Lainey Wilson has a big night going into the 59th Annual CMA Awards. Not only is she serving as the sole host for the evening, but she’s also nominated for the night’s highest honor — Entertainer of the Year. Because of that, it’s extra special to have her fiancé, Devlin “Duck” Hodges, right by her side for one of the most unforgettable evenings.
The country music superstar, 33, and the former NFL quarterback turned real estate agent, 29, walked the red carpet hours before the anticipated “Country Music’s Biggest Night” opening monologue, posing for photos and holding hands. Wilson stunned in a flowy teal dress, while her future husband complimented her ensemble in a leather vest and all black suit.
Wilson and Hodges announced their engagement in February 2025, with a touching carousel of photos and a video on Instagram of her standing at the top of the steps of late country icon George Jones’ former estate and appearing to soak in the moment with smiles across their faces. The video, which is the final slide, finds Wilson walking down the steps and flashing her vibrant engagement ring for all to see.
“4x4xU forever ❤️,” Wilson simply captioned the post, referring to her country radio hit of the same name.
The pair began dating in Nashville after meeting in 2021 through mutual friends.
This isn’t the first time Wilson and Hodges appeared arm in arm at awards shows. He also accompanied her earlier this year at the 2025 ACM Awards. The romantic lovebirds made their red carpet debut at the 58th annual ACM Awards. Wilson’s evening will be action-packed, so it’s unlikely the pair will be sitting together inside the star-studded Bridgestone Arena, as this is Wilson’s first time hosting by herself. Last year, she was joined by fellow country artist Luke Bryan and NFL legend Peyton Manning.
“When you’re hosting by yourself, there ain’t nothing for you to hide behind,” Wilson shared in a statement. “I don’t have Peyton or Luke next to me this year. So it’s just me flying solo, but I feel like they’ve prepared me, showed me the ropes, and taught me not to take myself too seriously, just get up there and have a good time. Speak from the heart, and I don’t think we can go wrong if we do that.”
“I am on cloud 9 to be hosting the CMA Awards. I love to run my mouth, and I love country music. It’s a nice time just to celebrate with everybody, and it’s gonna be a party if I have anything to do with it,” she added. “Viewers can expect to see the country community coming together and just lifting each other and enjoying each other’s talents and celebrating each other and celebrating the milestones that we have all achieved. I think they can just expect to see all of the camaraderie between everybody and the friendships, at least that was always the fun thing for me to watch when I was a little girl watching the CMAs.”
Wilson is also scheduled to perform during the evening. Will she collect the biggest award? That’s still to be determined. She is up for that nod alongside heavy hitters Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, and Morgan Wallen. In addition, Wilson tied with the most female nominations of the evening alongside Megan Moroney and Ella Langley. She is up for six total nods, and if she nabs them all, she will become the most winning female in CMA Award history, surpassing Miranda Lambert, who has 14.
“To be nominated alongside Ella and Megan, to us having the most nominations this year, it’s huge,” Wilson said. “I think it says a lot about the things that are happening in the country music community and fan bases. They’re gravitating towards female music, and that’s a very exciting thing…”
Along with CMA Entertainer of the Year, Wilson is currently in the running for Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for Whirlwind, Single of the Year and Song of the Year for “4X4XU,” and Music Video of the Year for “Somewhere Over Laredo.”
The 59th Annual CMA Awards will feature unforgettable performances from BigXthaPlug, Luke Combs, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Shaboozey, Zach Top, Tucker Wetmore, Lainey Wilson, Stephen Wilson Jr., Kelsea Ballerini, Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Riley Green, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Old Dominion, The Red Clay Strays, Chris Stapleton and more.
In addition to performance, the show will also feature a star-studded list of presenters and special guests, including Lady A, Alison Brown, Jessica Capshaw, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lauren Daigle, Jordan Davis, Elizabeth Hurley, Cody Johnson, Bert Kreischer, Brandon Lake, Ella Langley, Steve Martin, Leanne Morgan, NE-YO, Chris O’Donnell, Kimberly Perry, LeAnn Rimes, Alan Ritchson, Lara Spencer, Billy Bob Thornton, Grace Van Patten, Gretchen Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman and more.
“Country Music’s Biggest Night” will also honor Vince Gill with the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. The 68-year-old country music legend will be celebrated with a special tribute performance before accepting the coveted award. The 59th Annual CMA Awards is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Alan Carter is the Director and Jon Macks is the Head Writer.
Hosted by Lainey Wilson, the 2025 CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 19 (8:00–11:00 PM ET) on ABC and will be available to stream the following day on Hulu.
