Lainey Wilson Reveals Plans To Poke Fun At Fellow Country Stars While Hosting 2025 CMA Awards

Lainey Wilson is gearing up for her first solo hosting gig at the 2025 CMA Awards. With this responsibility, she’s hoping to bring some fun to the stage.

Last year, she got her first taste of hosting the major event alongside Luke Bryan and former NFL star, Peyton Manning, who were known for having a few clever jokes in their scripts. Now with Wilson leading the charge, she says she wants to continue that tradition by incorporating some unrestricted roasts aimed at her friends in the industry.

“If I can poke fun at people, hey, we good,” she said during an appearance on Rolling Stone‘s Nashville Now podcast. “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.”

When the “Somewhere Over Laredo” singer takes the stage of the CMA Awards on November 19, she will make history as the first woman to host the awards show solo since Reba McEntire in 1991. Wilson admitted she couldn’t believe it was true at first, but knowing that she has McEntire’s support makes the milestone even more meaningful.

“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 shared. “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.”

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Wilson added that she has “no clue” why CMA producer Robert Deaton made the decision to make her the solo host. Luckily, it seems there are no hard feelings over the fact that Luke Bryan is not returning to reclaim his duties this year.

“…I guess Luke ain’t mad at me ’cause I’ve talked to him since,” she said.

“Honestly, he was probably happy to have a year off. And Peyton too, because they’ve been doing that for a while now…. Those guys are such genuine people that I think they’re happy for me. I really do,” she continued.

Having grown up watching the CMA Awards to the extent that she calls it her “super bowl,” Wilson revealed it is a “true honor” to get to return to the stage where some of country music’s biggest moments are celebrated and host for her second year.

“I’m humbled that CMA has trusted me with this role, and I can’t wait to love on this genre that has given me so much.”

The Louisiana native will also enter the night as a six-time nominee, tying with Ella Langley and Megan Moroney as the top nominees at the 59th annual CMA Awards. Among her nominations, Wilson is in the running for the night’s top honor, CMA Entertainer of the Year, alongside to- Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, and Morgan Wallen.

The 59th Annual CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 8 to 11 p.m. ET on ABC, and will stream the following day on Hulu.