025, alongside fellow nominees Ella Langley and Megan Moroney. Meanwhile, stars including Luke Combs, Shaboozey, Brandi Carlile, Kelsea Ballerini and more took to the stage for their own performances.


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19 Nov 2025

Shaboozey & Stephen Wilson Jr. Deliver Gorgeous Rendition of ‘Took a Walk’ at CMA Awards

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Shaboozey and Stephen Wilson Jr. took the CMA Awards audience on an emotional walk Wednesday night (Nov. 19).

Standing on a set made to look like a lush field of wheat at dusk, both country stars’ voices sounded raw and gorgeous over an emotional accompaniment provided by the band on stage with them. ‘Boozey and Wilson took turns singing verses before joining together at the end, crooning, “So let’s stay out here for a while, my friend/ Let’s stay and walk the line ’til the end/ I know you’re tired, hell, so am I/ We can’t take the same road again.”

The ballad was featured in this year’s film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk, a harrowing tale about a dystopian society in which a selection of young men enter an annual contest in the hopes of winning fame and fortune, which they can only secure after outliving the rest of the competitors on a days-long walk across the country. “I feel so excited,” ‘Boozey told Billboard on the CMAs red carpet shortly before the show. “I think it’s going to be a really special performance, doing it with my boy.”

“Took a Walk” wasn’t the only performance Wilson delivered Wednesday night. Shortly before taking the stage with his duet partner, he did a solo, stripped-down rendition of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” for the crowd at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

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Also speaking to Billboard before the ceremony, Wilson explained how his two performances were linked. “I’m a big Stephen King fan,” he said. “I play this song called ‘Stand By Me,’ which I’m playing tonight as well, because of a movie called Stand By Me based off a Stephen King [story called The Body]. It’s been haunting me my whole life.”

“Fast-forward these years later, I get invited to sing this song and write this song with Shaboozey for a Stephen King movie called The Long Walk,” he added on the carpet. “The world is weird, life is weird and I’m just here for it.”

Both stars were nominated for the same award this year, receiving nods for new artist of the year. The prize ultimately went to Zach Top.

The ceremony comes as Shaboozey is working on a new album. In October, he exclusively told Billboard, “[It’s about] feminism, I’ll say that.”

“Femininity is probably the best word I can use,” he added at the time of the upcoming full-length, which he says is just about finished. “There’s a story there … It’s a Western concept album about femininity — I shouldn’t have told you that!”


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19 Nov 2025

Lainey Wilson’s ‘Whirlwind’ Wins Album of the Year CMA Award, Presented by Steve Martin & Alison Brown

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Lainey Wilson has been all over Wednesday night’s (Nov. 19) CMA Awards. Not only is she hosting, and not only did she kick the awards into high gear with a big country covers medley, but she’s also one of the night’s big winners, taking home album of the year for her acclaimed Whirlwind set.

“Mama, daddy, look, check it out!” Wilson exclaimed as she accepted the award from banjo picker and occasional comedy legend Steve Martin, along with his collaborator Alison Brown. “I was absolutely not expecting this,” the country great attested about the win, also shouting out her Granny “somewhere” in the audience.

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Wilson went on to thank fans who showed up to her Whirlwind Tour, and to salute herself for staying true to her artistic process throughout the turbulent recording of the award-winning album. “I remember being that little 11-year-old girl who would come home from school and pick up my guitar and pour my heart and soul into that guitar,” she testified. “And that’s how I navigated and communicated. And that’s exactly what I did these last two years of my life, when I felt like my life was changing, but I still felt exactly the same.”

Before awarding her the album of the year, Martin and Brown performed some dueling banjos for the audience, and even bantered a little comedy — quipping about how they were excited enough to be presenting at the CMAs to even do it for free, which was apparently all they were being offered. Martin and Brown released the bluegrass album Safe, Sensible and Sane earlier this year.


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19 Nov 2025

Kenny Chesney Cruises Through a Pair of His Hits at 2025 CMA Awards

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With 20 studio albums under his belt, country superstar Kenny Chesney had plenty of songs to choose from for his performance at the 2025 CMA Awards — so many, in fact, that he couldn’t pick just one.

Hopping on stage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Chesney was introduced by host Lainey Wilson, who highlighted him as a “four time CMA Entertainer of the Year” before ceding the stage. Dressed in a simple straw hat and plain long-sleeved tee, Chesney pulled out his classic country track “American Kids,” strumming along with his band. By the time he reached the chorus, Chesney had the whole arena singing along about “growin’ up in little pink houses” and “makin’ out on living room couches.”

Then Chesney headed to the arena’s B-stage for a performance of his Uncle Kracker duet “When the Sun Goes Down,” greeting his fans in the crowd and grooving to the song’s sultry lyrics. But before he closed out his performance, Chesney gestured to a graphic behind him paying tribute to Grammy-winning country songwriter Brett James (“When the Sun Goes Down” writer) who died in a private plane crash in September. “Thank you so much, Brett James, we love you,” Chesney shouted to conclude his number.

While Chesney wasn’t nominated as a soloist at the 2025 CMA Awards, he did feature on Megan Moroney’s “You Had to Be There,” which earned a nod for musical event of the year at the ceremony.

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Along with serving as the evening’s host, Wilson also snatched up six nominations at the awards, which tied him for the most nods of any artist in 2025, alongside fellow singers Ella Langley and Megan Moroney. Throughout the evening, stars including Luke Combs, Shaboozey, Brandi Carlile, Kelsea Ballerini and more took to the stage for their own performances.


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19 Nov 2025

Zach Top Accepts the CMA for New Artist of the Year With His Beer Still in Hand: ‘So Thankful’

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Zach Top didn’t need anyone to hold his beer when he won big at the Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday night (Nov. 19) — he just took it right on up with him.

Shortly after performing on stage at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, the 28-year-old singer-songwriter was crowned new artist of the year, beating out Shaboozey, Ella Langley, Tucker Wetmore and Stephen Wilson Jr. In his excitement, Top — looking dapper in a blue suit and cowboy hat — neglected to set down his can of Coors before running up to accept the trophy.

Confessing to the crowd that he couldn’t remember if he was supposed to put his beer down or not, he said with a shrug, “Here it is,” before downing a celebratory sip.

Top went on to thank numerous people on his team for helping him reach the CMA summit. “It’s been a hell of a last couple of years,” he concluded. “So, so thankful.”

The onstage beer moment is certainly on brand for Top. The Washington native’s 2024 debut album is titled Cold Beer & Country Music, an LP he followed up this year with Ain’t In It for My Health, which reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200. The latter full-length produced two Billboard Hot 100 hits: “South of Sanity” and “Good Times & Tan Lines.”

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The new artist victory is also probably quite vindicating for Top, whose absence from the best new artist Grammy category was considered one of the most head-scratching snubs of the 2026 nominations, which went live earlier in November. In fact, no country artists were recognized in the category, with Langley and Megan Moroney also getting left out.

Even so, Top certainly felt the love from the CMAs this year. The musician earned a total of five nods — including album of the year for Cold Beer & Country Music — tying him for second-most nominations in 2025.


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