The 2023 CMA Awards was full of jokes, tributes and first time award-winners.
Kicking off the show, Lainey Wilson led the pack with nine nominations on Wednesday night. Wilson took home the album of the year award and began her acceptance speech with, “Thank you to Jesus, thank you to my family, thank you to my fans.”
She continued, “I tell you what, I feel like my love for storytelling truly came from being from Baskin (Louisiana), a town of 200 people, where there’s not a whole lot to do. I mean, you sit around the kitchen table, and you tell the same ol stories you’ve been hearing for years. The kind of stories that get better every single time you hear ’em.”
Lainey Wilson at the 2023 CMA Awards. (Getty Images)
“Stories that make you laugh, make you cry, make you want to drink a beer, just make you feel something. That’s what we wanted to do with this record. Thank you so much,” Wilson concluded.
The “Yellowstone” star gave a second speech after she was awarded with female vocalist of the year. “It’s a good night, It’s a real good night. This one right here, this is for all the hard-working ladies that I know, that I don’t know,” she began.
“For all you little girls watching, I’m getting up every single day … I am beautiful. I am smart. I am talented. I am godly. I am fearless. If somebody tells me I can’t do it? Hold my beer; watch this. Us girls, we’ve been having to blaze trails from the very, very beginning. And I just want to say thank you very much for letting me be a part of that,” Wilson concluded.
Bryan and Manning returned as the hosts of the CMA Awards in 2023. The duo first hosted the award show in 2022. (Larry Fink)
Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning returned to Nashville as co-hosts on Wednesday night. Jelly Roll won his first CMA Award, taking home the new artist of the year award.
“There’s something poetic about a 39-year-old man winning new artist of the year,” Jelly Roll said during his acceptance speech. “I don’t know where you’re at in your life or what you’re going through, but I want to tell you to keep going baby. I want to tell you success is on the other side of it. I want to tell you it’s going to be ok. I want to tell you that the windshield is better than the rearview mirror for a reason because what’s in front of you is so much more important than what’s behind you. Let’s party, Nashville.”
Jelly Roll won his first CMA Award on Wednesday night. (Michael Buckner)
Luke Combs took home the single of the year award for his rendition of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 “Fast Car.” Chapman won song of the year on Wednesday night for the song she wrote decades ago.
“I want to thank Tracy Chapman for writing one of the greatest songs of all time,” Combs said during his acceptance speech. “It’s the first favorite song I ever had.” Chapman, who won two Grammys for “Fast Car” in 1989, was not at the ceremony, but said in a statement that it’s “truly an honor for my song to be recognized 35 years after its debut.”
Alan Jackson and Zac Brown took the stage together at Bridgestone Arena to perform a tribute for the late Jimmy Buffet. The legendary singer died on Sept. 1 after battling skin cancer for years.
The biggest award of the night – entertainer of the year – was given to Wilson.
“This is all I’ve ever wanted … it’s the only thing I know how to do. We’ve worked our butts off,” Lainey began her acceptance speech. “It finally feels like country music is starting to love me back. I love it with my whole heart. I will say it’s really wild. I guess nine must be my lucky number. It’s the year I wrote my first song, it’s the year I got my first pair of bell-bottoms. It’s the year my mom and daddy brought me to Nashville for the first time. It’s the year I went to the Grand Ole Opry for the first time,” she concluded.
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Here is a look at the complete winners list.
Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman and Lainey Wilson all won awards at the 2023 CMAs. (Getty Images)
Entertainer of the year – Lainey Wilson
Single of the year – “Fast Car,” Luke Combs
Album of the year – “Bell Bottom Country,” Lainey Wilson
Nicole Combs and Luke Combs attended the 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards. Luke took home the single of the year award. (Photo by John Shearer)
Song of the year – “Fast Car,” Tracy Chapman
Female vocalist of the year – Lainey Wilson
Male vocalist of the year – Chris Stapleton
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Vocal group of the year – Old Dominion
Vocal duo of the year – Brothers Osborne
Musical event of the year – “wait in the truck” – HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson
Lainey Wilson led the pack with nine nominations at the 2023 CMA Awards. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety)
Musician of the year – Jenee Fleenor
Music video of the year – “wait in the truck” – HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson (Director: Justin Clough)
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New artist of the year – Jelly Roll
Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
