Lainey Wilson Says She Has ‘Big Old Shoes to Fill’ as She Hosts the CMA Awards Solo for the First Time Ever

Lainey Wilson is stepping into one of the biggest weeks of her career as she prepares to host the CMA Awards solo for the first time and heads into the show as one of the most-nominated artists, earning six nods this year.

As someone who has watched the CMA Awards since she was a little girl, Wilson deeply understands the importance of the night and what it represents for country music. Thinking back to her childhood in Baskin, Louisiana, the superstar remembers the CMA Awards as a major tradition in the Wilson home.

“We were either watching bull riding or the CMA awards and we were just not going to miss it,” she shared during a Sunday afternoon press conference held between CMA Awards rehearsals. “I mean, it was like the Super Bowl of our house, and I just remember all of us coming together, my daddy would get off the tractor and it was like our night as a family to sit there and watch it together and see what everybody was wearing and watching the interactions between artists to see who were friends with who, and it was one of my favorite childhood memories with my  family for sure.”

Last year, Wilson co-hosted “Country Music’s Biggest Night” alongside Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. This year, she’s taking the reins on her own, and carrying forward some valuable lessons she picked up from her former co-hosts.

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“Honestly, just to not take yourself too serious,” she shared of what she learned co-hosting alongside Bryan and Manning. “They got out there… I mean, they were just letting it loose and going into it, I kind of thought, ‘oh man, this might be a little stressful. You need to know where you’re going, where you’re at, what you’re saying, and what you’re doing’… and they just went with it and you could tell that they were themselves. And so just being able to be there with them last year just taught me a lot. I know, like I said, that this is a big deal, but it’s important for me to have fun while doing it, and so I’m going to try to remember that. I’m going to try to just not take myself too serious.”

Wilson is also making history as only the third woman ever to host the CMA Awards solo, following country icons Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire. This is an honor she doesn’t take lightly.

“I texted Reba last night and I said, ‘if you had one piece of advice to give me going into this week, what would it be?’ And I thought she was just going to say something like, ‘just be yourself and have fun,” Wilson said. “She sent me a list. I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. One piece of advice. But yeah, it’s like I said, it’s a really big shoes to fill and I just feel so honored.”

On top of hosting duties, Wilson is also scheduled to take the stage for a performance. While she kept details mostly under wraps, she promised fans will get a glimpse of her “fiery” side.

“Like that sassy side,” she explained. “But a lot of the people who know me…know that I got that side. I got that little crazy side…so you’re going to see some sass and it’s going to be fun.”

The 59th Annual CMA Awards will also feature performances by BigXThaPlug, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Ella Langley, Kelsea Ballerini, Kenny Chesney, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Megan Moroney, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, Patty Loveless, Riley Green, Shaboozey, Stephen Wilson Jr., The Red Clay Strays, Tucker Wetmore, and Zach Top.

“Country Music’s Biggest Night” broadcasts live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday Nov. 19 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC and is available next day on Hulu.