Gabby Barrett is gearing up to serve as a presenter at the 2025 ACM Awards on Thursday evening (May 8), and she will be attending the coveted awards show without her husband Cade Foehner by her side.
Gabby Barrett Explains Reason Husband Cade Won’t Be Joining Her At 2025 ACM Awards
While chatting with Country Now ahead of the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards, the country superstar explained why he will not be joining her on the ACM red carpet or at the show.
“My husband’s graduating from, he’s been doing online college at TMU for the past four and a half years. So he’ll be graduating with a degree in biblical studies,” Barrett revealed. As Gabby Barrett presents at the ACM Awards, Cade Foehner is in California preparing for his graduation. Following the ceremony, Barrett will fly out to reunite with him and their children to celebrate the milestone together.
She went on to detail how proud she is of him and acknowledging that it is a milestone moment for him. “I am so glad he gets to do it and walk and that’s such a special, I didn’t go to college, but I know that that’s a special thing,” Barrett continued.
It’s rare to see Gabby Barrett attend an event without her husband, who is not only the father of her three children but also her guitarist and constant companion. She also opened up about being a full-time mother and artist. “I can’t imagine doing it without them being there. That would be a lot harder and a lot more pull on the mom heart, because being a mom is very important to me,” Barrett added.
Barrett Will Introduce Ella Langley’s Performance At ACM Awards
During her discussion with Country Now, the “I Hope” singer revealed that she is “very pumped” to introduce Ella Langley, the 2025 ACM New Female Artist Of The Year winner, an award Barrett took home in 2021, during the broadcast. Of Langley, Barrett gushed, “I think she’s cool. She is a vibe, a breath of fresh air, a little bit. I’ve never met her in person, though, so hope to bump into her. Excited to see her live, too.”
And despite being a seasoned performer, she admitted that she still gets nervous to speak on such a large stage. “I get all the butterflies. I’m like, I never thought I’d be the person talking. I don’t know how you guys do it,” she admitted with a laugh.
Gabby Barrett’s appearance at the ACM Awards comes just hours after she announced a 30-date headlining trek, dubbed the Life I’m Living Tour. The trek will kick off with a pair of performances at CMA Fest on June 5 and 6 in Nashville, Tennessee, and will feature 30 dates all across the United States. Barrett’s Life I’m Living Tour will wrap on October 5 in Ocean City, Maryland with a performance at the Country Calling Festival, making stops in Ohio, California, Oklahoma, Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, Iowa and more along the way.
About 2025 ACM Awards
The 2025 ACM Awards will kick off in a big way, celebrating 60 years of country music with a must-see opening performance on Thursday, May 8. An all-star lineup — including Clint Black, Dan + Shay, Wynonna Judd, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, and Sugarland — will take the stage for a special 12-minute medley honoring ACM Songs of the Year from the past six decades.
The night will also be packed with incredible performances from top artists such as Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Kelsea Ballerini, Cody Johnson, Megan Moroney, Ella Langley, Zach Top, Alan Jackson, and Brooks & Dunn — with many more surprises in store.
Fans can also look forward to star-studded collaborations, including the Backstreet Boys with Rascal Flatts, a powerful duet from Jelly Roll and Shaboozey, and a high-energy joint performance by Brooks & Dunn with Cody Johnson. Plus, Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson will debut their new track “Trailblazers.”
A-list presenters will include Crystal Gayle, ERNEST, Gabby Barrett, Gretchen Wilson, Lee Ann Womack, Jordan Davis, Lionel Richie, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Parker McCollum, Riley Green, Rita Wilson, Sara Evans, The Oak Ridge Boys, Chase Elliott, Amber Anderson, Kelly Sutton, and many more.
Hosted by the legendary Reba McEntire — a 16-time ACM Award winner — The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards will stream live exclusively on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch for a global audience in over 240 countries and territories. The show airs Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 8/7 PM CT, live from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas — the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys.
